One way to guarantee career success is to become indispensable at work for your boss and colleagues alike. There is a lot of competition, and without sycophantic behavior, you need to stand out. From setting high standards to becoming a reliable employee, here are some tips.

Gain Specialist Skills and Knowledge

You can become more than a standard employee with specialist skills and training. With continued efforts towards knowledge in a specific subject, your boss will come to see you as a reliable confidant and someone they can rely on. For instance, an MBA specialization can help you with business analytics, finances, and even digital marketing. These are standard aspects of modern business and subjects that an employer will value or even pay more money for.

Become Indispensable at Work with High Standards

A strong work ethic is a valuable tool in your career arsenal. Working to high standards puts you above other employees who do the bare minimum. There are many reasons why people perform poorly, and it is more common than you may think. A survey by Gallup found that only around 15% of workers feel engaged at work. Good health, a positive attitude, and staying professional will help. This also means minimal partying and no use of drugs or alcohol.

Be the Most Reliable Person in the Office

All most bosses want is someone they can rely on. Someone who gets the job done and makes their life easier. Don’t forget your boss has a boss, and any poor work from you reflects badly on them. Dedication to the job and loyalty to your boss goes a long way in making you the person they think of when it comes to bonuses, awards, and promotions. It also builds a long-lasting bridge of trust that can last for your tenure at a company, bringing you into managerial favor.

Always Maintain a Positive Attitude

If someone is willing to pay you for doing a job, that inherently makes it important. As such, a positive attitude must be maintained. No matter the job, you can make an excellent impression with enthusiasm for the role. Take working in a fast-food restaurant as an example. Sure, it’s no one’s idea of a superior career. But you have responsibilities that must be met. Being negative about the job to be done reflects poorly on management and makes doing your job harder.

Make It Easier for Superiors

One of the easiest ways to make a great impression and become an integral part of the team is to make life easier for your superiors. This means the person or people you answer to directly. You can cultivate a strong relationship with workplace communication. Here are some vital tips:

  • Get to know your supervisors and managers for easier communication.
  • Understand the goals your superiors have and where you can fit in.
  • Use your initiative when at work, and don’t expect anyone to hold your hand.
  • Try to minimize issues that can escalate to your boss or their boss.
  • Ensure you meet deadlines, or even better, try to beat them altogether.
  • Don’t complain about issues, and instead, offer valuable solutions.
  • Always do what you say you will do, as you will be held accountable for your actions.

By making the job easier for your boss, the positivity reflects on your team, department, and company as a whole. Being reliable and doing what you say, keeping on top of goals, and ensuring deadlines are met will make you a key person and add value to the entire team.

Keep Yourself Looped In On Projects

You can never know about everything that is happening on a company-wide level. However, there are projects, tasks, and goals that will be available to you. Even if you aren’t a part of a specific team or department, knowing about these can make you a valuable person. For example, as a sales person, you can gain extra value by understanding existing and upcoming projects. Going the extra mile always makes you a valuable employee who will get noticed.

Collaborate With and Support Colleagues

Almost all modern companies are built on the premise of working as a team. Even in jobs where you work alone for the vast majority of your working day, such as computer programming, there is a core team. Knowing how to communicate with a team effectively makes you a more valuable person to a company. It also reflects well on your character if you go out of your way to help others. This shows potential leadership skills that employers value when promoting people.

Become Indispensable at Work as the “Go To” Person

As mentioned above, knowing specialist skills can help make you an indispensable person at work. In fact, between 2017 and 2020, one survey found that of the 51 million jobs in the US, 31% requested what would be considered high skills. This is subjective, of course. But if you are the single person in a company who can do something others cannot, you are indispensable by virtue. This also opens you up to more valuable roles within projects as a specialist on a subject.

Save the Company Some Money

All companies value money. Among things like providing a service, money is the entire reason for their being. Conversely, a business hates to lose money. One way to make yourself the most valuable person there is to find ways to save money. For example, imagine figuring out a solution to a major client issue just before they pull a multimillion-dollar contract. You are the office hero, and actions like this will undoubtedly get you noticed by the executive team.

Summary

Having specialist skills and knowledge will always help you become indispensable at work. But it isn’t enough. You will also need to have a positive attitude towards work while making life easier for your boss. And if you can find novel ways to standout, then you may have a bright future. This includes helping colleagues with their issues, or even saving company money.