Everyone likes to feel important, but the reality is at work some people are more valuable than others. That gives them more negotiating power because the company will have a harder time replacing them.

But are you one of those people? The site Fast Company articulated some objective ways to determine your worth to your company.

What is Your Track Record?

When employee reviews come in do you have consistent praise? Do you have tangible examples of projects that were done well under your efforts?

Score Yourself

Write out the core competencies your job demands. Then honestly grade yourself in each category.

Rank Yourself Against Others

Your competition is not just yourself. How would you rate others in those same skill categories? If you are consistently lower, you have to ask why the company would value you more highly than those other workers, and can you change that?

What is Common Feedback You Hear?

Think of comments that you hear in less formal circumstances. Maybe your boss casually mentions how they are giving you this new assignment because they have seen how dependable you are in the past.

If you are frequently hearing similar comments about your efforts, that probably speaks to how you are perceived overall.

Consult Your Mentors

This can be people who you use as references or just people who you trust to speak to about your goals. Solicit feedback about why they agree to vouch for you. What qualities jump to mind when they talk to others about you.

Listen to Your Instincts

If you are having trouble assessing your skill in certain categories, consider how you feel in situations where you have to perform those tasks. If one skill makes you anxious and you dread doing it, you probably know instinctually that it is not your strong suit.

But those skills that don’t faze you at all may be areas that you excel at but had not even realized.

Having an honest evaluation of your value at work will help you know where you stand in negotiations and what areas you could stand to start improving in.

If you want additional elaboration on any of your worth to your company, give a look to what Fast Company had to say.

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Motivational speaker Jim Rohn shares ideas on how you can increase your value and income.

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Bucks County Community College, the sponsor of BUCKSCO. Today — Career Corner, is a public community college with over 9,500 full- and part-time students.  

Both affordable and centrally located for people in and around the Bucks County area, the school has three main campuses in Newtown, Bristol, and Perkasie, allowing students to attend throughout the area. 

For those just starting their paths in higher education, or returning to school after a prolonged absence, Bucks County Community College offers over 90 academic programs within seven Academic Departments.  

The school’s 43 Associate’s Degree programs prepare students to pursue either a career or their Bachelor’s degrees after graduation. 

Learn more about Bucks County Community College here.