5 Ways to Take Your Career to the Next Level

A good work ethic is admired in any situation, especially when it comes to your career. Whether that involves a regular 8-5 or a more non-traditional schedule, on average, we spend 30 percent of our life working. That’s a big chunk of time we’re looking at – approximately one-third of our entire life is spent earning our income. Why wouldn’t you want to be good at it?

Some days, it can be difficult to find the motivation to learn a new skill or make progress with another. Nevertheless, it pays off at the end of the day. Your manager will recognize it and you’ll be happy with the effort you put in. Create a valued reputation for yourself in the workplace and work hard to get to the next level.

Here are a few ways to stand out in your current position:

Get to work early.

You don’t need to start an hour before everyone each day, but coming in 15 or 20 minutes earlier than you’re expected is a great way to start the day. It allows you to get organized and filter through emails before the chaos sets in.

Introduce yourself.

This is more fitting for mid-to-large size companies. You’re more likely work with the same group of people day-in and day-out. If you see someone in the elevator or walking around the office you haven’t met, introduce yourself. They might not remember your name but they will remember your face. Next time they see you they’ll hi – and it helps you become a more familiar face around the office.

Offer to help.

There are probably multiple projects going on you may not even be aware of. If you have some downtime or a week that’s slower than the rest, reach out to different departments and offer to help with tasks they have on their to-do list. You might not be studying rocket science but hey, updating a database or sending out emails will always save someone time. Your coworkers will appreciate the help; they might even offer their own hand when your list is overflowing.

Learn new skills.

Many people are stuck in the mindset, “if it’s not on my job description, I’m not doing it.” If this is the outlook you have, you might want to delete the “bonus eligible” portion from that description too. Don’t get too comfortable in your current position. Set some time aside each week to do some research. Whether this involves reading articles, watching tutorials or shadowing a coworker…it’ll help you build your resume and your reputation.

Keep a positive attitude.

Positivity is the most important characteristic you can bring to your team. It keeps people focused and on track. It also boosts morale. Negativity is also influential but in a destructive way. It’s contagious and harmfully influences the performance of anyone it touches. Yes, you’re going to be assigned projects that you don’t want to work on – and yes – you too don’t want to attend that same useless meeting that’s scheduled weekly. But you’re going to – and you have to…so make the most out of it. Attitude is key, and keeping it positive will only benefit you. Having a positive workplace in which to work will drastically help to improve on your own positive mood. For example, if you bought all of your office equipment and supplies from somewhere like officemonster.co.uk, then you know that you have all of the things that you need to be able to do your job to the best of your ability. This, in turn, will ensure that you keep a positive mindsight throughout the working day.

As we progress in our careers, the concentration of our time spent at work moves from small, less meaningful tasks to larger, more important projects. How do we get to the next level? In any position, performance determines progress. Which means we are the catalysts.

One-third of your time is one-third of your time – regardless if it’s spent filing papers or implementing the next company-wide initiative. What would you rather be doing?