How to Keep Your Job

Co-authored by Meredith Walters, MBA

Last Updated: January 11, 2023 References

Whether you’ve just landed your dream job or you’ve been working with the same company for years, job security is probably on your mind. Keeping your job gives you more financial stability, helps you build stronger workplace relationships, and saves you from a stressful job search, and there’s a lot you can do to help keep your job safe. We’ve put together some pro tips that will help you be a model employee who impresses everyone in the office so you don't have to worry about losing your job.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Being a Model Employee

1
Be punctual. This will show your employer that he or she can depend on you being there for work. This seems simple, but a lot of people take this for granted. Don't let that be you. You want to look like you care about your job and that you want to make an effort to get there when you need to be there.^{[1]
X
Research source} Better yet, aim to get to work at least 15 minutes early each day, so if you get delayed by traffic or another unforeseen circumstance, you’ll be more likely to at least get there on time.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- If you do come to work late one day, make an effort to apologize or to show it won’t happen again. If you roll in with a smug look on your face or act like it’s no big deal, then that will show that you don’t really care about your job all that much.
2
Be neat and organized in all your tasks. If you want to keep your job, then you have to be on top of your game.^{[3]
X
Research source} You want to have an organized desk, organized computer, and to generally know where your important files, papers, phone numbers, and other work materials are at all times. You don’t want to have the reputation of being that guy who lost an important file or for taking an hour to dig an old piece of important information out of your email. Not only will being neat and organized make you a better employee, but it will make your job easier!^{[4]
X
Research source}
- If you spend just 10 minutes a day making sure your workspace is organized, you’ll be in great shape.
- You should also be organized in the way you do work. Keep an active appointment calendar, a to-do list, and track all of the work you’ve done and the work you have to do.
Advertisement
3
Be innovative and creative in your position.^{[5]
X
Expert Source

Meredith Walters, MBA
Certified Career Coach
Expert Interview. 22 November 2019.} This will give you a zest and zeal for your work that you will be excited about going to work to try out your ideas. If you’ve been at your company for a long time or even a few months, you may see that many changes are being implemented to suit the company; make sure you’re willing to change and grow along with the company and that you’re ready with fresh ideas for how you can do your work better.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- You don’t want your boss to think that you’re not receptive to new ideas or that you’re not able to roll with the punches. One of the key traits of a remarkable employee is flexibility.
4
Ask questions. If you want your boss to see you as a person who is always ready for the next challenge, then don’t be afraid to ask questions that can help you do your job even better. If you want to know how to innovate, work a new system, or how to do what you do even better, don’t be afraid to talk to your boss about ways that you can do your job better. You want your boss to think of you as a person who is inquisitive, curious, and always ready to learn.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Of course, there’s a time and a place for everything. You don’t want to flood your boss with questions when she’s rushing off to an important meeting.
5
Accept feedback. If you want to keep your job, then you have to show that you’re able to accept criticism and feedback and to use it to do your job better.^{[8]
X
Research source} If you act defensive or even angry when your boss critiques your work, then you’ll have a reputation of being stubborn and difficult to work with. You don’t want your boss to dread having to give you feedback or to struggle to have a constructive conversation with you; instead, you should thank your boss for the feedback and use it to improve.
- Remind yourself that feedback can help you do even better at your job. It’s not meant to hurt you or to make you feel bad about the work that you do.
6
Leave your personal life at home. Though it can be hard to separate your personal life from your work sometimes, if you want to be professional, then you have to make an effort to compartmentalize and to stay focused when you’re at work. If you go to work and complain about your daughter or your boyfriend, then you’ll have a reputation of not having it all together. You don’t want your boss to think that you’d be the first to go because you have so much going on at home.
- Though it can be hard to completely separate yourself from your home life, especially if you’re going through a hard time, you have to work on being as focused and positive as you can. If you feel yourself getting emotional or upset, make sure to get some time alone.
7
Look professional at all times. If you want to keep your job, then you have to make sure to look professional whenever you’re in the workplace. Whether this means wearing a company uniform, wearing business clothes, or just looking well-groomed for a more casual work environment, it’s important to look like you’ve put time into your appearance and to show that you really care about looking your best at work.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- If you look disheveled or like you haven’t showered in a few days, then your boss will think that you don’t take your work seriously.
8
Love the work that you do. If you really want to keep your job and to actually have a great attitude about the work that you do, then it’s important that you pick a job that you truly love. Though we can’t always start off in the field that we want to work in, it’s important to know what you really want and what you’re passionate about as you move forward in your career.^{[10]
X
Expert Source

