Simple Tips to Help You Climb the Corporate Ladder The finest employees spend the bulk of their time helping their customers and colleagues improve and succeed. But bringing achievement to others should come with its rewards.
By Rich Tanner
This story originally appeared on Personal Branding Blog
The finest employees spend the bulk of their time helping their customers and colleagues improve and succeed. But bringing achievement to others should come with its rewards, and it is crucial to make sure you stand out from the crowd and get recognized for your accomplishments. Here are a few tips to get your work noticed which will ease your way up the corporate ladder.
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Have buffers in your schedule. If you're totally and constantly focused on your career, you'll end up burning out. Moreover, it has been proven that taking 10-minute breaks actually improves focus and productivity. High stress is bad for you and your job performance and being tired slows you down and reduces the quality of your work.
So make sure you take a breather now and then and catch up on other projects or interests. You could read the latest post from your favourite gossip blog, pick your fantasy football team or bet at the lottery on Lottoland. Whatever you choose as your escape, make sure it's totally non-work related and if it is an activity with huge prizes, like one of the lotteries reviewed here, you'll get an adrenaline rush to boost you for the following few hours!
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Be first with an idea and a purpose and take care of any problem before they are even recognized by those around you. Arrive early, stay late -- putting the time in is important as it shows commitment to the cause and that you'll be there to take command of any unexpected situations. When you show that you are part of a team and not just acting as an individual, your boss and your colleagues will see you as a leader and someone who can bring about change. For instance, suggest improvements to make the workflow more seamless -- this is especially relevant with new technologies and their ever-increasing array of productivity-boosting tools. Stay abreast of improvements by signing up for tech alerts.
Show a little of your personal side by creating relationships within the workplace that help other people identify and remember you. You don't need to be "besties' with everyone you work with, but it's a huge advantage in a crowded workplace if more people know you and have a positive impression of you. Give your colleagues a few personal details add color and depth to your professional image. Also get to know a little about the people you work with if nothing else it will make your days more interesting. But don't get too familiar as this may hinder the professional relationships you built.
We've all encountered a few sycophants in our time, those people who become unrecognizable whenever the boss is near and will do anything in the hope of getting ahead. Don't be that guy, instead, try to make all your work interactions end with you viewed as someone with an opinion that matters. Learn to listen and empathize, give constructive feedback and get ready to receive feedback from others without taking it personally.
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Hopefully these tips can help you raise your head above the parapet, become a vital member of your organization and progress faster on the career ladder. But don't forget, in the end, nothing can be a substitute for hard work.
