Here's some advice on making yourself valuable at work from the book "How to Survive Your First Job (or Any Job)" (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $14.95), straight from people who've done it:

“In some of our faculty meetings, big arguments arise. A colleague once said, ‘The fights are so big because the stakes are so small.’ About two years ago, I just stopped getting involved in the arguments. I’ll express an opinion now and then, but for the most part, I stay out of it. I’m happier this way.”

“I had a problem with one of my coworkers; I felt as if I was doing all of the work. But I hate confrontation more than anything, so I kept it inside for a long time and became more and more angry. Finally, I couldn’t hold it in any longer, and I told my boss. My boss then realized how much work I was doing. It’s my boss’s responsibility to discipline us, anyway. And now, the coworker is doing her share and we are good friends. I just wish I had said something when it first started.”

“You need to be able to adapt to someone else’s style of communication. I’ve worked with people who like to stand up and have a shouting match; the person who shouted loudest won. I knew one guy who offered to take one of my partners outside for a fistfight to settle something. They never got out the door, but it was a tense moment. The best way to handle someone like that is to have your facts straight and stay calm. Sometimes you lose your temper, but staying rational is helpful.”

“I’m a music producer. Part of that is being able to communicate with people and translate for them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a studio where an artist and an engineer are talking to each other about the same thing but with different words, and as a result they’re arguing. They’re using different terminology; that’s all. A really good producer is someone who can translate for everyone.”

—Yonatan Elkayam, Los Angeles

“In dealing with problem co-workers, the straight-ahead approach is the best approach. Sit down with the person and say, “I want to work with you. I don’t understand this. Is there something I’ve done?” Swallow your pride; it gets you nowhere. Focus on the prize: It’s to enjoy your job and move up in your field. Allay a problem coworker’s fears or concerns, and if you can’t, go to your boss. I’m a big fan of getting problems out in the open, telling everyone what’s going on. Give it a name, and it loses its power.”

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share.