Add Up Your Skills to Multiply Your Chances

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If you want to get ahead at work, try to be a jack-of-all-trades, not a master of one.

Employees who are a whiz in one area may be invaluable to the boss, but they could also find themselves trapped in their roles with no chance for a promotion.

Ada Ip, human resources manager for Teligence, says this is particularly common in technology-based companies. Technical people are very good at what they do, Ip says, but often struggle with leadership or people skills.

Charmin Rockwell of Career and Employment Counselling Services says cross-training is the key to keeping your options open. Ask your boss about working on projects that involve different departments or that offer an opportunity to learn a new skill.

Also suggest to your boss that others get trained to do your job, so the department or team can continue to run smoothly in case you’re not available. “What happens if you get sick or life circumstances happen? All of a sudden your department is in the lurch.”