Three Rules for Making Yourself Indispensable at Work

With increased turnover and less time to prove yourself to higher-ups, how can you make yourself indispensable?

Demonstrate measurable results. “You’re only going to be as valuable as your last project,” says Levit. Resumes are quickly becoming irrelevant, she says – it’s not about titles or official responsibilities. (After all, even poor performers can sometimes hide behind an illustrious pedigree.) Instead, it’s about results. “You have to be able to explain your projects in a way that shows how you added value to the bottom line,” she says.

Sell yourself. Squeamish about tooting your own horn? Levit says to get over it. “You have to be very good at your job,” she says. “But you also have to make sure the right people know about your results, and subtly tout your accomplishments.” Without building a cadre of supporters in your organization, your career may be in imminent jeopardy if your boss or mentor departs. When it comes to job security, says Levit, “If higher-ups don’t know the value you add, your contributions don’t matter.”

Forget authenticity. In the Internet era, we’ve heard plenty about the need to “be yourself” and “express the real you.” Levit isn’t convinced. “You need to be the most professional version of yourself,” she argues. That doesn’t mean inventing a new personality or pretending to be someone else. But it does mean filtering anything that would embarrass you at work. “I believe in self-censorship,” she says. “Even online, regardless of privacy settings, there’s no forum where you can say absolutely anything you want.”

Source: Forbes