Becoming an Irreplaceable Employee – 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Today
By Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, Expert Resume Writer
Is there a way to become the type of employee that your employer just can’t afford to let go? Is it possible for you to know so much that your employer would do anything to avoid losing you? Here are seven question you can ask yourself—and also use to evaluate yourself as an employee—to determine if you’re an irreplaceable employee.
1. Are You Adaptable? Flexible employees can adjust and make changes as the company makes changes. They’re not stale or stuck in their ways; and employers know they can count on these employees to make the adjustments necessary to keep the company running.
2. Are You Progressive? Do you come up with new ideas, new ways to save time or money, or promote the company so that it’s profitable and steadfast?
3. Are You Willing to Do Whatever Is Necessary? Employers want to know they can count on you to not only do your part and your job but pitch in when necessary, pick up the slack, or stay late if needed.
4. Are You Learning New Skills? Employees who learn new skills and apply them to their job are pretty valuable to the organization. If you’re constantly improving yourself and your performance, then you’re becoming an invaluable asset to the company.
5. Are You Processing New Information and Applying It? Are you applying the new skills you’ve learned or any new information you’ve gleaned about the business? What are you doing with the information that has been given to you by your employer? Some employees just take the information in and never do anything with it. Others are doers; they take what they’ve learned and apply it to make situations, circumstances, and organizations run better.
6. Are You Controlling the Information You Take in? Information can be distracting or empowering. Are you the type of employee who sends 100 e-mails a day but never gets any real work done or never takes action to resolve the problem? Don’t be controlled; use what you know to empower yourself to make changes and make things better.
7. Do I Solve Problems? Employees who solve problems are almost never let go—while employees who create problems are almost always terminated.
Consider these seven questions—and take a good, hard look at your work ethic and how you operate within your organization. While not all-inclusive or the end-all, be-all of who gets cut and who stays, these seven steps can help you to make yourself an invaluable and irreplaceable employee.
Are you currently in a job search? Consider the advantages of partnering with one of our TORI Award-nominated writers. We shorten our average client’s job search by 2-4 months. Considering the average job search takes 6-9 months, we’re saving our clients thousands of dollars in unearned wages. Learn more about our 60-day interview guarantee and how we can shorten your job search at http://www.greatresumesfast.com/resume-writing.htm.
Read more biotech career tips. Find more biotech and pharma jobs by visiting the career center.
About the Author
Jessica Hernandez, is a resume authority for the Job Talk America radio program and multi-published expert author for resume, career, and job search publications. She boasts more than ten years in human resources management and hiring for Fortune 500 companies and utilizes her extensive experience to support job seekers in their quest to move onward and upward in their careers. Find out more at Great Resumes Fast.
Check out the latest Career Insider eNewsletter - October 18, 2012.
Sign up for the free weekly Career Insider eNewsletter.