5 Tips on How to Succeed at Work
We spend a huge percentage of our lives at work. So not only do you want to be in a role you love, you should also strive to succeed in the workplace! Whether you’re looking to get a promotion or simply haven’t given your career path much thought, it’s a good idea to consider the ways in which you can flourish at work.
It’s not always easy to know where to start though. If you’re enthusiastic about your job role, and you’re completing every task to the best of your ability, where do you go from there? We’ve outlined five techniques for you to try, in order to succeed at work, below!
1. Keep Learning
If you start to stagnate in your job, you’re unlikely to enjoy the role. You’ll start to feel bored, and may begin searching for another position. The best way to overcome this problem is to continually develop your skills and abilities. This could be through in-house training, online webinars, or formal qualifications – the method isn’t too important, as long as you’re developing your skills!
When it comes to learning, you should also try to utilise your managers. Even if they’re not someone you’re keen on emulating, you can still learn from them, if only in terms of what to avoid doing! And if you do have a supportive manager, make sure you pick their brains every so often, to understand how they’ve progressed. You can then use these methods yourself.
Asking questions in general can be a great way to succeed at work. Find out what projects other departments are working on, and see how you can get involved. You may even find you prefer working in a different area of the business! And even if your daily responsibilities don’t change, it can still be helpful to have a broader understanding of the company, especially in team meetings or specific projects.
2. Bond With Your Colleagues
Obviously you’re not going to make friends with every single person in your company, particularly if you work in a huge corporation! But connecting with other people in your workplace can not only be great for your mental health and make team events more fun, it can also help your career development.
Developing personal and professional relationships with your colleagues will often allow you to build up your professional network. For example, if you’re looking to switch careers, one of your work friends may have previously worked in that industry, and could point you in the right direction, or even act as a reference.
3. Discuss Your Progression With Your Boss
Unless your boss is particularly perceptive, they’re unlikely to know what your aspirations are without you telling them. So it’s essential that you have discussions about your progression on a regular basis. Perhaps schedule one-to-one meetings every few months, to give yourself the opportunity to talk about career advancement opportunities, as well as your daily workload. You may even want to use these conversations to ask your boss questions about their career journey.
Just don’t forget to properly track your progress. For instance, if your boss indicates that you’ll be eligible for a more senior position after a particular training course, make a note of it! While your progression timeline is likely to be rather vague, you don’t want to constantly be told it will take ‘a few more months’ to advance in your career. You need to show you’re invested in your job progression.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up
For a lot of people, speaking up in a meeting is outside their comfort zone. It can be intimidating to put yourself out there, especially in front of senior staff members. However, if you want to be seen as a leader, and someone who is enthusiastic about their job, it’s probably something you’ll need to do.
Of course you shouldn’t speak up just for the sake of it. Before you go into a big meeting, consider the items on the agenda, and think about any key points you’d like to make. This is an opportunity to show your analytical skills and hopefully become known for your innovative ideas!
5. Focus on a Good Work-Life Balance
Being successful at work is often dependent on your life outside of work. If you push yourself too hard, you could suffer from career burnout, not to mention make yourself unhappy! This doesn’t mean you can’t invest a lot into your work, you simply need to consider ways to recharge your batteries too.
Self-care and mental health are often brushed aside when climbing the career ladder, but this can damage your prospects in the long run. So make time for seeing friends and family, exercising, and partaking in any hobbies or interests you may have. A healthy work-life balance can often make the biggest difference to your long term career progression.