Get Ahead

Who would not want a promotion among us? I am sure than anyone of us would want to get ahead of others in a healthy competition. Westhill Consulting and Employment, an Australian based employment consulting company recognizes these needs.

Workers seeking to get ahead in their careers need to rely less on their talent and their experience and more on personal brand and relationship with their boss, especially in cities of developed and developing countries like America, Jakarta, Indonesia, Tokyo, Japan and Singapore which focus on their employees for economic development.

1.    Diligence

-                   If you want to get ahead, you need to take on projects outside of your job description. If you see a new opportunity that your company could take advantage of, or you see something that can be improved, come up with a solution. Review, do research, develop a presentation outlining the opportunity, and present it to your management. Before you engage in any entrepreneurial initiatives, of course, you have to master your current role and prove yourself — because no one will invest in you unless they trust you first.

2.          Engage in activities outside of the office.

-                   Extra outside projects and roles and learning opportunities can enhance their reputation at work. You can join professional organizations and social groups to expand both your network and knowledge of your industry and profession.

3.          Think twice before you friend your manager on Facebook.

-                   Most managers don’t want to add their employees as contacts because they want to separate their personal and professional lives. Before you decide to friend them, think about the type of relationship you have with them and ask them what their comfort level is. You might have a lot of complaints filed at you when you cross the line. If you tend to share personal matters with your manager at the office, they would probably be more inclined to have the same relationship on Facebook.

4.          Develop your soft skills.

-                   We found that managers, and even recruiters, value soft skills over hard skills: The most important soft skills for employees who want to get promoted are the ability to prioritize work, communicate effectively, and work well in a team. If you want to develop these skills, you need to actively pursue situations where you can both interact with other people and get feedback so you can improve.

5.          Become a subject matter expert.

-                   If you want to stand out at work and gain visibility and recognition, you need to be an expert on a particular topic. Don’t be a fraud as you know many things but focus on a specific matter and master it.