A “valuable” member of the team brings needed skills, experience, and perspective to the job – but an “invaluable” member contributes so much the team can’t imagine working without them. While being valuable is important, becoming invaluable is, well, invaluable.

To position yourself as an invaluable employee, focus on embracing your position and identifying personal and professional growth opportunities. The greater your value in your current position, the more you benefit your own career and increase your chances of success in meeting your career goals.

How can you make yourself invaluable to your team? Consider the following tips:

• Go beyond the basics. Use your job description as the starting point for your work, the bare minimum you must achieve. Then, do more. Seek out projects that go beyond the basic description of your job and encourage you to improve your current skills and build new ones. Offer your help on projects that are related to your skill set, but that don’t fall entirely under your job description. You’ll build goodwill among your co-workers as well as demonstrate your value.
• Look for ways to innovate and improve your skills and position. When you reach out beyond your job description, you open up the chance to create learning opportunities for yourself. Whether you learn skills “on the job” by tackling a new project or step outside of work to take a class or earn a certification, constantly improving on your skills and job position will make you invaluable to your team.
• Embrace your workplace – no matter how quirky. Instead of seeking a workplace that meets your predetermined “ideal,” consider ways in which your workplace already meets or exceeds your expectations. Is your workplace hyper-efficient? Would your team members do anything for each other? Does your company regularly win awards or have a standout reputation in the industry? Find the good and contribute to it, while also looking for ways to improve.
• Support your co-workers and give credit where due. Helping your co-workers is a great way to expand your value, improve your skills, and identify the best parts of your workplace, as well as a great way to develop goodwill and mutual support with your team members. Remember to give ample credit to your co-workers when it’s due – you’ll cement your reputation not only as an invaluable employee, but as a great teammate as well.

The experienced recruiters at SMR Group can help you find a new sales or marketing job and become an invaluable member of the team. Contact us today to learn more!