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3 Tips to Become an Indispensable Employee

Topics: Career Advice
become an indispensable employee
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Whether you want a raise, job security or a new job, striving to become an indispensable employee can help you get there.

When you’re the employee your company doesn’t want to lose, you’re naturally in a better position to negotiate for a raise. If you’re seeking stability before the next recession, hunkering down now could help you when times get tough for the company. And if you’re a rock star at your current job, recruiters come knocking.

So how do you become an indispensable employee?

1. Play to Your Strengths

Don’t try to force yourself into roles that don’t fit or to learn skills that you’ll never really master. While this may sound counter to advice that you must get out of your comfort zone to grow, it’s more a matter of knowing your strengths.

Chris Myers, cofounder and CEO of BodeTree, wrote in Forbes that after beginning his career in business valuation and financial modeling, he realized he wasn’t passionate about or naturally gifted at technical finance.

“This led me to the realization that I wasn’t playing to my strengths. I would never be the best analyst at the firm, and as a result, would never be indispensable in that capacity,” Myers wrote.

Make a list of your strengths, and make sure your chosen career is something you’re not only good at but also passionate about.

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2. Make Sure You’re on the Same Page as Your Employer

To be indispensable, you have to make sure your successes matter to the company. You may get great feedback about a recent project, but if it didn’t help the company reach its goals, you may have a false sense of how indispensable you are.

Familiarize yourself with the company’s goals and look at how your skills and experience align with them. Then, seek ways to get involved in projects that tie into those goals and think about how you can add value.

Are you a Purple Squirrel/Unicorn? Find out by using our salary survey!

3. Stay Up on the Latest Trends

Stay up-to-date on current events, including the latest trends of your craft, your industry and the overall economy. Understanding the market and how your company performs against competitors is critical for an employee who seeks to be indispensable, Felix Tarcomnicu writes in HuffPost.

Subscribe to newsletters, read industry publications, take online courses or attend seminars. In the information age, you have access to news and training that can help you stand out.

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