Career Cushioning
Etymology
An HR-and-recruiting term that spread around 2022 amid layoff anxiety. It borrows "cushioning" from dating slang, where it means keeping backup romantic prospects warm in case a relationship fails. Applied to work, the "cushion" is the soft landing you arrange in advance.
noun · /kuh-REER KUSH-un-ing/
Quietly keeping your options open while still employed — updating your résumé, taking calls, nurturing contacts — as a hedge against losing your job.
What it names
A handle for defensive, low-key job-market activity done from a position of employment: not actively fleeing, but never letting the exits get blocked.
Example
With rumors of layoffs everywhere, she started career cushioning — coffees with old colleagues, a refreshed LinkedIn, no actual applications yet.
Related idea
Rage applying is the impulsive opposite: a burst of applications fired off in frustration, where cushioning is calm, ongoing insurance.