What is your recollection of your school days? How do they compare to your workday? Did you show up early to class; did you keep up with your assignments and put forth the extra effort? Were you that model student? Well, guess what – chances are you will also make a great employee if you answered to these questions. Most corporate executives look for initiative, dependability, tenacity, and efficiency in their employees.
You can transfer these positive school experiences and have great success in the workplace if you apply these strategies:
Work smarter, harder, and faster: Be accountable for our actions. You know what needs to be done and can be counted on to do it right and on time, without constant reminders or supervision. Think of yourself as a consultant and never stop looking for ways in which you can function more effectively. Don’t overlook identifying ways to do more to benefit your organization. Let management know that you are interested in more responsibilities – ask for a mentor to be assigned to you. Learning the ropes from those who have climbed them before is a great success strategy.
Be receptive to change: Optimism is the most appropriate response to change. You can’t do a job well without adapting to change. When you are worried about keeping your job, you are most resistant to change. Keep your wits about you and welcome change with a positive attitude.
Commit to life-long learning: One of the by-products of change is learning new skills to replace those less effective work methods. It is also beneficial to continually expand and refine your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Employees who upgrade their skills are more likely to be retained by their employers. Only knowledge – and the ability to apply it – provides this degree of leverage.
Demonstrate and document value-added benefits: All companies are in business to make money and stay in business! Your role is to identify ways to reduce costs and generate revenue for your employer. Don’t forget to document the work you do and when asked, or whenever appropriate, let your boss know of your contribution to the bottom line.
Look for leadership opportunities: An ideal way to demonstrate your ability and value to the organization is to siege any leadership opportunities.
Communicate effectively: The way you communicate is a reflection of how you perceive yourself and perform your job. Written, verbal, and electronic communication skills are essential in every work environment.
Keep your personal life in order: If you find yourself having to cope with difficult personal issues, deal with them as best you can or seek professional help in addressing them. Ignoring them does not help – they are likely to spill over into your work and detract from our job performance.
Motivational Quote of the Day:
“Take a deep breath, count to ten, and tackle each task one step at a time.” Linda Shalaway
Cheryl
Bain, a certified Human Resource Professional with more than 25 years
experience offering conference presentations on HR related issues. As a certified Professional Resume
Writer, clients are afforded best-in-class, strategically designed resumes
giving them the competitive edge. You may contact Cheryl at thewriteimpression.bain@gmail.com.
