Nowadays, it seems like many employees really zone in on the job requirements of their position. Some employees will make sure they stick within their job requirements and do not do much more. Others will work very hard at their job and excel in it.
However, there is a minority group of employees who step up and contribute in any way they can. These are the employees who take initiative, seek out opportunities to add value, and find ways to solve problems.
If you want a chance to advance in your company, you will have to be a part of that latter group. Here’s how to stand out at work and join the ranks of the most successful employees.
How Can You Stand Out At Work?
If you do your job and do it well, you will brand yourself as a person who is really good at that job. However, when it comes time to promote, the management team is looking for a leader, and leaders typically need to be fully engaged in the company. They not only need to care about their job and role but also about the business in its entirety.
To truly stand out at work, you need to go beyond excelling in your role and demonstrate a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset. When leadership sees your commitment to the bigger picture, you’ll naturally position yourself as someone ready for the next step.
What Else Are You Supposed To Do Besides Your Job?
Many people do not realize that while you were hired to do a job, it’s also your responsibility to be a part of the company and do whatever it takes for the company to be successful. You need to continuously find ways to save or make the company money, to prove your value to the employer.
Here are the top 10 ways you can stand out at work and advance your career:
1. Always Offer Ideas And Suggestions
Bigstock
Start with your own job and if you have an idea or two about how it can be done more efficiently, suggest it. Even if your manager balks at it, keep making suggestions wherever you can. Your willingness to think critically and offer solutions demonstrates initiative, which they will notice over time. Plus, being known as someone who looks for ways to improve processes can position you as a go-to problem solver—and perhaps a leader in the making.
Eventually, one of your ideas will gain support and you’ll make a difference at work. Sometimes the smallest ideas can have the greatest impact.
2. Do Not Sit Quietly In Meetings
Bigstock
We have all been in meetings where there are people who talk and people who do not. Contribute any way you can and contribute at a high level. Make it a habit to share insights, ask thoughtful questions, and offer solutions to challenges the team is facing. When management is in meetings with you, they take notice of the contributors.
Leaders are not silent in meetings. If you want to move up in your career, you first need to be present in it.
3. Do More Than What Your Job Requires
Bigstock
For example, if you work in customer service and someone needs help, go beyond offering “standard help.” Instead of saying to a customer, “Call this number and they can help you,” do it for them! Customers like to compliment great service. It is a big deal when upper management or the president of the company hears from customers and they are complimenting you.
No matter your job, going above and beyond your standard job duties will help you grow your career. Over time, your reputation for reliability and outstanding performance can open doors to career advancement you never expected.
4. Always Offer To Help Others
Bigstock
Become the “go-to” person—the person who can be counted on to help. If you are that person, it will go a long way!
Let’s think about what would happen if your company announced possible layoffs in the near future. An employee who is the “go-to” person and adds value to the organization will be significantly less likely to be laid off than an employee who just sits quietly in the corner and does their job, and maybe does their job well, but doesn’t stand out as an indispensable employee.
By offering to help others and having expertise, you’ll stand out as a great employee—one most companies wouldn’t want to lose.
5. Be Proactive
Bigstock
Anticipate problems that might arise and come up with suggestions to fix them. Do not wait for things to happen and be a “reactive” employee. Take the initiative to identify inefficiencies or areas for improvement within your team or department. Even small changes can have a big impact, and showing that you’re proactive demonstrates leadership potential.
We all have had those moments where we know we could do more if we wanted to. When you have that moment, come up with a plan and do it (or share it with a supervisor).
6. Become A Part Of The Company
Bigstock
If your company has a great workplace culture, this makes it that much easier to become a part of your company and feel like you belong.
Join a safety committee, a diversity committee, or any other group where you feel you can make a great contribution. Volunteering for these initiatives shows you’re engaged and committed to improving the work environment. Plus, it gives you the chance to collaborate with different teams and showcase your skills beyond your job description, which can open doors for new opportunities within the organization.
7. Do Things Without Being Asked
Bigstock
If you see that something needs to be done and nobody is doing it, do it. Even if it is just cleaning up after a potluck lunch or helping with a company party. It’s always amazing how few people do this.
It’s really quite simple: people who hang back and help out stand out.
8. Volunteer Wherever You Can
Bigstock
Community service is becoming more popular in organizations around the world. If someone sends an email out asking for volunteers, do it if you can. If someone sends out an email about a new initiative in the company, reply and say, “This sounds great! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I would love to be a part of this!”
Management takes note of the employees who volunteer together for a good cause or ambitious project. Even if you’re unsure how you can contribute, showing eagerness to get involved speaks volumes about your work ethic and enthusiasm for the company’s success.
9. Take The Lead If You Can
Bigstock
Someone has to be the leader. Why shouldn’t it be you? If it’s not you, still contribute at a high level. Throw out ideas and suggestions. Challenge things that do not make sense. If you do this respectfully, you will stand out.
Once again, silence does not get you noticed; it gets you overlooked. Show up in your career and try to become the leader you know you can be one day at a time.
10. Never Badmouth The Company
Bigstock
Talk it up and do your job as if you are a leader there. If you do not agree with something, ask questions. Running around badmouthing the company or complaining about your job is a cancer in your career. It will kill any opportunities to advance and may even kill your job. No one likes to work with a Negative Nelly.
When you are at work, always seek out ways to improve the company. Become an integral part of taking your company to the next level. Make it a point to offer solutions, not just problems, and demonstrate a positive, can-do attitude in every situation.
If you show your interest lies far beyond yourself, your job, and your income, you’ll stand out at work and set yourself up to become a future leader in your company.
Need more help with your career?
Get access to our Free Resource Center today (no credit card required!).
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
