Sometimes, the normal 9 to 5 hours isn't enough to get you what you need in your career. If you're not satisfied with your level of standing, want to earn more money, or want to start getting noticed as a leader, put extra time and energy into your work. This is a surefire way to earn a reputation as someone who takes work seriously, but you need to be careful to balance your work life with your personal life. Get started with Step 1 below to learn how to get ahead at work while living a safe and healthy life.
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Method 1 of 4: Exceeding Expectations
Step 1. Request overtime
The easiest way to show serious dedication to your job is simply to work more hours than the average employee. While some companies have policies against overtime for their employees, many allow you to do so. If your company accepts your idea of working overtime, ask your boss for permission as soon as possible. Not only will this show your boss that you're willing to take that all-important extra step to get the job done, but it will also give you a nice spike in your next paycheck.
- In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states that employees who work more than 40 hours in a week will receive at least one and a half times their base salary for overtime pay. While each state may have different laws, employees are legally entitled to one and a half times higher pay rates if state law allows.
- Note that overtime is generally only an option for hourly employees – employees with regular salaries are not always paid more for working longer hours. If you receive a fixed salary, you may be able to request a bonus from your employer for the extra work you do.
Step 2. Pursue a new project without being asked to do so
Generally, managers and supervisors like it when their employees take on additional responsibilities without being told to do so. Doing this will demonstrate initiative, intelligence, and ambition. If executed properly, it can also make work easier for your boss which can give you a more tangible honor and appreciation from him. However, when pursuing new projects, be careful not to overstep authority or embarrass other employees. Your goal is to be ambitious; not arrogant. Below are some ideas to get you started:
- Give your boss a report detailing the ways you've made your job more efficient, then suggest using your ideas throughout the workplace.
- Organize and run meetings to help you work effectively on other projects without disturbing your boss.
- Participate in thinking together to make a list of strategies to increase company profits.
- Organize internal office events (such as birthday parties, holidays, and so on).
Step 3. Engage in life at work
It will be much easier to work effectively if you have positive relationships with your coworkers. This means making an effort to have positive interactions with everyone on a regular basis. At the very least, you should make an effort to spend time on meal breaks with your coworkers most days. Use this opportunity to get to know your coworkers better through small talk and friendly conversation. If you don't have any ideas for anything to talk about, you can always start by asking them about the food they eat.
If you feel that you enjoy talking to your coworkers, you may want to invite them to spend time together outside of work. For example, you can invite them to have a drink with you, play golf (or another sport of your choice), or visit acquaintances that both know. However, if you do not feel that you can become close friends with your co-workers, of course this is not absolutely necessary
Step 4. Finish the job early
Work often seems like a long chain of linked deadlines – daily tasks must be completed by the time you leave work each day, minor tasks must be completed by the end of the week, major tasks must be completed by the end of the month, and so on. If you can manage to finish your work earlier than requested, you will not only make a great impression on your boss, but you will also give yourself the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities, which in turn can raise your profile at work. When your boss gives you a promotion, they will tend to consider hard-working, fast-paced employees first. Make sure you're at the top of their list by earning a reputation for getting high-quality work with fast turnaround.
While it's a good idea to get in the habit of collecting work in advance, be careful not to do it too often. If you turn in each project early, your boss will probably assume that they aren't giving you enough work to do and increase your workload, so you work more for the same pay. If you can, try to focus on only getting the most important work done and pulling early early
Step 5. Consistently produce more than expected
As mentioned above, most managers and supervisors (supervisors) respect hard work, ambition and creativity. If you're aiming for advancement in the workplace, there's hardly a better way to do it than by giving your manager something more than they expect. Doing this will show that you are serious about your commitment to your job as well as that you are a valuable employee who does more than anyone else is required to do. However, when trying to finish a project early, you have to balance your ambition with reality because consistently working really hard can put a huge strain on the body and mind. Try to save your best efforts for important projects that might be noticed and appreciated. Below are some ways:
- If you are asked to present an internal company data report, do your own independent research and predict the meaningful possibilities that can be drawn from your results.
- If you're asked to clean up a messy warehouse, develop your own system for organizing things and write directions so others can use the system.
