15 Tips for a Successful Career
 The present employment horizon looks bleak and hanging on to the job you have at hand is the need of the hour. This would mean cutting down your demands from the employer and compromising a bit on certain areas, at least till the situation gets better. Here are some important points to keep in mind to
have a successful career and keep your job safe.Dress professionally Wear formals to the office unless you work demands. This can be more important if the clients frequent your office. This can also help you give a better first impression. Be on time This specially holds good for meetings. Somebody whos late by 10 minutes will make others feel that their time has been wasted. Stick to what you commit If you say that you would do something, then you better demonstrate your commitment by doing it or better by doing it before time. Keep your boss informed When you are given a new chunk of work while already loaded, it makes sense to talk to your boss about this and set the expectation right. Inform him of what you are doing and what progress you make. A simple email at the end of the day should server the purpose. Stick to deadlines If you are given a dead line to complete something, its better you stick to it. If you see any challenge meeting them, speak to your boss at the earliest and seek more time. This will help him set expectations to others dependent on your work and save him from embarrassment later. Be well mannered Get back to school to revive your manners. This includes being polite, saying a thank you or a good morning. These small things can make a big difference. Help your colleagues When a colleague approaches you for help, give a helping hand. Keep doing this for sometime and the news will easily reach you boss. A helpful person is all what managers looks for. But be cautious not to leave your own work unfinished while helping others. Mind your own business Do not poke your nose into to the personal side of your colleagues. You are here to work and just do that. Be you Think long term and try being yourself. While pretending to be some body else may benefit you in the shot run, this will not keep you happy. To enjoy what you do, be you! No gossips please Those water cooler gatherings were always good at the college. But now you are in the corporate world and its time to give up gossiping. You never know who is going to switch roles tomorrow and become your boss. So stop gossiping if dont want to be under the axe tomorrow. Limit mobile phones Try to limit the use of mobile phones while you are in the office. While you may only be making few calls day, if you boss finds you over the phone whenever he looks, it may create a false impression. So keep the calls for lunchtime. Find a mentor Find a mentor in your office to whom you can look for help. While such a person may be difficult to get, this can give you an added advantage in growing your career. Brush up your skills You may now be working outside of your core skills. But its always in your best interest to keep your core skills brushed up so that you can readily take up a responsibility as it come. Keep your CV updated Updating your CV regularly is an important part of your career plan. This can be done at the time of completion of each project so that you can capture all your contributions and key achievements correctly. Career planning once in a while would help you re-evaluate your present job / career goals and chalk out a plan to choose a different career if required. Network It always pays to be networked. Knowing the right people can help you a lot while looking for a new job or career change. Websites list LinkedIn and Facebook and Twitter can help you in doing this. |
