With the economy in the shape it's in, most Americans are thinking of how important it is to stay employed. Unfortunately, it's not always that easy.

In all reality, getting laid off at this point would be disastrous for the average citizen, as the majority of employers are not looking to take on new staff. Therefore, learning how to impress the boss so you are seen as being more valuable is something that a lot of people should be (and are) undertaking.

Impress the Boss by Picking Up the Pace

Even if you've been putting your best performance into every day's work so far, you need to increase that to 110% for your job.

If you can manage to impress the boss with your proactive attitude, you will be that much less likely to figure in the next round of pink slips.

A good attitude and a strong work ethic do more than just preserve your role within whatever task you are currently serving. If you find that your position is no longer necessary, you might get to stay on in a different capacity simply because you have proven to be a good, hard worker.

Discovering Workplace Flaws

Impress the boss by identifying problems that need fixed, and then provide a plan to fix it.

Improving Your Visibility to Increase Your Value at Work

If you are fixing problems, nobody will know about it unless you make yourself visible to your superiors. Take credit for your ingenuity and let your superiors know about your ideas and your progress; otherwise, someone else might be benefiting from your hard work.

Don't be vain, and don't gloat, but do have self-respect and conviction. Take advantage of moments where you and a superior happen to casually occupy the same space at the same time, like in an elevator ride, and present your precise contributions to the health of the company in a succinct, professional manner.

Impress the boss by improving your visibility (without gloating).

Expanding Your Skill Set

Never become stagnate at the workplace. There is really no better way to increase your work value than to expand the kinds of projects you're qualified to work on.

Don't just wait for job-site training; your company may not be in the condition currently to offer new training programs, so find another venue for you to amplify your professional skills set. It's a lot harder to lay off somebody that's a real jack-of-all-trades than it is somebody that only knows how to do one, very specific task.

Impress your boss by expanding your skills.

Creating Contingency Plans

In the end, job security isn't just about staying in the job you currently have, but rather is more broadly about not having to go for more than the most fleeting of periods without employment.

In this regard, it is always a good idea to have a strong contingency plan, in case things don't work out the way you had hoped or expected. Subsequently, make sure that your networking (mentioned in the previous point) is not limited to within your current company, but is aimed at a broader circle of people and employers that work in similar or related fields as yourself.

Inherent in this process is constantly polishing your resume and cover letter, and practicing and perfecting a short speech in which you present all your strongest qualities as an employee—similar to the elevator speech mentioned in point three above, but more comprehensive and a bit longer.

Sometimes, it's not as much about impressing the boss as it is being prepared to impress your new boss.

Impress The Boss Summary

The process of enhancing your job security implies multitasking and having your sights set on many targets at once, both within your current workplace and outside of it.
If you are truly valuable to your employer and have impressed the boss, then you should not have to fear the current economic crisis quite so much as those who are stuck wondering: “What is it that I do well at work?”

Remember the keys of how to impress the boss: redouble your efforts and your energy level, to be constantly innovating, and to find ways of getting the boss to notice your hard work. And, though it may seem risky, make sure to have some alternate employment options to fall back on in case your current position is liquidated (in spite of your excellent performance at it).

Keep these efforts under the radar at work, but never neglect them,as doing so could put you in the worst possible position if you happen to get the ugly news that you have been laid off.

If you LOOK like you're trying to impress the boss, your efforts won't be nearly as effective as if you just impress them.

What Do You Think?

Are there other ways to impress the boss that we didn't mention?  Do you have any tips that may help others?