How To Make Yourself Insanely Valuable To Employers
Every woman who has been in a career for any length of time will know that the job market can sometimes be harsh. Companies face economic realities, and they must adapt to accommodate them.
The goal is to make yourself as valuable as possible to employers. You want to present yourself as the ideal candidate for every role in your niche, so you do not go long periods without work. What can you do to achieve that? How can you become someone companies cannot afford to let go?
Act like an owner
One of the most powerful ways to keep your job is to adopt what’s called the “owner mindset.” You may not own the company you work for, but if you act like you do, the real owners will notice and appreciate it.
Think about the difference between someone who owns a company and an employee. When a company is in trouble, the owner does everything they can to improve the situation and turn it around. Meanwhile, employees often start jumping ship and looking for jobs elsewhere.
If you can understand how your daily tasks help the company save or make money, you can point out your contribution to the bottom line. You can show senior management that you’re doing everything you can to help them get the results they want. Just make sure you document everything so you have visible evidence you can use to make your case.
Master the rare and valuable skills the company needs
Another thing you should do is master the rare and valuable skills the company needs through training. Having skills that nobody else has makes you much harder to replace. Companies can easily swap out manual labourers and bring in new people in bulk through recruitment agencies. If you’re the only one who knows a specific part of the company’s processes and nobody else does, that puts you in a stronger position. They’re less likely to fire you when things get tough, and more likely to target other people they can get rid of and replace later.
Be a low-maintenance high performer
Be a low-maintenance, high-performer. The goal is to create as little overhead for management as possible.
- If you have a problem you need to bring to your boss, come up with three potential solutions and discuss which one is best for addressing the issue.
- Never make someone follow up with you. When you finish a task, send an update. If a project is delayed, flag it before the deadline is reached.
These practices shape how others perceive your value and reduce the likelihood you’ll be removed in an elimination round.
Quantify your impact
If you want to make yourself incredibly valuable to your employer, quantify your impact. Instead of creating a sheet that just brags about your abilities, use hard numbers that show how your contributions helped the firm achieve its goals.
For example, you could say you improved an email funnel that led to a 15% increase in conversions. You can also use case studies that highlight your role in specific projects, even if the ultimate effects are difficult to measure.
