Make Yourself Valuable in Your Workplace

From Bottom Line Personal:

Things are tough these days – every day in the newspaper you read about more downsizing, stores and entire businesses closing, and employee layoffs. To AVOID getting laid-off, you have to do a lot more than just fulfill your basic duties. So, here’s how to make yourself especially valuable to your company:

• Show a willingness to learn. Employees who show that they’re excited to learn new things tend to be valued beyond the contributions they’re already making. Dr. Peter Uher is a workplace consultant who specializes in leadership development. He says these employees are labeled “high potential” and often wind up on the promotion fast-track. Employers see their ability to absorb new skills as a sign that their job performance will continue to improve. So, volunteer for projects outside your department, or take a night class to learn a new skill.
  
  
• Job security tip #2: Speak up without hogging the spotlight. If you keep your head down and quietly do your job while your coworkers toot their own horns, you’re going to get overlooked. Overlooked employees wind up undervalued. So, inform your boss when you accomplish one of your goals, or when you reach a milestone in a long-term project. Also, speak up in meetings with concrete, new ideas – or solutions to potential problems. Simply agreeing with what others say isn’t enough. The trick is to speak up and get noticed without coming off as overbearing. So ask a trusted colleague to cut you off if you start talking too much.
  
  
• One last way to make sure you never get fired: Stay one step ahead of the company. Is your employer about to launch a new product line? As soon as you hear rumors about a major project or corporate decision – position yourself to be an asset in that area. If your company is opening an office in China, start learning the language. Research a new product by reading up on similar products. You’ll always be valued if you’re already where your company is headed.