be the person others can't do without

If someone wants a reason to cut you they will find one. I know a guy that was rookie of the year for a large company one year and for business reasons had his position cut the next. You must give people stronger reasons to work with you than without you. Finding what makes you indispensable is essential to protecting yourself. Even once you've found it, it's not a guarantee.

lunch and learn to level up

I invited two colleagues to lunch with me to share some work resources and information. The resulting conversation was better and I gleaned more knowledge from the two more experienced individuals. I didn't have to carry the conversation as they were eager to share their experiences. Being able to listen in on the conversation was far more beneficial than listening to myself talk. I got customer questions answered and eliminated one from my to-do list. As a bonus work paid for lunch. If lunch with a colleague is intimidating or you don’t have the requisite knowledge to drive the conversation, invite a third person to carry the conversation for you. If you have one or two questions you would like answered the two professionals will pour the knowledge on you as they converse.

The conversation holds the value

If you’re at a conference or some other event where meals are unstructured, just pick someone to eat with. Adding yourself to a group of two or three is an easy way to borrow some of their pre-existing familiarity to break the ice and can make for easier conversation. You will certainly gain more than a meal. The alternative is eating alone or worse, sitting at a sparsely populated table where nobody talks.