We all know someone who has been hit hard by this economic downturn. Someone who has either lost a job, been demoted, or had their hours slashed. That leaves the rest of us looking over our shoulder wondering if we are next.

Instead of worrying about what is around the corner, take control and show your employer that they would be crazy to let you go. How can you accomplish this? Here are a few tips to increase your profile and show “the people in the corner offices” that you should still be part of the team.

1.       Come in Early. Just one day a week, make sure you are in the office before your bosses. If you can beat everyone in, that’s great. But what you want is your boss to see you hard at work as they walk in. You don’t have to beat them by an hour; just 15 minutes can do the trick. Also pick a different day every time so they don’t think this is your new established routine.

2.       Stay Late. Same reasoning as above but make sure you pick a different day each time so this is not an assumed routine.

3.       Look Busy. This is harder than it seems. At the moment when the boss drops by, you do not want to be surfing the internet, or just standing around. There is stuff for you to do, so do it! If you need a break, get up and find something to do, like go for a quick walk. But you never want the boss to see you goofing off at your desk, or just standing around.

4.       Be Busy. If you can, take on extra work. The social dynamic in the workforce has changed. You no longer get away with the “they don’t pay me enough to do that” attitude. Remember they are still paying you, unlike some of your friends. How much does that mean to you? Your company is trying to squeeze every last nickel out of their assets, including you. So beat them to it and pick stuff you want to do rather than wait for your boss to pick something for you. Also being a self starter goes a long way during those performance reviews.

5.    Expand Your Skills. If you want to stay competitive, you need to be constantly evolving as an employee. Don’t give your boss the chance to wonder if someone else could bring something new to the table. You can bring it yourself, with a little extra education or even some job training.

There is no magic formula that will keep you off the chopping block but by increasing your “facetime” with the boss and picking up extra work, when warranted, you have a much better chance to hold onto that job. Think about it, would you rather make the extra effort today, or make it tomorrow when you are looking for a new job in this economy?