So, now that you have landed your dream job (or even just the right job for right now), what steps can you take to make sure you keep it?

Applicants.com has a new article detailing some of the steps you can take to avoid being on the “layoff list“, but we will add a few of our own:

1) Avoid negativity – experience suggests those that have a negative attitude towards the company, a boss or coworker tend to be moved to the top of the list if a reduction in force is needed.

2) Go above and beyond – it seems that fulfillment and enjoyment go hand in hand with hard work and dedication.  The employee that is always late, watching the clock to be first out the door at 5pm and extending breaks at every chance is often the employee left behind.  On the other hand, challenging yourself to give your best effort and looking for opportunity to perform above expectations can not only get you noticed in the crowd, but can also give you a true sense of accomplishment and increase your sense of fulfillment on the job.

3) Stay organized to avoid stress and increase productivity – our earlier post on Inbox Zero gives an example of steps you can take to manage your time more efficiently.  Other more call center specific steps include entering notes during a customer call instead of after a call to keep things moving or maintaining clear to-do lists of follow-up calls and emails to make sure nothing is lost in the shuffle.

4) Understand the goal of each call before starting the call – as for a call center industry specific item, before entering any call, you need to make sure you understand the goal of the call.  Are you seeking information, a payment or sale, or communicating a message?  Each of these particular objectives require specific steps to ensure you reach the goal.  Make sure you know what you are seeking to accomplish before any call is routed your way or you make that first outbound call.

For more resources, check out our resources page.

Related articles that may be of interest…

• Choosing to Better Your Career (youngmoney.com)
• Hired! Show the employer who’s boss (money.cnn.com)