I’m a Career Coach: 5 Ways To Become Indispensable at Work Without Losing Your Mind
Written by
Laura Bogart
Edited by
Kristen Mae
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You’ve had your eye on that promotion for a while. You want that bigger office and, more importantly, that bigger paycheck. You know that getting the next role means reaching the next rung on the corporate ladder.
Climbing toward your dream job means making yourself indispensable to influential people at your company — not to mention your teammates. But let’s be honest: trying to be everyone’s go-to person could quickly become overwhelming.
While becoming indispensable at work is a terrific way to rise to the top, the strain of pleasing everyone puts you at risk for burnout. Opportunities can become annoyances, and that dream job — yeah, it could end up being a nightmare.
Fortunately, it’s possible to achieve balance. GOBankingRates talked to some career coaches who shared ideas about how to become that point person at work without overextending yourself or sacrificing your sanity.
1. Become a Problem Solver
As CEO of Career Nomad, Patrice Williams Lindo advises professionals on how to build successful careers that align with their long-term goals. One of her top tips: focus on making an impact — not just staying busy.
“Being indispensable is less about hours worked and more about impact owned,” she said. “Employees should identify and solve high-priority business problems, then document and share that impact. That’s how you get seen, heard and hired — without burning out.”
Consider these business-critical issues as your “impact zones,” and become the go-to person for solving them, Lindo adds. “Don’t just work hard — work where it matters most,” she said.
2. Highlight Your Wins Publicly
While many professionals — especially those from marginalized groups — are taught that promoting your successes is tacky or self-serving, Lindo says it’s essential to letting other people in your organization know exactly what you can do. There are ways to do it without seeming like you’re bragging or trying to one-up your colleagues.
“Track your results and share them with leadership in a solution-focused way — via updates, team meetings or dashboards,” said Lindo.
3. Protect Your Time
To create those share-worthy wins, you first need the focus to achieve them. That means protecting your time and energy. Whether it’s the first hour after logging in or right after your morning coffee hits, Lindo wants you to think of this time as your “power hours” and to defend them.
Set boundaries around this time like you would for an important meeting. This will help you avoid burnout and produce higher-quality work consistently.
4. Build Skills Strategically
According to Steven Lowell, a career coach and reverse recruiter at Find My Profession, becoming indispensable means continually leveling up your skills to align with the company’s goals.
“When you start to find out a skill is important to your job and other departments, take classes on it. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Just take some online courses to show others you’ve taken interest in their work,” he said.
Proactive upskilling demonstrates initiative and shows those with the power to promote you that you’re thinking beyond your job description.
5. Create Meaningful Relationships
Lowell also encourages people to look beyond their own desk — whether at home or in the office — and actively create opportunities to network with other team leads across the company.
“This is not about politics. It is about offering your knowledge or volunteering some hours to help people on other projects and other teams,” he said. “You have to use your imagination, and be vocal when you identify new opportunities for bringing in revenue. Speak up. No one will find you indispensable if you just sit there waiting for it to happen.”
Being known outside your immediate circle increases your visibility — and your value.
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