How to keep your job and your sanity

Experts say a bad attitude is one of the top reasons a manager lets someone go.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sure, you’re grateful that you still have a job.

But you’re also feeling overworked, stressed out and anxious about the future. Here’s what to do to keep your job and your sanity:

DEMONSTRATE YOUR ADDED VALUE

Ask yourself, “How do I contribute to the company’s bottom line?” says Connie Podesta, author of “How To Be The Person Successful Companies Fight To Keep.”

“How you respond says a lot about how your company sees you,” said Podesta. “If you say, ‘I’m just a receptionist,’ why would your company see you differently?”

Podesta said now is the time to come up with ideas and action plans that are tied to the financial stability and growth of the company.

Be sure to blow your own horn, she said. Some companies are so big, your hard work could go unnoticed.

NETWORK INSIDE THE COMPANY

The person making future layoff decisions may not be your immediate manager, said Brad Karsh of JobBound.com.

To him or her, you may simply be a name on a sheet of paper, he said. Or that senior person may have met you once and it was a day you weren’t looking your best, he said.

Karsh suggests volunteering to work on a project with someone high up, or adjusting your day so you can run into that person on a regular basis.

“If you happen to know that senior VP, that could be the difference in you staying or going,” he said.

LOOK FOR LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

That doesn’t necessarily mean asking the boss for a promotion, said Podesta.

“A leader, regardless of a title, is someone others would notice,” she said. “’I like their attitude. I like their efficiency. I’d like to learn from that person.”’

Companies are really looking for people who shine, said Podesta. Show them that you are a proactive, energized person who comes up with ideas that will take them to new levels, she said.

BE PREPARED

Don’t wait until you are out of work to update your r sum , said Deborah Brown-Volkman, a career coach in East Moriches, N.Y. Losing a job is a blow to your self-confidence and you may not be able to see your accomplishments clearly.

The first thing a future employer is going to ask you for is a r sum , she added.

Start networking online and offline, said Karsh. Join the professional organization or trade association for your industry; use LinkedIn and Facebook.

“You don’t have to be proactively looking unless you know your company is in really big trouble,” said Karsh. “You should be prepared to look.”

RECOGNIZE THAT TIMES ARE TOUGH

A company that is posting quarterly losses is probably not going to have the resources to give you a raise, said Michael Barr of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Asking for one under those circumstances would show the bosses that you don’t know much about business, he said.

However, he said if the organization is doing “fairly decently” and you can demonstrate why you deserve a raise, it doesn’t hurt.

Don’t use working extra hours as justification. He suggests making a business case, finding salary information for people with equivalent backgrounds doing similar jobs at similar companies to show you are underpaid.

WORK SMARTER, NOT NECESSARILY HARDER

Companies don’t necessarily fire slackers first, said Barr. They are often looking to cut positions rather than people.

If you are feeling overworked, collaborate with your supervisor to make your duties more manageable. Perhaps there are things you are doing that are not adding value to the organization, he said.

Be strategic about taking on extra work.

“If you are going to work harder, do something that’s going to have an impact on your career,” he said.

EMBRACE CHANGE

Don’t take change personally. Most companies are not downsizing, restructuring, or changing their business models to make your life miserable, said Podesta.

They are trying to survive and remain viable, which means you will have a job, she said. If your company isn’t changing, it may be out of business in five years.

“This is not the time to complain about change,” she said. “This is the time to say, ‘Bring it on.’”

REMAIN POSITIVE

A bad attitude is one of the top reasons a manager lets someone go, said brand marketing expert Robin Fisher Roffer, author of “The Fearless Fish Out of Water: How to Succeed When You’re the Only One Like You.”

Pitch in, said Karsh. Don’t complain loudly, spread rumors about layoffs, or contribute to office politics.

Believe in what you can do and what the company can do, said Roffer.

“When the recession is over, you’re going to be seen as a positive force, someone who can be counted on to rise to the occasion,” she said.