Meredith Walters, MBA
Certified Career Coach
Expert Interview. 22 November 2019.} If you find work that truly engages you, then you won’t have to work hard to keep your job, because you’ll be loving every second of it!
- As the saying goes, “If you love what you do, then you won’t have to work a day in your life.” If you’re having a lot of trouble keeping your job or staying motivated, then it may mean that you’re not in the right field.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Being a Team Player

1
Do all you can to have a good relationship with your supervisor. When it comes down to it, having a positive relationship with your boss may be the most important thing you can do to keep your job.^{[11]
X
Expert Source

Meredith Walters, MBA
Certified Career Coach
Expert Interview. 22 November 2019.} You don’t have to be best friends with your boss — in fact, it’s better that you’re not — but you should have a warm, friendly, and respectful relationship with your boss if you want to stick around the company. Even if you don’t always see eye to eye, make an effort to be as positive and respectful around your boss at all times.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- If you do have a complaint, make sure you state it respectfully and never blame your boss or seem ungrateful for your job.
- Make an effort to get to know your boss a bit and to ask about his plans or his family. As long as your boss is fairly open about his life, it’s important to show an interest.^{[13]
  X
  Research source}
2
Maintain a positive attitude. If you want to keep your job, then you need to have a positive attitude about the work that you do.^{[14]
X
Expert Source

Meredith Walters, MBA
Certified Career Coach
Expert Interview. 22 November 2019.} Though not every minute of your job may be pure joy, you have to find a way to embrace the things you love about your job and to deal with the less pleasant aspects of the job. Try to minimize your complaining and talk about the things you love about the work instead; your boss will be much more likely to keep you around if you’re positive and help maintain high morale in the office.^{[15]
X
Research source}
- For example, if you’re a teacher, you may not love the hours you have to spend grading each week; instead of complaining about student papers, talk about how much you love actually teaching the students.
- Coworkers tend to fall into a routine of complaining to each other a lot. Try not to get sucked in to that trap and change the subject when people are being negative around you.
3
Work well with others. If you want to keep your job, then being a team player is a must.^{[16]
X
Research source} You have to be able to communicate well to get along with others, and to work well with your co-workers, even if you have your differences. If you have a reputation of being difficult to work with, of being rude or dismissive to your co-workers, or of not taking your boss’s feedback seriously, then you’ll be the first to go when it’s time to make cuts.
- You want to have the reputation of being the person who could work well with anyone on a given project; if you’re known to only get along with one or two people, then it’ll be harder for your boss to put you on a team and it will make you a liability.
- Learn to disagree respectfully. Instead of name-calling, ignoring your co-workers, or being too eager to prove that you are right, you should work on listening carefully and asking your co-workers to explain their reasoning while calmly sharing your ideas.
- Be friendly as much as you can.^{[17]
  X
  Research source} Smile and greet your co-workers and stop to make small talk; don’t act like you’re above socializing, no matter how busy you are. When the time comes to make cuts, your boss will think about the type of energy you bring to the office, and you want to bring a friendly, positive one.
- In your down time, see what you can do to help someone else complete their task in the spirit of teamwork. Remember this will help your company to stay in business.^{[18]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Meredith Walters, MBA
  Certified Career Coach
  Expert Interview. 22 November 2019.}
- Don’t get sucked into office gossip.^{[19]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Harvard Business Review
  Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
  Go to source} This won’t help you get your work done and it will give you a bad reputation.
4
Never talk about your salary with co-workers. When it comes to being a good employee and keeping your job, this is a big no no. You don’t want your coworkers getting upset that you make more money than they do and then taking their complaints to your boss. When he finds out you’ve been wagging your tongue, he’ll be none too pleased.
5
Treat your customers with respect. Remember that the customer is king and that he has the ability to fire everyone from the CEO to the janitor. If you don't have customers you will not have a business. If you have a customer-oriented job, then make sure you treat customers with kindness and respect at all times. If you’re up against a difficult customer, make sure to maintain your calm or even to ask for help when it’s needed.^{[20]
X
Research source} Remember that your boss will be looking for employees who do the best with customers.
- You want your boss to look at you as an asset to the business, not a liability.
6
Participate in as many outside company activities as you can. Though you may have a busy family life, you should make an effort to attend company picnics, parties, seminars, happy hours, volunteering events, and any other activities when you can. This will show your boss that you care about your job even when you’re outside the office and that you truly love what you do as well as the people you work with; you don’t want to get the reputation of being the person who never goes to anything.
- If you attend as many events as you can, then you will become even more of a fixture in your office. This will make it harder for your boss to fire you. If you’re never around, though, it’ll be much easier for him to picture the company without you.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Having a Strong Work Ethic

