You’ve worked hard to get where you are. And you absolutely love your job and the industry you’re in. But, of course, you want to grow in your position. You’ve seen your contemporaries easily become stagnant and complacent when it comes to their careers and you don’t want that to happen to you. What you want is to get every promotion you’re up for and impress your bosses for years to come. However, as you already know, that’s far easier said than done.
But don’t worry, there are some simple hacks you can incorporate into your working life to ensure you make a name for yourself. You just need to make sure you do things the right way and don’t jump too soon and expect to go from junior employee to a senior member of your team. It’s going to take a while. But if you follow these hacks, you’ll speed up that process and grow as a professional.
We’ve all been in those meetings that could have been an email. Or they could have been over in ten minutes without losing any content. If, of course, it wasn’t for that one employee who feels the need to speak without having anything to say. They blurt out buzzwords and always just want to clarify “one last thing”. They contribute nothing of value and simply waste everyone’s time. Why? Because somewhere along the line, someone told them that they need to have their voice heard in order to get ahead in the business world. What that person clearly forgot to tell them is that they should only make their voice heard when they have something worth saying.
However, if you feel you have something to add in a meeting, never let it go just because you’re worried you might say the wrong thing. You need to have faith in yourself and your voice in order for other people to do the same.
One way to ensure you have something of value to add in a meeting, is to do your research beforehand. Know what the meeting is about and spend some time thinking about the subject and then make notes to take with you so you don’t lose confidence or forget what you wanted to bring up in the first place. Your boss or manager will notice that you’ve given the topic some serious thought and appreciate that, as well as your input.
You didn’t take those marketing courses for nothing. You also didn’t work your way up to your current position for nothing. You did it so that you could be part of something big. You want to work for an innovative company and you want to be part of that innovation. Which is why you need to ensure that you pitch your ideas. Don’t just sit there trying to work up the courage to talk to your boss. But also don’t just go in with half an idea scribbled down in your notebook.
Develop your ideas. Make sure they’re fully formed before you approach anyone with them. Any idea you pitch should be something worth listening to and you need to sell it. It can’t just be a thought. Unless you’re in a brainstorming session, your thoughts shouldn’t simply be shouted out every time you have one you think may be worth something. Instead, you have to be able to convince your boss that your idea is something worth investing in.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You need to learn in order to grow. And rather ask a question than make a mistake that will lose the company money or take away valuable time trying to correct. However, there are such things as stupid questions. No, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask how to successfully complete a task if you’re in the dark. What it does mean is that you should first try to research and find the answer yourself before you bug your manager, boss or another colleague.
Be a team player and your manager will notice. If you successfully complete all your work, don’t spend the rest of the day scrolling through social media (even though you may feel you deserve it). Instead, ask your manager if they have anything else that needs to be done. They’ll likely point you in the direction of a colleague who could use a helping hand. That way you’ll both impress your boss and make your colleagues like you even more than they already do.
At the end of the day, what you want is to grow in your career and do it the right way. So, make sure to speak up when you have something to say, develop your ideas and pitch them, ask questions and offer to do what you can to help others.