I don’t believe that your job should be your life. Even though you spend most of your waking hours working somewhere, your work and your career are just a part of what defines you and makes you who you are.
However, there’s something to be said for moving forward and advancing in your career. Moving up the ladder, whether that be at a large corporation or a small nonprofit, can lead to larger financial rewards and greater responsibilities.
Getting recognized for your work isn’t always easy, and it may take some creative thinking to realize how you can best position yourself for that next promotion. Below are three ways you can work towards that promotion, beyond just working longer and sucking up to your boss.
Take On Unrelated Projects
While the work you do is important to the success of your company, sometimes going beyond your general responsibilities can lead to recognition. Whether that be planning the company gathering, or helping out when it comes time to finding new members for the team, your efforts can gain the attention of management. Additionally, by taking on these roles, you get to demonstrate your abilities in low-stress environments. When the company’s future isn’t in your hands, you can take a few more risks or try to learn a new skill without worrying that it is going to cost you your job. These projects also show how much you care about your company over a paycheck, which is something every manager wants to see in their employees.
Teach Coworkers
One of the best ways to have an impact on your company is to become a multiplier. A multiplier is someone who doesn’t just do the work they need to do, but they find ways of increasing the effectiveness of entire teams. If there is a skill that only you know how to do, it makes you invaluable, but also limits the ability for you to move on. By teaching that skill to your coworkers, you can multiply their effectiveness, set yourself up to take on bigger and better work, and at the same time show that you are capable of communicating to your peers.
Take A Break
If you’ve ever gone on vacation for more than a day or two, you know how refreshed you are when you come back. Utilize that newfound energy to better attack your work. Instead of trudging through the daily grind, waiting for the weekend to come, you will find better ways to accomplish your tasks, and will be able to work with your peers more effectively. Before you go on an extended vacation, make sure to set your coworkers up with what they need to carry on in your absence, as no one wants to come back to mountains of work and problems.
Strong post, Ryan. It fits in nicely with Andre’s first official post.
It’s funny. I was just teaching a class to some opticianry students this past week and I told them the basics of this. “No matter where you wind up working, find ways of doing, being and learning a little more than was required of you. When it comes time to promote – or to let someone go – you’ll wind up on the right side of things.”
On your third point, about taking a vacation, I do think it’s important to leave things such that people can manage without you – but not be quite comfortable. You want the work to be done when you get back – but you want people to sigh with relief when you do get back, even if it’s just for the energy and positivity you add to the environment. Being missed means you’ve made yourself valuable.
Great post, Ryan. I especially liked the section on teaching coworkers. Being a multiplier is a great attribute for people to have in whatever they do.