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Keeping your job is just a matter of proving your worth

Labor Day celebrates the contribution of America’s working men and women, but for millions of people today is simply a reminder they are out of work.

By Kathy Gurchiek
The Salt Lake Tribune

For those who are employed, worries about potential layoffs remain real.

While some factors aiding in job retention, such as seniority, may be out of a worker’s control, other strategies improve your chances of keeping your job.

"Playing it safe is the kiss of death in today’s market," cautions Dave Marcum, a co-author with Steve Smith and Mahan Khalsa of businessThink. "The people who are being advanced are those who are willing to take a risk and recognize that failure is playing it safe."

Playing it safe affects how you interact with others and could mean you miss out on important information.

"What makes us unemployable is when we can’t make a contribution," the Draper resident said.

"Think like an entrepreneur, act like it’s your business. It frees you up and allows you to use your unique talents."

Julie Swaner, a career counselor at the University of Utah, agreed on the importance of taking professional risks but added that is not a course of action for everybody.

"You can’t tell someone who is likely to never take a risk to take a risk," she said.

Being a risk-taker "has more to do with the way you perceive the world. It has more to do with [your] internal locus of control," she said. It’s also wise to consider the company’s culture and whether it rewards risk taking.

Show initiative: If you are looking to secure your job when layoffs loom, doing what is expected is not enough. Employers value initiative.

"Every employer looks for employees with initiative because that’s what grows their business, that’s what grows their customer satisfaction," Swaner said. "If suddenly you had declining revenues in your office and you have two people and they’re both good workers but one is always . . . creating projects, reaching out in ways to develop new territories or new business, how could you justify letting that person go?" Swaner said.

Showing initiative also means getting curious, Marcum said. When someone suggests a different idea or perspective during a meeting, delve into what that person is saying.

"Slow down long enough to find more about the idea," Marcum said. That’s a way to make a valuable contribution. "We ought to have people who have the title Chief Curiosity Officer. The real breakthroughs . . . are because someone got curious enough to say . . . ‘I’m going to get to the bottom of this.’ "

A human performance study showed that 58 percent of 500 executives surveyed worldwide indicated that the ability to make good decisions, work cross-functionally, stay focused on the customer and effectively manage projects were at the top of their lists and in shortest supply among people they look to hire, according to Marcum.

Initiate an ongoing conversation with your supervisor to receive regular, informal input on your performance and the company’s expectations of you. Not all companies give performance evaluations and you don’t want to suddenly learn that your work is unsatisfactory.

"You want some feedback. How am I doing? Is my timing OK on these projects? What are your expectations? Should I be doing anything differently?" Swaner said.

Passiveness and an unwillingness to contribute information or ideas is a silent killer in business, Marcum said.

While it is important to keep your ego in check, "learn to say what you think as well as be open and curious" about different points of view, he said. Do not be so intent on approval that you don’t contribute ideas or critical input, he advised.

Know your environment: Whether you work in an office, fast food eatery or construction site, be savvy about your workplace culture. What was permissible at your last job may not be permissible in your current job even if the jobs are similar. That includes employer attitudes about punctuality and dress codes.

"Be aware of the surroundings," said Debbie Sheldon of the Department of Workforce Services. She is lead employment counselor for the South Davis Employment Center and conducts free DWS workshops on résumé writing, job interviews and job retention.

"The way that they [do things] may be different" than the last place you worked. "Build a rapport so you can give suggestions. You don’t want to go in like a know-it-all right off the bat."

Attitude check: "Your attitude is going to lay the foundation for everything that happens," Sheldon said. That begins with your résumé and extends to on-the-job performance. For example, you don’t park in the CEO’s parking space or take longer for lunch than allowed, she pointed out. Establish yourself as a dependable person by planning ahead for situations that otherwise could jeopardize your job.

"Make sure your car is in working order, have a backup ride, know the bus route," Sheldon said. Set three alarms or get a battery-operated clock if that is the only way you can be sure of showing up on time for work, she said.

Being punctual is integral to keeping your job. Employees can become glib about time, shrugging off being late by promising to stay longer at the end of the day, but it is an issue that drives employers crazy, Swaner said. If you are asked to arrive before the business opens to prepare for customers, showing up late won’t win you any points with the boss.

"[Being] on time shows you’re reliable. On a day-to-day basis an employer wants to depend upon you and you need to convey reliability."

Consider how your personal life may affect your job. Showing up with a hangover or tired from partying over the weekend is not a good idea if you want to keep your job.

"Your own time is definitely your own time, but you have to understand that work takes a lot out of you. It can be physically or emotionally straining," said Sheldon. "They’re paying you to be there so you should do as they ask and you should be 100 percent [available]" at work.

Attitude is also about maintaining yourself as an ethical person, according to Swaner.

"You don’t take company belongings home. You’re out of toilet paper at home, you don’t rifle through the cabinet and sneak it in your purse and take it home. There’s such a glib justification that goes on today," she said.

Ethics extends to using company time for company business. If you want to keep your job, don’t engage in activities such as reading nonwork-related magazines at your desk, Swaner pointed out.

"If you’re going to work for eight hours, what does the company have a right to expect of real productive time out of you?"

Also be aware that e-mails you send from work may not be as private as you think. According to an article from http://www.dummies.com, "studies show that nearly half of U.S. employers admit to reading and monitoring employee e-mail." With that in mind, workers may want to save any job-bashing for after hours.

Fitting in: Appropriate dress and working harmoniously with co-workers is part of fitting into the workplace culture. Employers do not want an antagonistic, high-maintenance employee, no matter how talented, Swaner said.

Taking work home or working late is not necessarily a way to impress the boss, she said. It could send the message that you don’t know how to meet deadlines, structure your day or prioritize tasks. Ask about expectations before accepting the job. In New York’s financial district, for example, an employee is expected to work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Swaner said.
"You have to read what your colleagues are doing, you have to read the lay of the land."

Employees may want to take to heart a quote Sheldon has in her office: "Blessed are the flexible for they won’t be bent out of shape."

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http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Sep/09012003/monday/monday.asp

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