How to Make Yourself Invaluable to Your Company During Layoffs

With the country inching toward a recession, the word "layoff" may be floating around your office. Some people might feel there is nothing they can do and will just take a wait-and-see approach. Others, the smart ones, will work to make themselves more valuable so they are less likely to be in a position of having their jobs cut.

If you know your company is facing potential layoffs, here are some ways you can work to make sure your job remains safe.

Make money, don't cost it. When most companies do layoffs, they start with support positions like public relations and accounting simply because they cost money but don't bring any money into the company. If you aren't lucky enough to be in sales, there are still other ways to help improve your company's bottom line. For example, some time ago, I volunteered to audit customer accounts in my spare time; something that has found my company an extra $1,000-$2,000 per month. If you have an idea about how to make something more efficient and less expensive, speak up; the money saved might be just enough to pay your salary.

Pick up the slack. If one of your co-workers is let go and the company needs someone to pick up some of their job duties, volunteer. Employees that can do two or three jobs for the price of one person are valuable to businesses that find themselves on a tight budget. They are also much harder to replace.

Make sure everyone knows your accomplishments. I have detailed spreadsheets going back to my first day on the job that allow me to keep a pretty accurate estimate about how much money I've made the company since I started. And, I whenever I hit a specific milestone, I'm quick to send off an e-mail to my supervisors about it. You may be doing a great job but that won't mean anything if nobody realizes you are.

Get a little brown on your nose. Brown nosing has such a bad rep today. But, there's no harm in making friends in high places. After all, the people in your department might make better drinking buddies, but they won't be able to help you save your job. If you're uncomfortable with rubbing elbows with your bosses, remember this; if you don't brown nose with the employer you have, you'll probably find yourself doing just that while hunting for a new job.