Keeping your job -- dos and don'ts

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If you're reading this at work right now, consider yourself lucky. Then get back to work.It's no secret that these are difficult economic times, and the effects of a sour market are spreading to the workplace. Layoffs have begun by the thousands and will surely continue, just in time for the holiday season. But this is not the time to stress and fret. By following a few simple dos and don'ts, you can keep your cubicle through to the new year.DO: Stay visible. Come in early and stay late. Make your presence known throughout the office, especially among the higher-ups, and for good reasons. If you're established as a fixture in your department, it'll be harder to let you go.DON'T: Be too visible. There's a difference between casually introducing yourself in the break room and pointedly cornering every employee you see. That difference is the line between earnest and creepy, a line that can also be found just outside an associate's "personal space bubble." Don't cross that line.DO: Beef up that resume. This would be a good time to attend professional seminars or continuing-education courses that could add some gloss to your resume. Try to take on new responsibilities in your current position to add oomph to your job description.DON'T: Use a thesaurus. Unless you're trying to keep your job as Associate Director of Adjectives, a few fancy words aren't going to help that resume. Leave the synonyms to human resources or you might get "streamlined."DO: Keep positive. It certainly won't do you any good to stress over impending layoffs and, in fact, it could do you some harm. A positive attitude is a benefit not only for you but for those around you, and a negative attitude can affect your associates as well -- all the more reason for the Grumpy Gus to go.DON'T: Overdo it. There's happy, and then there's "drug test" happy. Co-workers should not be able to feel your cheer radiating through cubical walls. Do not employ stickers at any time.DO: Consider a career change. If you weren't happy in the first place, now might be the best time to consider employment elsewhere -- and it's best to be prepared to move on when the ax falls than immediately search for similar work. Have a closer look at those jobs you've always dreamed of.DON'T: Look at the jobs while you're supposed to be working. On the company computer. During a meeting.DO: Speak up for yourself. Don't be afraid to tout your accomplishments lest they go unrecognized. But remember that actions -- going above and beyond your expected duties -- speak louder than self-praise.DON'T: Be "that guy." If you feel that every achievement throughout the day, from clearing your inbox to removing a paper jam, must be announced to anyone not physically present for the event, you may be that guy. Nobody likes that guy.Bleak times in the office don't necessarily mean your demise. By keeping yourself visible, positive, popular and prepared, you can be sure that the pink slip will pass you by.And remember: Don't be that guy. Nobody likes that guy.(Ben Grabow writes for the young, the urban and the easily amused. Contact him at thinlyread(at)gmail.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)