Imagine a restaurateur saying to a server, “I won’t open my new place unless you join my staff.”
How good would that server need to be to earn that invite?
Yes, he would need to be good at his job. But it’s unlikely he could be so accurate, fast, and polite that an owner couldn’t imagine being in business without him.
What if he made it his mission to learn the names of his regular customers? What if he remembered their favorite dishes and their anniversaries and their kids’ names without being reminded? What if he made people more comfortable and feel more welcome than they felt at any other restaurant in town? He’d be indispensable, not because his serving skills were that much better, but because of the “extra,” the stuff he does that’s not part of his job. He’d be doing things that other servers in town don’t do.
What if you approached your activities like this server approached his job? Yes, give your best effort to the required parts of the job—working hard at practice, laying out the yearbook, learning your lines, etc. But if you really want to stand out, bring a little extra, too.