Adding value to your organisation makes you indispensable, it doesn’t matter if you are the newest employee or you feel like you’re just an intern or entry-level staff, you are still capable of adding value. Apart from just earning a paycheck, there should be a commitment to teamwork which boosts your opportunities for career advancement. When I initially put my foot in the door in the corporate world, I got employed as an intern, there were about 30 of us and from day 1, we were already bound to have indirect competition. I know how difficult it was for me to land that internship so I knew I had to figure out how to be unique and add value so when the opportunity presents itself, I would be made a fulltime staff with benefits and all that good stuff.
I worked at the Human Relations unit and I ensured my customer service was impeccable; I was always ready and willing to help clients, I was very polite and communicative. I came up with templates to ease processes and I ensured I was always open and willing to help other people in the workplace. That way, our clients were fond of me because they knew that they could easily get information and assistance and it kept them coming back to the company and even telling more people about our organisation.
Certain tasks were always recurring in the office, I had an idea of how to do some with ease especially things like Excel and Photoshop. I was the recognised Excel expert and became the go-to excel ‘lady’ in the office, everyone already knew that if they need help with Excel they could just call and I would help out. This way, I was saving the organisation money by reducing the time we would otherwise spend using Excel, and instead of hiring editors or designers, I simply used the Photoshop skills I had gathered and upskilled by learning online to help the company in creating designs for our social media and website. I was thereby saving cost and time. At some point, I started offering to do after-work training for other staff to help them develop their skills too.
As an individual, I have never been one to enjoy gossiping or engaging in foul conversation about anyone. So when I got into the corporate world I still kept up with this pattern, I tried my best to ensure that there was a good workplace culture because at the end of the day, no matter how insignificant you consider yourself, we all have a role to play. I tried to be part of the solution rather than foster a negative and hostile environment. I ensured I was open-minded, patient and maintained a good rapport with everyone in the office. I tried not to engage in negative talk about the other or participate in office politics.
Doing my job with my productive working hours were a priority for me because that way, I ensured that I was not cheating my employers or lagging at any front. I constantly reminded myself that time is money and I ensured I was keeping to my deadlines and communicating those I could not meet up with to my supervisors, through that, I proved to be a reliable and trustworthy employee.
I ensured I did not burn out. In as much as I was working hard to create value and climb up the career ladder, I ensured I was sleeping and eating well. I had proper check-ups on my sick days and took time off to rest and refresh myself. My mantra is if I burn out, I wouldn’t be productive or able to create tangible value so I need to take care of myself.
What steps have you taken to add value to yourself and your workplace? Let us know and GROW!
Yomi Olusunle is a writer, editor and digital strategist. She has a knack for research and developing content which are smart and relevant to a specific target audience. Yomi loves the creative arts with a special emphasis on African Literature. Yomi prides herself on captivating and engaging thousands of individuals in the online sphere and a creative flair for experimenting with creative ideas to appeal to both a domestic and international market, respectively.