4 Ways to Become Essential at Work

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people stay in their job an average of 4.5 years, with the number of years on a job lower for younger workers. These stats suggest you are likely to move on or be forced out of a company several times in your career. Change is unavoidable as companies look to improve processes and save money.

If you want to remain at a company for the longer term, your career strategy should always involve a plan to make yourself essential. 

Of course, there’s no way to ensure that you don’t experience a layoff, but you can take some steps to mitigate the likelihood while helping you land on your feet if a layoff does come.

Here are four ways to become essential at your workplace:

Be curious and learn new skills. Change is a constant in the workplace today and to thrive you need to cultivate your curiosity. Strive to understand your market, the company you work in, and how new ideas and technologies are changing the way people utilize your products or services. Develop the skills necessary to stay ahead and understand how best to apply them to your work.

Become an expert. Use your curiosity and the new skills you’re learning to do your job better than anyone. Become known as the person to seek out for knowledge and training about your position and demonstrate leaderships skills by offering to lead training sessions or mentoring others in your workplace.

Have a good attitude. No one wants to work with a person who complains every day and is difficult to work with. A positive attitude at work will make others want to be around you and collaborate with you, increasing the chances you’ll be asked to be part of new projects that come along. Use your positive attitude to encourage and inspire others.

Be involved. Volunteer to join workplace committees or get involved in other efforts to improve company processes or the overall culture of your workplace. Volunteer to chair the committee or take an active leadership role.

One thing you can be sure of in the work force: things change quickly. So take some time to develop a specific plan to get more involved at work, ensuring that your valuable contributions are noticed and essential to the success of the company.