Sell Yourself to Protect Your Job

• The Find: If yesterday's post on gauging your job security left you anxious, fear not; there are steps you can take to sell yourself and keep your current gig.
• The Source: Daisy Wademan Dowling, author of Remember Who You Are, writing on the Harvard Business Review Conversation Starter blog.

Or, to put it in her own words, "people who let their good work speak for itself" usually don't do as well as those "who communicate their value to their bosses, peers, and direct reports." But don't take her words as license to brag. Instead, Wademan Dowling offers several more subtle suggestions to ensure everyone knows your worth:

1. Send an e-mail to your boss praising a young employee's work on a recent project. You'll look like a team player - and a thoughtful manager - while drawing attention to your group's success.
2. Ask your boss for feedback on your priorities (rather than your performance). Make a list of your key projects and goals for the next six months, and walk through the list together.
3. Find a teaching moment. Gossiping with your peers about the subprime mess doesn't demonstrate leadership. Taking the initiative to get all the recent college hires in your department into a conference room and explain what "subprime" means does.
4. Get in early. Don't work longer hours, just earlier ones. Senior people tend to be early birds - and they'll notice if you're there.

The Question: Do you have a plan to make it through this mess with your job?

(Image of hiring salesman sign by That Other Paper, CC 2.0)