There’s a career trap that’s easy to fall into.
You become the person everyone at work relies on.
You know the systems. You understand the processes. You remember how things are done. People come to you when something goes wrong. Your manager trusts you. Your coworkers appreciate you.
It feels like job security.
And in many ways, it is.
But there’s another question worth asking:
How valuable would those same skills be outside your current company?
That question gets at an important difference between being useful at work and being valuable in the job market.
The two can overlap. But they aren’t always the same thing.
You can be extremely useful to one employer because you understand its unique systems, history, processes, and internal relationships. At the same time, another employer may have little reason to pay a premium for that knowledge.
On the other hand, someone who isn’t considered the most important person on their current team may possess skills that companies across an industry are actively looking for.
That’s why building a career isn’t only about becoming indispensable where you are.
It’s also about developing capabilities that have value wherever you go next.
Being Useful Is About the Problems Your Company Has
