Simple things to help keep your job

These days, lots of people worry about losing their job.

You might feel more comfortable if you knew all the source code intimately, were a technical genius in every architecture and language, and knew as much about the business that your app is used in as the people who use your app.

All good things to work on, but this post is about things you can do that take almost no time, effort, or money.

1. Show up on time. Most dev shops have fuzzy start times and fuzzy end times. Most developers start late and work late. Yet, consistently showing up on time signals that you are reliable. It helps others include you in important conversations or events. Few of us are morning people, but this is a small price to pay.

2. Call ahead when you're going to be late. I once got a call from someone at 11 a.m. saying they were going to be late and they didn't want me to wonder if they were coming in. Uh, I was already wondering. Again, the primary issue here is that you want to give the impression of being reliable. In addition, there's no excuse to call when you're already half way to work; call when you get up and it's already obvious you'll be late.

3. Attend group social events. If the team is getting a beer after work, you could get a soda if you don't drink. You don't have to spend a lot of money, just buy one drink and nurse it. This is actually a great way to strengthen your work relationships. Your interactions become more natural, and that can help you when, for example, you need to bother someone to get help sorting out your java threading issues.

4. Volunteer for internal groups. If your department needs a social planning committee, or the company is looking for members to join a diversity group, sign up. This will take a few hours of your time, which you shouldn't let interfere with your work, but you'll be making contacts outside your team. You can also try out some new responsibilities, like project management or dealing with vendors.

5. Give a presentation. What have you been working on? Offer to give a training. It will seem as if you are doing the group a favor; meanwhile, you're actually practicing your public speaking skills, sharpening your thought organization skills, testing yourself on how well you know your work, creating documentation, and interacting with people you normally might not or at least in different ways.

6. Be courteous and treat people with respect.

7. Tell your manager as soon as you think you might take a day off. Someone told me once at 5 pm on Thursday that, "oh by the way, I booked myself on a weekend getaway, so I'm taking tomorrow [Friday] off". Again, perception of reliability is being hurt, and you might be causing your manager real scheduling pain that could easily have been avoided. Maybe you're afraid that you'll change your plans? I'm sure you're boss won't mind if you decide to work on that after all.

In a sense, these things are free, always have been, and yet it surprises me how often people don't do them. Maybe the current job climate will generate a few converts.