Learn How To Communicate
One of the most important qualities of anyone at a company is that they know how to communicate well with the people they’re working with. You should know how to amend the ways that you communicate depending on what situation you’re in and who you’re talking to – for instance, you should talk to the CEO very different from the way that you talk to the person who sits next to you every day! You should be aware that in an office there are lots of different ways of communicating. Sending your thoughts to fellow employees via email may seem a little cold but it’s actually a good idea to get everything down in writing. You should also remember that everyone communicates through tone of voice and body language too – make sure you smile and that your body language is open and friendly. No folded arms!
Always Show Up
It sounds basic but it’s actually extremely important: show up for work whenever possible. Sick days are necessary for everyone at some point – no one wants to catch that stomach virus that you’ve been suffering from all night, and sometimes you might need to take a day at home so you can curl up on the couch and get better rather than dragging yourself in and getting sicker. But if you just have a cold or a bit of a sore throat, then you can still go into work – just make sure that you amend your workload to suit your capabilities – for instance, if you’ve lost your voice then you might not be making any phone calls that day! This will show you’re dedicated, meaning that if you need to take sick days in the future, your boss won’t feel suspicious of you. You should also ensure that you show up for work absolutely on time every day – preferably ten minutes early so you can set up for the day. It’s easy to start slacking after you’ve been at a company for a while but you can’t let that get to you.
Get Things Done
If your boss gives you something to do, they need to be able to rely on you to get it done. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to check up on an employee constantly to make sure that they know what they’re doing and that they’re going to make the deadline. Demonstrate over and over that you’ll ask questions if you need to and that you’re organised enough to deliver the work when you say you will. Remember that it’s important to ask for generous deadlines and deliver the work before you need to, than end up handing in a project late. If your boss gets to know you as a can-do person, then they’ll start to trust you and give you more important and interesting projects for you to get your teeth into, meaning that you’ll advance more quickly.
Be Friendly Yet Professional
It’s important to make sure that you get on well with your co-workers. If there are company lunches or drinks, then make sure you go along to get to know the people you work with, although you should also make sure that you don’t drink too much – even if you aren’t getting paid to hang out with your co-workers after hours, be aware that your behaviour will still be noticed and you definitely aren’t off the clock! If you make friends with your co-workers then remember that there are some areas that are off limits, like complaining about your boss, your company or the other people you work with – these things have a way of getting back to people and you might realise that you can’t trust your new friend quite as much as you thought. Make sure that no one starts to think of you as an untrustworthy gossip – you need to keep some professional space between yourself and your co-workers for the good of your professional future. Remember that even if you don’t like your manager, they’ll be writing your references one day.
Be Assertive
It’s important to make sure that you’re assertive at work. That doesn’t mean that you should be rude or demanding – on the contrary, it’s important to ensure that you keep your tone calm and pleasant at all times. But it’s crucial that you’re aware of how much you’re worth and that you ask for your pay based on that – be aware of what other people in similar roles at the same office and in similar companies get paid, and make sure that you get the money that you should be getting. In other areas of work it’s also important to be assertive – make sure that you get your time to speak in meetings, and make other people aware if you feel that you’re being treated disrespectfully by them. Always make sure that you’re the bigger person by remaining cool and composed. ‘Get calmer’ is great advice for any situation.
Become An Expert
If there’s an opportunity for more training, make sure that you always take it. Your enthusiasm will be noted by those around you, and it’s important to ensure that you develop your career as much as you can at all times. Most skills that you learn can be applied and incorporated into other areas of your job, and it’s also important to remember that you need to keep learning wherever you can at all times. Even if it isn’t related specifically to work, make sure that you keep reading newspapers and books, and taking in as much information from other intelligent minds as you possibly can. Learning about other perspectives and points of view will make you more creative and outward thinking in your approach to your job.
Have Ideas
It’s important to stay creative in your job. Keep researching other companies that do similar things and consider how you could use ideas similar to theirs in your own job. The more you know about your industry, the better you’ll understand it and the more ideas you’ll have as you go on. Whether you’re considering new ways of PPC management by suggesting that you bring in a new team or considering different office set ups to help you work more productively in your space, it’s important to break out of the mold that you’re in, in order for you to have more ideas and provide more creativity for your office as a whole.
Be Flexible
Flexibility is one of the key things that any worker needs to succeed in the workplace. Sticking rigidly to your job description will make people think that you’re unable to do anything else and that you aren’t willing to work as a team – and it’s crucial to show that you understand the importance of teamwork and co-operation. If someone is absent from work, offer to cover their duties and delegate others to your co-workers. Not only will you demonstrate that you’re willing to do whatever you need to do to help your company, you might just pick up some new skills from taking a good look at someone else’s job. Remember that at a lot of jobs, you may have to stay late some nights or take work home, and although admittedly we should all work to live rather than living to work, you need to just accept that if you’re a valued employee, this is going to happen. Working late a couple of nights is a small price to pay to demonstrate that you’re a supportive member of staff.
Be Honest
If you mess up, then the most important thing to do is admit your mistake. It will show that you’re an honest person and that you aren’t trying to cover over anything that you’ve done wrong – and it’s very important to be trusted in your role. If you’re honest about it, it will also give you and your co-workers a chance to fix whatever you did wrong before it gets worse and you get more tangled up in it. There’s no place for lies and deception in an office – you need to trust the people you work with, as chances are you spend a whole lot more time with them than with your actual friends! Asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of and it may actually end up bringing you all closer together. Remember that if you lie about something, it will catch up to you in the end – there really isn’t any point. Having integrity is one of the most important qualities in anyone you’re around, whether it’s a friend, family member or co-worker.
Become Indispensable
You need to make sure that in the office, no one can do your role as well as you can. You should be an indispensable figure in your office in a number of different ways both professionally and personally. Make sure that your ideas and creativity are something that your company simply can’t do without, and that your boss thinks of you as a safe pair of hands who can get on with any task that’s handed to them with flair and ease.
