NFIB

Recharge Your Career
03/ 28/ 2002


The pace of business is accelerating, and every industry is becoming more and more competitive. This gives a tremendous opportunity to employees who are willing to become passionate about their jobs and do everything they can to excel. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses shows specific steps you can take to recharge your career through enthusiasm and dedication.

What do the most sought-after computer programmers read for enjoyment during their off hours? What magazines do the most creative (and highly paid) graphic artists subscribe to? How about knowledgeable attorneys and CPA's? Successful sales people? Top hair stylists? Retail shop owners? If you guessed that they spend a lot of time reading about their chosen industries and professions, you're right. The most successful individuals in every line of work are those who are passionate about their jobs and want to learn as much as they can about every aspect of it. To do this, they read everything they can, even after they go home, and they do so with pleasure, not just because they have to.

It's not that these people never take a break. It's just that they love what they do, and have directly experienced the rewards of becoming as expert as possible in their chosen fields. This is the point that can help you become as successful as possible, too: once you begin to make the extra effort to learn as much as you can about what you do at work, you'll begin to find your performance improving. Inevitably, others will notice as well, and you'll find your career on the upswing.

Along this same line, taking classes in your off hours will also accelerate your career growth. People who love their jobs, and want to supercharge their careers, take as many classes as possible to improve their abilities.

There are other ways to accelerate your career growth. One is simply to focus all your attention on your job when you're at work. Leave your outside problems and concerns at your company's front door, and become 100% business while you're there. This doesn't mean that you avoid personal contact with co-workers but it does mean that you cut your downtime to a minimum. Less gossip around the coffee machine. Fewer personal calls during business time. More goal setting, and working extra hours if needed to achieve these goals.

This brings up the next important point: working overtime. While it's vital to pace yourself and not get too tired, it's also necessary to go the extra mile whenever possible and put in extra hours regularly. If you get paid for these hours, all the better. But even if you don't, you'll become invaluable to your company by accomplishing more than you're expected to. How many extra hours should a person put in? That depends entirely on the individual, the industry, and the company. Perhaps 2-3 extra evenings a week, for a total of 4-6 extra hours. In some professions today, of course, this doesn't amount to much. If you're already working 80 hours a week or more, don't push yourself over the edge by trying to put in even more time. But if you're working a 40-hour week, try coming in a few extra nights or staying an extra hour now and then. It will make a big difference in the amount of work you accomplish, and how far you ultimately advance in your career. Don't make a big deal about your extra hours to everyone in the morning. You're not doing this to be a martyr. Just come in, do the extra work, take on the extra responsibility, and in a quiet way you'll begin to shine.

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8.25.00

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