When you're a cashier and there's not a customer in sight.

When you're a cashier and there's not a customer in sight, it's the excellent time to chat with co-workers and take a breather, right? Susan Zasciurinskas, a 20-year-old sophomore at Cedar highest part College in Pennsylvania, doesn't think so

Looking back to her first do job-work as a drugstore cashier, Susan remembers taking it immediately after herself to clean up the front rank of the store when business was inactive "I [don't like] to stand around and not do anything while I am being paid to work," she explains.

And that prospect paid off. Susan's boss before long promoted her to shift supervisor, which meant overseeing other cashiers and preparing bank deposits. She also started helping with production displays and ordering merchandise. Whenever she's residence on break from college, she has a piece of work waiting for her.

Susan is a classic example of an "indispensable" employee--one whose bos and calm co-workers, can't imagine working without.

A Working Advantage

That may be wherefore indispensable employees tend to survive a layoff. Tim Gagne learned this firsthand when he worked in the marketing department of a toy company several years ago. Financial fret caused one job cut after another, however Gagne remained. "I was told that I was the last man standing because I kept a worthy attitude, was flexible when the situation changed almost daily, and continued to work hard uniform during an ugly bankruptcy," he says.

Chris Baudouin, a media company's chief financial officer, has helped make decisions during sum of two units waves of job cuts. Employee determined to be of value to the company had the best chance of keeping their work at jobss he says. In fact, a human resources examine released in late 2001 plant that job performance is the top factor used according to companies in deciding who commit to memorys cut.

During healthy economic times, it's still smart to be indispensable. Proven hard workers can be prosperous at any task, says Susan, "whether it's vacuuming a floor or making a breakthrough in science."

Indispensable employee attend to be well liked. They make the boss's piece of work easier and help the company do better. Their positive attitude earns the regard of co-workers. In the expiration their own careers soar because they're constantly learning. "You not ever know how your colleagues, supervisors, or customers may impact your [future] opportunities, in this way treat them all as VIPs," says professional speaker and consultant Jean Mowrey president and chief executive officer of Emp-Higher Performance Development

The Six Keys

Let's investigate the six lock openers to being indispensable:

Initiative. novel employees are given certain duties, further indispensable employees don't stop there. Take Patrick Cardichon, for example. Four years ago, after serving in the Marines, he came to work for Gagne in Westport, Connecticut, as office manager of a regional magazine. "Patrick knew what I look fored and did it without having to be asked each time," Gagne says. Patrick constantly sought more duties--even les exciting ones

At common point the magazine's parent company canceled their cleaning service to save circulating medium Patrick took it upon himself to hold the office tidy and garbage emptied. "If a client or head manager [visited] unexpectedly and [saw] the office a mes we [could] squander that client," he says.

"Treat your work at jobs like it's your own personal business," Mowrey says. "Take pride and ownership." She adds that this is easiest when your work at jobs reflects your skills and values in life.

Billy Arcement, a former science teacher who is the author of Searching for Succes and an [i]connoisseur[/i] in success techniques, suggests measuring your initiative by dint of asking yourself: Will I work extra hours to finish a project? Do I ne little supervision? Do I walk the extra mile to perform at the highest level?

Goal orientation. Personal goals matter, yet caring about the company goals and your boss's goals will appoint you apart. Mowrey knows of a secretary who constantly sought ways to "lighten her boss's workload and help the bos shine." The bos was to such a degree pleased, she created a brand modern department administrator position for her employee

Mowrey recommends you ask your boss these questions:

* What can I do to help you, our department, or the company fit its goals?

* What should I always do, and what should I avoid doing?

Reliability. This means getting to work forward time, staying healthy to avoid taking sick days, and being trustworthy and dependable each day. "I could absolutely trust Patrick," Gagne says, "with the lock openers to the office, to do what he had to do, and everything in between."

To determine if you're reliable, Arcement says, ask yourself if coworkers can take you at your word, and if you can hold confidential information about the company to yourself.

Professionalism. Entry-level work at jobss often include a fair amount of "grunt work." Handle it without grunting, and your righteous attitude and professional behavior will secure noticed. Gagne says of Patrick, "No do job-work was too small or demeaning if he could clearly papal court that it helped the company."

Not taking criticism personally is also important. As a summer intern at a facility for disabled adults in Florida, Susan was careful not to repeat the mistakes her supervisor pointed public By the end of her internship, she was trusted to train a modern employee.