Headlines, news anchors, talk shows, friends, relatives, and even strangers talk about the problems of today’s economy.
Whether it’s the loss of a home or the slow decline in investment accounts, everyone is talking about the effects this economy is having on their lives.
In recent days, the hottest topic of discussion regarding our breaking economy has been more about jobs, particularly layoffs.
The American unemployment rate has hit an all-time high of 8.1%, according to the US Department of Labor. With so many people losing their jobs, those who have one are thankful that they can still pay their bills, keep food at their tables and keep a roof over their heads.
The rapid rise in job layoffs and job uncertainties has employees wondering what they can do to keep their jobs and avoid unemployment lines; what can they do to stand out from the rest; and what they can do to become indispensable.
Many experts have said that now is the time for employees to take stock of their skills, invest in upgrading their skills, and start using them in earnest to become indispensable.
With that in mind, to survive and thrive in today’s work environment, today’s employees need to focus on developing the three significant characteristics of efficient, competent, and self-reliant in order to become a more valuable asset, not only to their companies, but to everyone else. their families and themselves as well.
Let’s look at the first characteristic of efficiency. Efficient employees are those who are productive without waste. They can work smart by producing the desired results without wasting their vital resources of time and energy.
When you operate as an efficient employee, you can push through your workday, whether you work 8, 9, or 12 hours, and get a lot done with few mistakes. Since you understand that mistakes can cost time and money, as well as get in the way of a positive working relationship with customers and clients, you as an efficient employee will focus on having a mastery of organizational and time management skills to increase your ability to produce constantly without wasting.
The next characteristic that today’s employees must develop is competence. A competent employee is an employee who has a great deal of knowledge and experience in a trade or profession.
In the current economic climate, not only are more and more people losing their jobs, but there also seem to be more and more people doing work they don’t know much about.
Have you had the experience of interacting with someone regarding an aspect of your job that you thought you might know about but didn’t know much about? Maybe they transferred you to someone else, or maybe they told you outright that they didn’t know anything about what you were asking about, or maybe they gave you some information only to find out later that the information was totally wrong and didn’t help. with what I needed help to fix or resolve.
Employees who don’t know their jobs well can’t do their jobs well. That is why it is important that you learn every aspect of your job and learn it correctly. The more you know, the further you will go. The success of your work will depend on the knowledge and skills you possess. So take classes, enroll in certificate programs, study material on your own, and work with a mentor to help position yourself as a competent employee.
The last characteristic that today’s employees must develop is the characteristic of self-reliance. With all the uncertainty that employees face regarding the stability of their jobs, the self-sufficiency feature can serve them well.
Self-sufficient employees can support themselves without outside help. Of course, in the workplace, teamwork, which requires the help of others, is essential to establish links between co-workers, successfully complete projects and achieve company goals. However, operating as a self-sufficient employee will allow you to demonstrate extreme confidence in your own ability and worth.
This means that you will operate as an entrepreneur doing work you are proud of. In addition, he will work with minimal instructions from the boss, doing what he knows he should do, instead of waiting to be told what he should do. In addition, he will understand that it is not an island and will know the resources that can help him do a job well done and will take advantage of them to get help.
Valuing your efforts, using your resources, remembering your goals, harnessing your talents, and using your skills will help you operate as a self-sufficient employee in the workplace.
And, in the unfortunate event that you find yourself in front of the unemployment line, your ability to meet your own needs will help you establish a career where you can rely on your own ability to make a living and survive during this job downturn.
With constant reminders that these are not easy economic times we live in, focusing on the positives of employment can seem like a daunting task. However, if you work to strengthen the characteristics of efficiency, competence, and self-sufficiency, you will position yourself to survive this job crisis and any future crisis.
