It would seem, that if you still have a day job (even if you work at night) that you ought to be feeling lucky. Given, no one really wants to go to a job, but we do need a way to get some money so that we can eat and to pay the bills. A day job is as good a way as any to earn your daily sustenance. With jobs disappearing every day, the unemployment rate is going steadily up. This is not a good thing, not good for those of us that need work, not good for the community which needs products and services, and not good for the psyche, which needs a feeling of being useful. One of the more damaging aspects of having our jobs disappear for no good reason is that it causes us to feel idle and useless. This leads to anxiety, depression, and, sometimes, anti social behavior. Add in the obvious factor of the government deliberately sending jobs out of the country, and then doing nothing to help Americans, and you have a recipe for disaster on an epic scale. Right now it is everyone for themselves in the job market. If you don’t do something to maintain your employment, you just might find yourself sitting at home. What can a person do to save their day job?

1. Attitude is always the most important aspect of anyone’s job. True, you must be good at your work, knowledgeable in application, and available, but overall, if your attitude is poor, your days of employment are numbered. A good attitude says that you are interested in working, that you care about your co-workers, and that you desire to help the customers. Yes, it is difficult to maintain a good attitude sometimes, given all the pressures that can build up against you, but if you can find a way to give it your all, you will endear yourself to the man or woman who signs your weekly check.

One way to boost your good feeling is to look into the eyes of the customer (or co-worker) to see what is going on with them. Are they feeling down, or depressed, or happy, or energetic? Decide what you can do to help them brighten their day if they are down, or, if they are happy, mirror their happiness. When people feel good everything goes better. Look to improve someone’s outlook – even in a small way – and you will bring mental orchids to their life. In so doing you become a vital asset to the company and your job becomes more secure. In addition, you will tend to have a better time at work.

2. Be open to learning. When the boss wants something done that is not standard for your job position, be willing to learn something extra so that you can help out. Never think or say, "that’s not MY job" because then the boss is left with a task and no solution. Many times an extra task is temporary, lasting only for the afternoon. By volunteering, or at least being amenable to taking on a little extra work, you lighten the load on the rest of the crew. Everyone will appreciate your help in becoming more of a team player and, when the chips are down, you may be the one given consideration.

3. Be the best you can be. There’s no sense in doing only a minimum job. Put your full effort into your work. If you find that you have finished your work, ask if there is something else that you can do until the day’s closing. Never have the boss or supervisor think that he or she is paying someone for forty hours work when they are producing less than that amount. Give the correct impression that you are interested in putting in your fair share of work so that the team – the company – will prosper. If you were the boss, how would you feel about having a worker like you on your team?

4. Know your people. Sad to say it, but in this unjust and unfair society, it’s "who you know" in the work place. When looking for a job, it is always going to be a question of who you know in the company that gets you the position. Once in the job it is the same. In point of fact, the catch phrase that accurately describes how a person keeps their job is: "who do you know who likes you today?" This indicates, obviously, that things change from day to day, and that the person who liked you yesterday may not be your friend today. Yes, this is grossly unfair, and wrong, but that’s how things work nowadays.  The more you endear yourself to your fellow workers, and to the administration, the more secure your position. You may do things like buying the boss his morning coffee, or volunteering for overtime work, or organizing the company bowling team, but you must be noticed by the right people to secure your employment position. Maintaining a job by the merits of hard work and dedication to the company is no more. Get creative if you desire to keep your job. Be imaginative but be careful not to cross any lines that are taboo. Keep your activities open and honest, upright and outstanding. Someone’s going to keep their job; it may as well be you.