Become Irreplaceable

From model assistant Ugly Betty to the amorous doctors on Grey’s Anatomy to the crews on 30 Rock and the Office, pop culture’s young professionals not only entertain us each week, they also provide real-life lessons on how to become your company’s MVE (most valuable employee!).

Go the Extra Mile

Think of the residents at Seattle Grace—they’re pushed to their limits but still manage to go above and beyond in a spectacular fashion. Their persistence and dedication to constantly improve and take on more responsibility is a huge part of the reason they are a success.

• Put your pride aside and say “Yes”

Take on every task you get, even simple ones that may seem beneath you, and own them. Smile when they’re assigned and do them with such panache that your boss will be forced to give you better projects in the future.

• Take initiative

Think beyond just taking basic tasks from point A to point B. Put on your thinking cap and see if you can’t figure out a way to get to C and anticipate other problems of the project.

Be the Idea Person

The number of times Ugly Betty saved the day with her genius are too many to count. Idea after idea makes her a complete asset to her boss. Even if your ideas don’t always work out, they’ll show your boss that you’re thinking about how to do your job better.

• Read widely

Soak up as much information as possible from blogs to magazines to business journals. If you read a case study about what a company similar to yours did to successfully fix a problem, think about how you could modify it and capitalize on that same success in your position.

• Offer solutions, not problems

Creative people don’t whine about the problems they’re faced with, they do something about it! Trust me, your boss will thank you for offering solutions before crying about problems.

Become Tech Savvy

In these plugged-in times, all professionals are faced with technology every minute of the day, whether they’re emailing clients or teleconferencing into a meeting. Being an employee who knows the ins and outs of technology only will make you that much more valuable-and irreplaceable-to your company.

• Use your tech savvy to your advantage

Older generations, especially, may see you as a whiz kid—much like The Office’s Ryan Howard—just from your basic knowledge. Perception is everything, so work that to your advantage. Many times, your expertise can gain you access to top brass who need assistance.

• But remember, technology is a tool, not a strategy

Don’t let your savvy make you too big for your britches or manage your expectations of how far your skills really can take you. Just because you may use technology on a daily basis, doesn’t mean you’re an expert on how it affects your business.

Gather, Devour, and Respond to Feedback

You’ll receive all kinds of assessment in your job on a day-to-day basis. The key is to recognize when you’re being given suggestions for improvement—and then to take action. You can bet your boss will value you more if you’re constantly improving rather than picking up the pieces after a particularly hard performance review once a year.

• Talk to your boss

The best employee-boss relationships are defined by an honest back-and-forth about expectations. The No. 1 way to know how you’re doing is to casually ask. It doesn’t have to be in a traditional, scary sit-down situation. Just be like 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon who regularly checks in with boss Jack if she needs to talk.

• Be your No. 1 critic

Despite all the best feedback in the world from outside sources, it’s unlikely that anyone knows you better than you do. So you be the (honest!) judge. Dissect your assignments after they’re over to see what you’ve done well and how you could have done better.

Excerpted from Find Your Inner Ugly Betty: 25 Career Lessons for Young Professionals Inspired by TV Shows, © by Tanner Stransky. Reprinted by permission of Kaplan Publishing. www.tannerstransky.com