Searching for a job is not a walk in the park as it involves doing a lot of research, enhancing your education, and getting equipped with diverse skills. This is why it’s important (for those who are employed) to do whatever they can to keep the job they have. Even though this doesn’t come easy, it’s very crucial to continuously express your value as an employee to the company you are working for. Here are some of the ways that can help you attain job security; Report to work on time Gloria Kamikazi, CEO of a local fashion house is of the view that punctuality should be a discipline for all workers. Consistently arriving to work on time indicates commitment and rumination for the people you work with, and the company that employs you. The benefits of being punctual include your ability to build positive and productive working relationships with your supervisor and colleagues. She says that if you’re considerably or excessively late, that can strain your working relationships with others. Getting late to work, also decreases the amount of time you have to accomplish your tasks. “No one wants to work with people who don’t know how to keep time and there are many people out there waiting on your job. It is therefore high time you changed if you are in that bracket,” Kamikazi states. Be flexible She carries on that managers or supervisors like employees that can adjust. Flexible employees are those willing to do whatever is necessary to get the task accomplished, even if it requires taking on more responsibilities, doing different tasks, or doing more at work. To her, flexibility helps workers achieve greater work-life balance, thus resulting in increased employee satisfaction and refined morale. You can also volunteer to work extra or on weekends if your personal schedule allows. Be a team player Kamikazi notes that a positive attitude will earn you respect and trust at your workplace. You don’t want to be the employee that doesn’t get along well with everybody. More can be achieved collectively, than individually. Each person has their own strengths to bring to a group, which makes them a lot stronger as a team, than individually. Teamwork is known as the ability to work together toward a common vision. Working together facilitates idea generation and creativity, improves productivity and brings better business results, encourages taking healthy risks but also relieves stress, she adds. Meet the right people Career experts say that finding people who can help you succeed is critical to keeping a job and moving up the ladder. Ask other people you work with how your job relates to theirs, if they know anything about your predecessor and if they have any tips. Develop relationships with senior managers who will evaluate you and recommend you for a promotion. You can also find people willing to teach you about the business so you can increase your knowledge. Improve your skills Kamikazi stresses that having improved skills is the way to go as managers want to collaborate with workers that yearn to grow in any skills, and soft skills are a must have. According to LinkedIn’s 2019 skills survey, creativity is the most important skill in the workplace. But creativity as a soft skill doesn’t mean you need to be an artist or designer. It’s about learning to think in a creative way and finding innovative solutions to solve problems for your organisation. Ask other people to tell you how they do their jobs, take seminars, classes or workshops, earn a certification or read books and articles that broaden your skill set. Knowing where everything is and how it works in your department will make you stand out as you become known as someone staff can turn to when they need answers. If you don’t add anything to the company, you are risking being fired, Kamikazi notes.
