How to Have an Impact in the Workplace
Whether it’s a new job or a reinvention of yourself at your workplace, having an impact where you work is essential to success. Being a memorable, hardworking employee who not only has good work ethic, but the knowledge on how to communicate with others will get you far.
People have always been told to work hard for what they want, but what about the expression “work smarter not harder?” To truly have an impact in your workplace you need to be smart (whether book smart or street smart) and aware of your environment and your peers.
A few key details important to remember when working are:
- Keep your attitude in check; no one wants to work with people who are notably unable to control their emotions. You want to present yourself as ready to work as soon as you walk into the office, no matter the situation at hand.
- Helping wherever you can it is always noted when you go out of your way to learn from others as well as helping to get work done. Although, you must do this without stretching yourself too thin, because it’s better to have one great project then a bunch of small mediocre projects. So yes, it is always a bonus to work on projects/assignments with others, but make sure you can get your work done correctly and timely.
- Put yourself out there. Don’t fall victim to join the typical “go to work, keep your head down, get work done, leave” stereotype. You want to actually show interest.
- ASK QUESTIONS. I repeat for those in the back, ASK QUESTIONS. No one ever got better at something without asking how to do so. Ask your questions, seek the help, you will be noticed as someone trying to learn everything possible and truly soaking in what this job has to offer.
- Reliability, reliability, reliability! Always be on time, up front, performing what is expected. Ultimately you want to be the person people can come to in need of help because they know they can trust you to get the work done.
- Be prepared rather than procrastinating. It is always a bonus to be one step ahead of the game to answer that surprise question about the report you were supposed to have started days ago.
So, take these tips into consideration and think about if you have made steps toward impacting the workplace. Or, if you need to change up your routine to improve yourself or your workplace, go and take this advice into action. It won’t hurt to give it a try and see where these tips could get you.
About Skyylar
Skyylar Jagodzinski is about to enter her junior year majoring in Advertising/Public Relations. She is an Account Associate at GrandPR, this being her first year apart of the team. Skyylar enjoys hanging out with her friends/family, camping, hiking, and the occasional Netflix binge.