Photo credit: Polina
Once you land your first job, it’s a learning experience from the jump. You learn what to do, how to work with others, conduct yourself in the workplace, and become better at what you do to achieve a successful career. Most of the time, you’ll be walking your career path alone with no one to hold your hand or tell you what to do. Having a mentor can make this journey slightly easier, but until you get one, it’s all on you.
There are no rules set in stone that can tell you what to do for a successful career, but this list of principles to live by throughout your work life can help you develop one over the years.
Principle #1: Have an appropriate personal email address
It is hard to believe that some people still have the same weird email addresses they created when they were still teenagers and use them for work. If you want people to take you seriously, maybe it’s time you changed that “badgyal69@123” email address to something along the lines of “firstname.lastname@123.”
Principle #2: Focus on how best to deliver results
I had a manager who used to tell me to come to her with solutions and not just problems. This really changed how I approached different issues, tasks, and situations. When you come across a difficult situation, try to find out how you can sort it out before going to your boss for help; they probably already have enough on their plate without you unnecessarily adding on to it. Think about what you can change, whether you need to approach the situation differently or employ other tactics to get the desired results. However, in doing so, don’t forget that the process is just as important as the results.
Principle #3: Honor the promises you make
Honor all your commitments. If you say you’re going to do something and only complete it halfway yet everyone is relying on the finished results, this only creates more work for everyone else. Deadlines will have to be pushed, and projects postponed all because you did a half-assed job. If you make a promise, see it through, and deliver on it, then rinse and repeat. If you need help to complete the task, make sure you ask for what you need before the deadline. This will help you become more credible and trustworthy to your colleagues and superiors.
Principle #4: Set the tone
If and when you get the opportunity to step into a leadership position in your career, it is vital to set the tone for your new team. The first 100 days will be crucial regardless of whether you’re an experienced manager promoted to a higher role or a first-time manager. Everyone will be watching all your moves. Now we all have different leadership styles, but these four tips work across the board in setting the tone for your tenure:
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Do something that will get people talking: This could be establishing an open-door policy or bringing in goodies for the team. Whatever the action, it will show people how you plan to lead them.
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Set an example: This is pretty self-explanatory and could mean coming to work on time or being hands-on with projects.
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Establish the workplace mood: Your mood will reflect on the team and spread across the office. If you are abrasive, angry, or unresponsive, your team will follow suit. Don’t forget to exercise empathy when the need arises.
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Be visible, available, and open: Interact with your team - let them see their fearless leader, and engage with them on their opinions and thoughts.
Principle #5: Do what no one else wants to do
Find out what no one likes to do and find a way to do it or make it less terrible for everyone. Especially if it is something your boss doesn’t like doing - this will definitely earn you extra points in their eyes. This could be a monthly data entry task for the team or the company or even organizing that one area in the office. Doing such things helps you rally everyone else to support and generate momentum to get things done across the workplace.
Principle #6: Know a little bit about a lot
In this life, we never stop learning, whether it is intentionally or unintentionally. We have the knowledge we get from school and real-world experience, but that is not all there is to know. Make an effort to understand how the business and your industry work and how the world operates. You don’t have to be a walking encyclopedia. Still, that cross-functional knowledge will always serve you no matter the situation - whether you want to break the ice at a networking event, wow some potential business partners, or teach the new intern how to do a specific task.
Principle #7: Make some friends
It always helps to have friends in high and low places so you have someone in your corner. Making friends in your job helps you develop a successful career because they will root for you, speak in your favor, and give you the benefit of the doubt when the need arises. It’s really that simple.
Principle #8: Don’t get too comfortable
Comfort is not conducive to growth, especially if you want to become successful in your career. Challenge yourself from time to time so you can learn new things and use the experience to propel yourself forward. Plus, doing something new helps you gain a fresh perspective on things, and it can even give you clarity on your purpose.
Principle #9: Be open-minded
As someone who is not very spontaneous, I have learned to keep an open mind, regardless of the situation, and it has ended up working in my favor. In fact, “don’t knock it until you try it” is one of my life mantras. So whatever opportunity crosses your desk, give it a chance no matter how small or unattainable it seems. You never know, it could be one of the best experiences of your life. You can also learn to be more open-minded by being excessively curious and asking genuine questions to learn more.
Principle #10: Always have a paper trail
If you take away one thing from this article, let it be this. Note everything down, be it new ideas, discussion points for/from meetings, a follow-up email after a call, or even a daily to-do list. Writing down things helps to clarify your thought process. It can also come in handy when you need to refer back to something that was said just in case there is a miscommunication issue or a disagreement.
Principle #11: Over-communicate
When you’re the newbie on the team, it will take time to establish trust with your colleagues. So until that happens, you’ll have to over-communicate. Communication is essential regardless of what level you’re at in your career, and one wrong move could ruin your career just like that. As you get the work done, make sure you keep everyone in the loop from start to finish.
Principle #12: Speed always works in your favor
Finding ways to work fast is always beneficial to you and your team. Whatever you’re working on, ask yourself what it will take to increase your speed - is it ideas, people, money, space….? Knowing the things that help you work faster can help you become more valuable.
Speed=efficiency.
Principle #13: Be a team player
Wherever you are on the totem pole, learn to work with others. Polish your teamwork skills if you want to have a successful career. No matter the task, focus and collaborate until the job is done because what is important is the team’s success. Being a team player will put you on the radar in a good way.
Principle #14: Find your thing
By “your thing,” I mean whatever helps you unload stress and recharge after leaving the workplace. Luckily for you, this can be anything; fitness, reading, meditation, music, travel, or TV. This will help you evade burn-out, achieve a work-life balance, and keep you on track, so your career path remains sustainable.
Principle #15: Be prepared for emergencies
Sometimes life can give you lemons right before work; maybe someone could spill something on you in the morning, you may run into a flash storm, or the heel of your shoe can pop off. That’s why it’s wise to have spare items at work, such as an umbrella, an extra pair of shoes, a blouse, or even sanitary products, etc., in case of anything. You could also help someone who needs it.
Conclusion
Developing a successful career happens over time, and you need the right people, tools, and principles in your corner as you make the decisions that can take you there. Use this cheat sheet to give you a head start if you are working towards career success and don’t know where to start. After all, that’s what Fuzu is here for!