Impressing at Work #CJTopTips

5 August 2016

So your foot’s in the door. Nice one!

Want to know how to turn that internship in to a job? Or how to get noticed for your promotion?

Here’s our top tips for getting on at work.

1. Be positive

No one likes an attitude. Even if what you’re doing seems boring, you can’t see the point in it, beneath you, WHATEVER, be efficient, positive and upbeat. Managers always test you with smaller tasks before they trust you enough to give you the really juicy stuff. A positive attitude will take you far.

2. Make friends!

This is actually just another facet to being positive, but crucial in terms of achieving a long-term position. Work is something you do 5 days a week, 47 weeks of the year (roughly speaking). If you’re creating a team around you, you’re not likely to give preference for long-term contracts to someone you don’t enjoy spending time with, or who you think hasn’t got networking or social skills. When your team gets on, they’re happier, more positive, more productive. You get the picture. Make friends (which is just another way of saying network)! Because when you make the effort, you’ll see dividends bounce back to you three fold.

3. Turn up on time

Turn up on time. PLEASE. We can’t stress this one enough. No matter what time your boss turns up, no matter what time your team turns up, you’re still trying to impress. Get there on time, and put in the hours. If for some reason you’re going to be late – you know the drill – contact someone on your team and let them know BEFORE the time you were supposed to be there. Then be extra conscientious about making the time up. If you’re not sure what time to turn up, just ask. We think it makes you sound super organised!

4. Communicate

This one’s tricky, because even people who think they’re good at communicating can still get this wrong sometimes. Everyone’s scared of asking a dumb question, right? Now listen up, because here’s a key piece of advice that might even help you for the rest of your career: All your colleagues, from the CEOs and directors, to the front of house and assistants, are just other people, trying to get their job done. There’s no need to be scared of them! So long as you’re polite, there are no dumb questions (in fact – there’s every possibility they just didn’t explain something right). Life is life, and sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan. You might be late on a deadline, stuff’s going on at home, you’re not feeling well, your dog died. If there’s something going on that’s going to affect how you’re performing at work, then tell someone so that they can take that in to account. They can only support you with things they know about, and no one is that scary!

5. Bring a new perspective

One of the best things about having a fresh, young recruit to an organisation is that you come with new ways of thinking and doing things. Google “Group think” – it’s a problem. So don’t be afraid to tactfully and enthusiastically make suggestions for how you might be able to contribute to things. Just don’t get a big head. They’ve all been working there longer than you, and no one likes a know-it-all. Again, ask questions if you’re not sure.

6. Be a sponge

Read blogs, newspapers, social media, immerse yourself in the online network of your sector, industry and business. Never underestimate how impressive it is to a manager that a team member is genuinely interested in their job and sector. This will make your waiting-for-the-kettle-to-boil chat MUCH more interesting too.

7. Play the long game

You may have to start with an admin role, or a bit of data entry. Show you’re willing and work hard and employers will start to trust you with the interesting stuff. And this one’s tricky, but well worth it if you can figure out how: Become indispensable. Because at the end of the day, if you want them to hire you properly, or offer you a promotion, you’re asking for cold hard cash. They need a reason to give it to you. E.g. often, things that organisations are really bad at are skills sets that a younger generation are naturally more adept at. Social media? Creative content? Video editing? Website updates? You get the gist. Don’t be shy. You’ve got plenty to bring to the table.

If you want any help with these things or more, check out our Create Jobs mentoring programmes. You could get a mentor to help you progress in to a job or at work.