Do you remember Janet from your last job? Of course you don’t, because she flew under the radar. She did her job and went home. She didn’t do a horrible job but she never went above and beyond. She was just nice enough but never made connections with anyone in the office. She was forgettable.
Being forgettable has definite perks. For instance, you don’t have to worry about being given that extra job responsibility because the office go-getter will be your boss’ first pick. If there is office drama, you are usually left out of the craziness. No one really has any expectations of you so you clock out stress free every day.
It doesn’t matter if you are a teacher, busser, lawyer, computer engineer, or administrative assistant-if you are interested in ever getting a promotion or a new job, it is important that your work contacts remember you. Your work contacts are important because they often have access, or can connect you, to new opportunities and they vouch for your performance. This is especially important if you are at a job for a short time.
A great way to be noticed quickly and remembered long after you leave is to make a positive impact as work.
Many people have found they can make an impact quickly at work by doing one or more of the following:
- Genuinely caring about people.
- Using confident, professional, and engaged body language.
- Doing your job right the first time.
- Asking for help when appropriate.
- Volunteering to take on an additional task or project.
- Learning the norms and unwritten rules of the workplace.
- Selflessly helping make other people’s jobs easier.
- Bringing a fresh perspective to the table.
- Acknowledging and showing appreciation for the “old blood.”
- Respecting everyone’s important and unique contribution.
- Keeping your ethics and integrity intact at all times.
- Washing the dirty mugs by the sink simply because it is a nice gesture.
- Showing respect for other people’s time.
- Setting goals, tracking progress, and ultimately achieving them.
- Thanking others and giving credit when appropriate.
- Celebrating successes.
- Looking out for opportunities to improve and acting on them!
Making an impact shortly after starting a new job sets the stage for building long-lasting, positive relationships at work that will benefit you for years even after you leave that job.
Who left a positive lasting impression on you? What made them memorable? How are you going to make yourself memorable? Share them in the comments section.
Michelle Aikman is a military spouse and a career management expert. She empowers and equips high-performing professionals to advance their career, make difficult transitions, and experience fulfilling careers. She is the Lead Career Management Consultant at Skilled Assets, a member of Career Thought Leaders, and is one of only 35 writers worldwide to hold thecoveted Nationally Certified Resume Writer certification.
Have a career question? Send Michelle your questions and she may feature it in a future article.
photo credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwonderwall/3341419492/”>Dwonderwall</a> via <a href=”https://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>cc</a>