Headlines, newscasters, talk shows, friends, relatives, and even strangers talk about the problems of today’s economy.
Whether it’s the loss of a home or slowly dwindling 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, layoffs in particular.
The US unemployment rate has reached 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 grateful that they can still pay their bills, support food at their tables and keep a roof over their heads.
The rapid increase 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 make themselves indispensable.
Many experts have said that now is the time for employees to take stock of their skills, invest in improving their skills, and start using them seriously to make themselves indispensable.
With that in mind, to survive and thrive in today’s work environment, today’s employees must focus on developing the three significant characteristics of efficient, competent, and self-sufficient in order to become a more valuable asset, not only to their companies, but also to each other. their families and themselves too.
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 put effort into your workday, whether you put in 8, 9, or 12 hours, and get a lot done with few mistakes. With an understanding that mistakes can cost time and money, as well as hinder 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 extensive 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 seems to be more and more people doing work they don’t know much about.
Have you had the experience of interacting with someone about an aspect of your job that you thought you would know but didn’t know much about? Maybe they transferred you to someone else, or maybe they told you outright they didn’t know anything you were asking about, or possibly they gave you some information only to find out later that the information was totally wrong and it didn’t help. what I needed help fixing or solving.
Employees who don’t know their job well can’t do their job well. That’s why it’s 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 job will depend on the knowledge and skills you possess. So take classes, enroll in certification 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-sufficiency. With all the uncertainty employees face regarding the stability of their jobs, the self-reliance 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 objectives. 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 like 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 he is not an island and will know the resources that can help him do a job well done and will use them to get help.
Valuing your efforts, utilizing your resources, remembering your goals, leveraging your talents, and using your abilities will help you operate as a self-sufficient employee in the workplace.
And, in the unfortunate event that you find yourself facing 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 earn a living and survive during this job downturn.
With constant reminders that these are not easy economic times we live in, focusing on the positive aspects 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.