Sunday, April 26, 2009

Make Yourself More Valuable in your Workplace

How do we make ourselves more valuable to the company we're working? I actually do not know. Work hard, harder, hardest? Hmmm that doesn't pay at all. Even though you have shown dedication to your job, chances are of less acknowledgment. Efforts are not seen and you get more frustrated because you cannot have what you wanted to achieve. Why? Because you have a dumb boss and a stale, rusty management.

Actually, for me there are just two most important factors that determine one's worth in the company: MANAGEMENT and WORKER itself. Why these? Because they co-relate with each other. Albeit you are the the outstanding employee, if there's no support from the management, promotion or reward, you cannot make it to the top. You're left on the same platform. And this keeps you loathing all the time. But, if you are connected (a friend, a relative, or an acquaintance perhaps) to the top bosses, however you're a slop, you're given chances. And you end up leaving or staying depending on your will and needs. But this is just a matter of fate.

So you see, I think there is no real and actual ways to make yourself valuable on the workplace. It just depends on how you see yourself valuable to them. If you think you're not too good for them, strive to be the best in your field and duty. If you are the best yet no return, better think many times. You best know the politics, I mean, atmosphere of your company so think how to make it best for you.

However, there are some factors that we are of control. This, however, will be up to your judging. Take this 5 tips for making yourself more valuable to your company.

1.) Designate one day per week when you will come in early. Get there before the boss does; if you can manage it, get there before everyone else does, too. It doesn't have to be the same day each week, and it doesn't have to be by much, but that little extra bit of facetime can go a long way toward keeping you on the office radar and reminding people that you are, indeed, dedicated to the company.

2.) Designate one day per week when you will stay late. Later than your boss, later than everyone else, if you can, for the same reason stated above. Facetime, facetime, facetime.

3.) Look busy. A New York Times article about looking busy struck a chord with me, not because I'm lacking in things to do around the office, but because I hadn't thought about it before. I work at a computer -- I'd have to try hard not to look busy -- but if you're not at a desk job, then make sure you look like you have plenty to do, even if that means refolding the shirt display eleventy billion times a week.

4.) Be busy. Take on extra work if you can. I've noticed that, over the past few months, my mindset has changed from "They don't pay me enough to deal with that" to "Well, they pay me." A friend of mine whose husband was just laid off explained it this way: We've gone from a sense of entitlement -- not "I deserve a bonus because I'm great" but "I've worked here for 15 years, I ought to be able to work part time if I need to" -- to having to buckle down and compete with everyone all over again. Your company is going to want to wring every last bit of effort out of you in exchange for that paycheck; it's a lot more palatable if you beat them to it.

5.) Expand your skill set. Think of it this way: If you were just entering the workforce, you'd consider an unpaid internship, right, just to get the experience? Try to choose something you haven't done often before and, when the project is complete, add it to your resume, and show your boss that you have skills above and beyond the ones they hired you for.

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