5 ways to excel in your career

Any job can become stressful. Your never-ending list of to-do’s is getting bigger, the hours are long and you’re constantly juggling deadlines. Maybe you’re working hard to climb the ladder in your career, but that next step seems out of reach?

Whatever it might be that’s stopping you from moving up, there are some things you can do that will help you to manage your time and efficiency better at work, so that you can begin creeping up the ladder towards success! We’ve listed just 5 of the options below to help you shine:

1. Market yourself as an expert

Most people have social media profiles today. And an increasing amount of aspiring, career driven individuals spend a portion of their time on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a fantastic platform to market yourself as an expert in your field. Whether you’re just starting out in your career, or you’re looking to share your ideas/thoughts for your industry, using LinkedIn is the platform to do exactly that.

If you’re not confident about sharing your own thoughts just yet, there are plenty of brand ambassadors and industry leaders who are instigating thought-provoking conversations for you to get involved in. Network yourself as a thought leader, and in time other people will be picking up on your proactiveness and confidence in your role.

2. Ask more questions

We all have questions that we want to ask at work – so what stops us? Speaking from experience, many people are afraid to ask a question because they are worried it might make them seem disconnected to their work, uneducated or frankly, stupid.

This simply isn’t the case at all, and we guarantee that those who are excelling in their career are asking questions all the time. Asking the right people gets you a valuable answer or piece of advice that you can draw from in future. All you have to do is ask!

3. Read everyday (no, not just a book)

One way to become a more effective communicator is by witnessing good, written communication. With the vast majority of industry news and helpful, valuable content online today, it’s easy to find something relevant for you to read. Whether it’s keeping up with relevant news, or maybe you found an article from an industry specific thought leader that you’d like to read more about.

Reading keeps you one step head of the game, because you will learn something new, or you will engage with a new idea or perspective – all of which will help you to shape your ideas and decisions in future. Reading doesn’t have to be extensive, but as long as it’s productive, you’re already winning the race.

4. Remove distractions

Your productivity could be at risk if you’re looking at your phone every few minutes. Even if you’re trying not to, a notification is bound to veer you away from your work. Strip back any distractions you might have while you’re at your desk, so that you can fully immerse yourself in whatever project you’re tackling. By simply putting your phone in your bag, or switching it off, you remove your attention from one area to focus it on another.

Music can, at times, be a big distraction. A pair of headphones and a change in the type of music you’re listening to can actually help to breed your creativity. The Independent suggested that the most famous theory linking music and cognitive performance is ‘the Mozart’ effect, the popular idea that listening to Mozart makes you smarter. The research centred around the idea that music – particularly classical – can improve exam results, with websites such as mozarteffect.com selling music supposedly designed to “charge the brain.” What has been proven is that listening to music which is constant in state, has a steady, repetitive pulse is better for concentration than loud, inconsistent music.

5. Increase your efficiency

This seems so simple, but it can, at times, be difficult to achieve. There are only so many hours in the working day, so making the most of your time is critical to your efficiency. Track how much time you’re spending on tasks, and follow the “two-minute rule”. Entrepreneur Steve Olenski recommends that if you see a task or action that you know can be done in two minutes or less, do it immediately.

Reducing meetings is another big time saver. Although they can be necessary, if there are some that you think you can cut back on, do it. Your time is valuable, so before you book your next meeting, ask yourself whether you can accomplish the same goals or tasks via email, phone or web-based meeting.

One other way is to quit multitasking. While many people think multitasking means being more efficient, it does in fact divert your attention from putting all your effort in to one task. Make a habit of committing to a single task before moving on to your next project. 

If you’re feeling slightly demotivated about stepping up in your career, not only will these tips help to improve your efficiency at work, but mastering them will get you noticed. Efficiency in your role means you can make more time available to be more proactive with ideas, and networking yourself online puts you forward as a confident individual. Make the most from the advice above, and soon enough the only thing standing between you and your dream job will be impressing the person interviewing you.

Want more career advice? Click here for more blogs about jobseeker tips.

Or are you considering a new role that’s a bit more challenging? At Simply Sales Jobs, we connect you with local jobs in your area. If you’re looking for a more exciting role that you can get stuck in to, simply click through to our jobs section here to start the search for your next big opportunity! 

Good luck!

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