CAREER & HIRING ADVICE

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6 Steps to Becoming Indispensable at Work

There are many factors that affect a person’s job security. These include the performance of the company, its ease of access to new technologies, the availability of outsourcing services, and a lot of other elements that are completely out of an individual’s control. The existence of these factors, however, doesn’t mean that you have no part in maintaining your employability.

Your ability to influence your organisation in Singapore may be quite limited if you’re an ordinary employee, but through your work, you can always demonstrate that you actively contribute to the success of the company. Here’s how you can set yourself up as an indispensable part of the team you are working with.

Focus on Work That Matters to the Company

Considering your role in the company, which of your responsibilities have a direct impact on the success of the business? If you’re in a sales position, for example, then the number of deals you are able to close might matter more than other metrics.

While preoccupying yourself with busy work can help make you seem like a productive member of the team, your numbers will do the actual talking for you and play the biggest role in determining your order of importance among the team members.

As such, remember to focus your efforts on the tasks and activities that directly contribute to the performance of the business directly relate to the metrics against which your performance will be evaluated. 

Monopolise a Particular Skill in the Workplace

Even if you’re one of the many employees in the company that specialise in a particular task, you still have opportunities to prove your worth in the team.

You can do this by taking on roles that no one else in the team can do. For example, as a part of the human resource department, you can use your photography skills to improve recruitment and onboarding materials. If there’s a much-needed skill in the workplace that your team members have yet to possess, learn the skill yourself.

If you’re in Singapore, check if there are Skills Future courses that you can enrol in to pick up new capabilities. Then, in a move to make yourself indispensable, volunteer for tasks that showcase the unique abilities you may have gained from the training—and how they can be applied in the workplace. 

Do Your Best to Maintain Professional Relationships

These days, being good at what you do is just one of the requirements to become an indispensable part of a company. You must also prove yourself to be a team player who is capable of collaborating with people from and outside of your department or organisation. While you don’t have to be buddies with the people you work with, make an effort to maintain cordial relationships with your contacts in the company and within the industry that you are a part of. This way, you can easily collaborate with the people that you know or tap into their networks when needed.                                 

Add Value to All Your Interactions in the Office

Simply doing the tasks indicated in your job description will not get you anywhere near your goal of being a memorable or indispensable part of the team. Aside from fulfilling the basic requirements in your line of work, you need to set yourself apart from others by adding value to everything that you do in the office.

Have pride in what you do and go the extra mile with your submissions, and aim to be polite during professional interactions. If you have the time and energy, you can even volunteer and use the opportunity to showcase skills that can make you deserving of a promotion. 

Keep an Eye Out for Advances in Your Field

While advances in technology might render your role less essential to your company at some point in the future, this doesn’t mean that you should shun technology altogether. On the contrary, it would be to your advantage if you keep a close eye on the technical developments in your field and pre-emptively familiarise yourself with their capabilities and limitations. This way, you can dedicate your time and energy to learning skills that machines and computers cannot easily replicate. Should your company overhaul the system that it is using right now, you can easily transition to a role that incorporates the use of newer technology.

Cultivate a Consistent and Reliable Image at Work

Taking on the role of a reliable worker is also a good way of making yourself an essential member of the team. You can set yourself apart and make a good impression on your managers by consistently showing up and submitting work that adheres to the standards of the team.

As such, in case your manager needs someone to show up for an important task or activity, you’ll be first in line to shoulder that responsibility and highlight your reliability to the people inside and outside of your team. 

Following all these will help you solidify your current role in a thriving workplace and even help you set yourself up for a promotion.

While there are factors that dictate your position at work that you have absolutely no control over, there are still areas where you can show your work and the value that you add to the company. Make use of these opportunities and earn a secure spot in your place of work.

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