Once you land a job, the next thing on your mind is probably how to move up in the company.  Most people set goals to one day run the company or become part of upper management. Getting promoted is sometimes difficult but going the extra mile is how one reaches that goal. People who only do what is required and nothing more usually do not make noteworthy career jumps.

Never Settle for Mediocrity

Many people are okay with the basics but just doing the minimum never equals success. Bolles says in his book, What Color Is Your Parachute?, “Do you just try to “get by” or do you go the extra mile?” Going the extra mile can be something as small as being the first one into work each day or the last to leave. You may not think people notice but, trust me, your boss does. Going that extra mile shows your supervisor that you take pride in your work and the work of your company.

When your work reflects pride, it usually translates into promotions down the road. When it comes to promoting someone, your boss is thinking about people who he thinks makes their company better. Even if that is just someone who is reliable and shows up to work earlier.

Strive To Become Success

Your true character is who you are when no one is watching.  At work, someone always takes note of what you’re doing. Don’t overachieve just because you think that it will result in a promotion, because it won’t. Overachieve because you want to prove to your employer and yourself that you deserve that promotion.

Take pride in everything that you do, even if its something small like emptying out the trash cans around the office. When you take pride in work it directly translates into anything you do. And this will make you become successful in everything you do.

Has their ever been a job that you worked where you always went the extra mile but didn’t get noticed?

Ryan

The ability to market yourself may be one of the best characteristics someone can posses in the business field. It helps people get to know who you are. It allows them to understand what you are trying to accomplish. This will make people inside and outside your company be drawn to you.

Connection

Marketing yourself is about connecting with the people around you. This creates a bond with those people. In other words, making people become “attracted” to you.  This makes you become more valuable because now people have a sense of connection with you. People will become willing to work with you.

Benefits of Being Visible

Making yourself visible can have many positive consequences.  As I said, it lets people know what you are about and who you are. In Making your mark: How to develop a personal marketing plan for becoming more visible and more appreciated at work, Shouse says, “When you market yourself, you gain visibility throughout your company and possibly within the industry and community.” People then see what kind of person you are and how your morals can be used. It also shows versatility. Your boss may see a side of you that he thinks will be beneficial. This could lead to more business opportunities or possibly promotions, due to the many roles you can play in an organization.

I did not often market myself. I just wanted to go about my day and get what I had to do done and that was it. I found that people didn’t truly know me. They didn’t have any desire to connect with me because I showed them nothing desirable. Once you become visible to people, they open up to you and this creates many opportunities that you wouldn’t normally have had.

Bettering Yourself and Your Company

Making yourself visible not only can benefit you at work but it can also benefit you in your personal life. Customers or clients may feel a connection with you due to your openness and connectivity. This then makes you more valuable to the company because you are attracting new customers or clients.

Do you feel more drawn to the people who are open and visible or closed and hard to connect with?

Ryan

When beginning to look for a job always know what you want. Never settle for less.  Create a plan of action then go for what you want.

Where to Start

When you begin your job search, start by clarifying what you want to do. Make sure it is the right thing for you.  Find a job you think you will be happy at. Be sure that it is worth your time and energy.  As Miller said in his book 48 Days to the Work You Love, “Clarify what you want, create a plan of action, and begin to walk toward the goal you want.”

Plan of Action

Secondly, create a plan of action that will allow you to find the job you want to pursue.  Creating this plan of action can be difficult at first but, allow yourself time to think and plan out what you want to do step by step.  The plan of action, I believe, is the most important step.  It allows you to write down exactly what you want to accomplish and allows you to plan accordingly.

Check it Off!

Lastly, you will proceed toward the goal you want to accomplish. The goal should be in your plan of action. In order to achieve this goal, you need to know that you will have to make some sacrifices. You will want to make time out of your daily schedule to make sure that you are doing all you can to accomplish your goal.  Make a checklist so you can see your progress!  This will allow you to see, first hand, how you are doing and give you a sense of accomplishment.

During this process you will need to ask yourself some questions:

1. Do I know what I want?
2. Do I have a clear plan on how I am going to accomplish this?
3. Did I do all that I could to accomplish my goal?

-Chase

What it is like to work for a company that doesn’t care about you.

A friend of my family’s was a workaholic for the majority of her life.  She used “providing for her family” as an excuse to constantly put her job before everything else.  In all the years that she worked for the company she never took a lunch break during her twelve-hour days. The more time she put into the organization, the more work and pressure her boss put on her to meet deadlines.  Certain colleagues would not fulfill their responsibilities. They would leave the hardest portion of their tasks undone, knowing she would pick up the slack.  Her immediate supervisor often took credit for her work, at times receiving bonuses or promotions that his subordinate had earned.  Finally, upon realizing that the whole organization was taking advantage of her, she decided to quit.

Finding a Company that Cares

This is an example of a corporation that does not sincerely care for its employees. Choosing a company that cares about employees is important part of finding happiness in the work place.  A job should not be abusive and take over your life. As Bermont says in 10 Insider Secrets To A Winning Job Search “Finally, I understood that work and money were not the sole sources of happiness. I realized that health, love, family, friends, and spirituality were far more important to me than the job.” Make sure that you keep what you value and those who value you a priority in your life.

If you love what you do then you will be happy with your job position, as well as the company you work for.  Finding out what you are passionate about is the key to your happiness in life.  Not only will you be happy with your career choice, it will give more time for personal obligations. It has been said that if you love your career then eventually your hard work will pay off in the end.  Make sure to ask questions during the interview to see if it’s the kind of company you want to be working for.  If you are unhappy with your current job position then try to find a job that incorporates your skills.

Elyse

To find out what job you might be interested in, it is important to know what jobs you are not interested in. What is your personality type? What do you like and dislike?

What Do You Like?

In Career Wisdom for College Students, Peter Vogt says, “You can figure out what you enjoy and what you want by identifying-and analyzing-what do you not enjoy and what you do not want.” To find out what job you might be interested in, it is important to know what jobs you are not interested in. What is your personality type? What do you like and dislike?

Take the MBTI test. It will give you a pretty god idea of your personality type. You may also think back to your educational experiences. Most high schools and colleges require you to take a certain amount of general elective courses. These are designed to allow you to evaluate a number of different subjects and future career paths. For instance, I knew by taking an elective art class that a career in art was not for me. I found out that I would be better suited in the field of management or accounting.

Another way to find out what career field you would not be interested in is by actually performing the duty.

Past Experiences

I worked in a retail store for a brief time and I could not stand the environment. Certain daily interactions made me want to stay far away from that field. Another job or type of job that I eliminated right away is construction. Besides the fact that I have no idea how to use anything more advanced than a screwdriver, my dad showed me all the downfalls of working in construction.

Figuring out what we want to do can be very tough. But from past experiences, references, and education most of us have a pretty good idea of the careers we could never be happy in. Cross these off your list. No matter the pay, you will never be truly happy or successful. Then do some more research, take internships and don’t be afraid to experiment a little bit while you are young. What’s the sense in rushing into a career you really do not enjoy?

Tim