1
Challenge yourself. Never get complacent when it comes to your job. You can always work smarter, faster, harder, and be more proficient in your position. Take on new projects that challenge your areas of expertise; propose new ideas to make the company thrive even if it’ll take a lot of work to carry them out. Minimize the routine tasks and opt for as many challenging and more complicated tasks as possible.^{[21]
X
Research source}
- Challenging yourself to be better at your job every single day will not only make you more likely to keep your job, but it will also make your work much more fun! You’ll be much less likely to enjoy your work if you feel like you’re just doing the same task over and over without learning a thing.
- If you don’t challenge yourself, your boss will think that you’re bored or uninspired by your job.
- Always be willing to take the initiative. If you’ve wrapped up your project three hours early, ask what else you can do instead of leaving the office.
2
Commit to your company’s mission. Whether the mission is to help underprivileged youth or to make parenting as stress-free as possible, you have to know your company’s mission and remind yourself of why it is important as you go about your daily tasks. This will show your boss that you really do care about the larger goals of the company and that you’re not just out for yourself.
- Committing to your company’s mission puts you in a win-win situation; not only will it make you look better in front of your boss, but it will make your work more meaningful. If you truly believe in the mission of the company, then you will feel excited about carrying it out.
3
Continue your professional training. If you really want to keep improving at your career, then you should continue to learn as much as you can about the work that you do. Whether you take night classes, begin an extra certification program, ask a more senior employee to train you to use a complicated system, or just read all of the latest journals, articles, and literature about your field, it’s important to stay current while also learning as much as you can about your area of expertise.
- You don’t need to rub your boss’s nose in it, but if all of the additional training that you’ve been doing comes up, your boss will be impressed. He or she will see how much you really care about your job.
- Of course, everyone needs to relax and decompress after work. You don’t want to spend all of your “free” time learning about your job or you are likely to feel overworked and burned out.
4
Be willing to work overtime when asked or volunteer to stay late when necessary. Though you don’t want your boss to take advantage of you, you don’t want to seem like you want to rush home the second that you’re done with work. If your boss needs you to stick around once in a while, agree to do so in a friendly, positive manner. Of course, you have to make sure that you’re appropriately compensated and that it doesn’t become a pattern.
5
Be self-motivated and have the ability to work without supervision.^{[22]
X
Research source} You don’t want to be the guy or girl who immediately checks her Facebook as soon as the boss is out of sight. If your boss is away for a week or just gone or busy for the day, you have to be able to keep working and to remind yourself that your work is important. You want your boss to know that you can work on your own and that you don’t need constant guidance. In fact, if you can even help others work on their own, then you’ll be in an even better position at the company.

Expert Q&A

Question

What should I do before quitting my job?

Meredith Walters, MBA
Certified Career Coach
Meredith Walters is a Certified Career Coach who helps people develop the skills they need to find meaningful, fulfilling work. Meredith has over eight years of career and life coaching experience, including conducting training at Emory University's Goizueta School of Business and the US Peace Corps. She is a former Member of the Board of Directors of ICF-Georgia. She earned her coaching credentials from New Ventures West and a Master of Business Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Meredith Walters, MBA

Certified Career Coach

Expert Answer

A lot of people think that in order to have a meaningful job, they have to quit their job. In actuality, once you identify what's meaningful and important to you, you can usually find things in your current job that fall in that category. Once you figure out what you are passionate about, talk to your boss or volunteer for teams that are working in those areas.
Question

How can I be more satisfied with my job?

Meredith Walters, MBA
Certified Career Coach
Meredith Walters is a Certified Career Coach who helps people develop the skills they need to find meaningful, fulfilling work. Meredith has over eight years of career and life coaching experience, including conducting training at Emory University's Goizueta School of Business and the US Peace Corps. She is a former Member of the Board of Directors of ICF-Georgia. She earned her coaching credentials from New Ventures West and a Master of Business Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Meredith Walters, MBA

Certified Career Coach

Expert Answer

Try to develop more relationships with the people around you. That will go a long way, both in terms of professional advancement and job satisfaction. Reach out to the people around you, get to know them personally, and take an interest in their work.
Question

Can someone be fired for using social media too often at work if there are no policies about it?

Community Answer

This depends on the company's termination policies and your local employment laws. In general, though, a company is justified in firing an employee who is using company time for personal pastimes rather than work. However, in most instances a verbal or written warning will be issued first.