How To Excel At Work

by Anishametra Saravanan

If you aspire to excel professionally and lead a successful career, you need to take a direct and methodical approach to reaching your goals. Whether it’s impressing your boss, moving up the ranks, securing a new job or diversifying your skills and talents, you will need a good plan. So, what’s the secret? That’s easy: it’s excelling at your job and here are a few strategies that will help you do just that!

1. Understand the company’s vision and mission

Step one: understand your organisation’s goals and the company’s vision. Although it may seem simple and trivial to do so, this will help you understand how your role in the department and company impacts those goals in the grand scheme of things – and what you can do to better contribute to these visions.

Source: Marketing 91

2. Take initiative

If you’re constantly waiting for tasks and projects to be assigned to you, you won’t get far in your career. Excelling at work is all about going above and beyond your average job responsibilities and finding ways to contribute to the company’s success. In doing so, you’ll be able to demonstrate an incredible work ethic, independence and a can-do attitude – all of which are admired traits in the workplace.

3. Be a good team player

Scan any job openings and the phrase ‘team player’ is almost guaranteed to come up as a requirement. Being able to work well with others, within your own team or in another department, can foster positive working relationships and in turn, boost overall productivity within an organisation.

4. Continual education is the key to growing your career

Whether it’s getting a quick refresher on Microsoft Word or Excel basics, earning an industry certification or simply upscaling your soft skills, lifelong learning is essential to your success at work and in your career. By doing so, you’re able to bridge gaps in your skill set and knowledge, making you a valuable asset to your company.

5. Meet your deadlines

When it comes to deadlines, it’s important to always keep your word, no matter how difficult the task at hand might be. This makes your boss trust you more, which is especially crucial at the beginning of your working relationship. If you feel a particular deadline can’t be met due to unforeseen circumstances, be sure to inform your boss about it and ask for more time. After all, getting an extension is always better than missing the deadline altogether!

6. Be punctual

Punctuality is a valued trait in any workplace. Beyond demonstrating professionalism and a strong work ethic, it shows that you care a lot about your job and that you respect your colleagues’ schedules. Nobody likes a person who arrives 10 minutes late to a meeting!

7. Speak up when the time calls for it

Thought of a solution to a problem for your meeting later today? Don’t be afraid to speak up! It might feel intimidating, especially if you’re new to the company, but by making meaningful contributions to the discussion at hand, you’ll increase your visibility as an employee. Be confident in your ideas – even if they’re a little ‘out there’.

8. Dress for success

Dressing well and professionally is one of the keys to success in the workplace. What you wear to work can affect how your colleagues and managers perceive you. Above all, by dressing for the job you want, you’re able to signal to your employer that you belong in that job. If you want a few tips on dressing for the office, check out our article on Office Fashion.

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Career Addict