How to Achieve Success in any Job

by Meagan Weekes

February 21 2018 - Every job requires its own particular knowledge and skillset. A nurse has to have excellent medical knowledge. A chef needs to know which ingredients go together. An office manager requires great organisation. But there are some things you can do to thrive at work no matter your occupation.

Here's how to achieve success in any job:

Work Hard

It's very hard to find success without putting in the effort. If you're to be noticed (and recommended) by your co-workers and your boss, you need to work hard. That means turning up on time every day, trying to go the extra mile and meeting your deadlines. Be dedicated to your job and rewards will follow.

Stay Positive

When negative thoughts creep into our mind set, they have the ability to turn everything sour. If you start feeling negatively about your customers or your workload or your colleagues, the quality of your work will suffer and you're unlikely to be first in line for that promotion. Stay positive at work. Try to change the things you don't like and work around anything that can't be changed.

Understand The Bigger Picture

Sure, you can work away at your own tasks and you'll get the job done. But to really find success, you need to have an awareness of the bigger picture. Knowing why you're working on a particular task will help you complete it to a higher level. And when you know the targets your boss or your company have in place, you can work more effectively to achieve them, proving your worth in the process.

Develop Self-Awareness

The best employees and managers are self-aware. They understand their own strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge helps them to assess their work more effectively. It also alerts them to times when they need a little extra support from someone within their team.

Learn From Your Mistakes

No one likes to make a mistake. But the best in the business, learn from those mistakes and move on. When you do something wrong, don't blame others. Work out what you could have done differently and strive to do better next time.

Set Targets For Yourself

At every appraisal, your boss will set you targets for the next quarter. But you should set some of your own targets too. Decide where you'd like to be in five years' time. And what you have to do each year leading up to that milestone in order to meet that five year target. Set smaller targets and develop realistic ways of achieving them to find the success you seek.

Keep Developing in Your Role

If you want to achieve success in your job, you can never rest on your laurels. Treat every day as a learning opportunity. Keep abreast of industry developments. And don't be afraid to ask questions and seek advice from those in positions senior to you. Above all, be flexible enough to take on extra responsibilities and bolster your skillset.

Don't Get Embroiled in Gossip

The colleague you work with today could be your manager tomorrow, or vice versa. If you're to find success at work, it's best to stay well out of watercooler gossip. Be friendly but don't reveal too many of your opinions, especially if they're strong ones. You need to maintain a certain level of professionalism if you're to progress within your workplace.

What does success mean to you? A pay rise? A promotion? Getting to work on that exciting new project? Whatever success looks like, incorporate these tips into your working style to bring it that one step closer.