- If the sales figures for your company are missing, develop and test your own sales technique, then share it with your coworkers.
Step 6. Take your work home
When most people come home from a long day at work, extra work is the last thing they have on their minds. However, if you can persevere to do so, occasionally doing extra work at home can help you relieve yourself of the workload. This could be in the form of working over the internet from your home computer, doing additional research or "PR" analysis on important projects, making some important business calls, and other things.
If you have a family, you will certainly avoid overwork at home. While one can get away with doing a lot of extra work at home, a commitment in the family can sometimes make it difficult for you to devote all your attention to work while you are at home. The exception to this rule, of course, is if the nature of your job requires you to do some or all of your work from home
Method 2 of 4: Getting Attention
Step 1. Dress up for success
In general though there are many exceptions, ordinary people will know especially if they know you are in a formal business setting. If you dress with dignity and seriousness, other people (including your boss and coworkers) will tend to take you more seriously. This doesn't mean that you need to wear a suit to work every day-expensive isn't always better. Unless you have the cash for high-end clothing, you may be better off going with one of the affordable but up-grading options listed below:
- For men - It's hard to go wrong with a pair of plain khakis trousers with a simple shirt. In addition, you might consider adding a jacket and tie. If you work in a casual setting (such as an internet installation), you may be able to wear informal clothing such as a T-shirt and shorts. It's a good rule of thumb, though, to dress one level higher than your current position, i.e. clothes that match your co-boss' style.
- For woman - The combination of a long sleeve shirt and skirt will fit in most offices. Conservative dresses are also a good choice. A suit and pants that go with a jacket are smart choices for jobs that require you to interact with the public. While casual work may allow you to wear a T-shirt and jeans, it's best not to dress that way, or dress in slightly more fashionable clothes.
Step 2. Appreciate the importance of everything you do
In addition to dressing to fit the part of a seriously dedicated employee, you need to make sure that your behavior also makes a good impression. To some extent, other people's opinion of you is shaped by your opinion of yourself. Thus, treating whatever you do at any time as very important is a great way to let other people in the office know that you are important. Try adopting the following habits to ensure that people will think you're an indispensable employee:
- Walk briskly and with direction, even if you're just heading to the cooler for a drink of water.
- Speak with clear and confident articulation.
- When you walk past people, greet them warmly, but keep walking.
- Sit up straight in your chair while at your desk.
Step 3. Don't be afraid to express your opinion
In general, unless they have a sharp ego, bosses will appreciate and accept feedback from their employees – both positive and negative. Offering your opinion on occasion will show that you are involved in your work and care about what is happening to you and your company. Depending on the morale of the company in your workplace, this can set you apart from most other employees. Here are some ideas for when and where to express yourself:
- At company strategy meetings, offer ideas on how your company can make it more competitive.
- Ask smart questions whenever you're not sure how to proceed with your work. This can make you look really good if you do it when the other person seems reluctant to ask their own questions (such as awkwardness during a meeting).
- If you are dissatisfied with some aspect of your job, talk to your boss about the change. However, don't be offended if you receive the word "no".
Step 4. Look for challenges
Taking on new responsibilities at work can be very challenging, especially before you have time to adjust to a new role. However, if you are able to carry out your new assignment, you will be rewarded with recognition, a more important position in your business, and (perhaps) more money. However, in seeking new responsibilities, make sure not to push yourself too hard by taking on more responsibilities than you can handle. Make sure that you can handle the additional workload before taking on new responsibilities or you will run the risk of requesting a reduction in workload, which could embarrass you on a professional level.
If there's no clear way to expand your capacity for responsibility at work, try asking your boss for more responsibility directly. There's a significant chance that he'll be able to give you extra work, and even if he can't, you'll be noticed for taking the initiative to ask for it
Step 5. Draw attention to the results of your efforts
If you work hard, you deserve to be recognized. However, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the workweek, good work can easily go unnoticed. Don't let your achievements be hidden. Instead, try to find reasons to showcase your efforts. Try to introduce successful projects by making it clear that you are responsible for their success without appearing like a braggart. If you've done a really good job, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Below are some of the opportunities where you may have the opportunity to showcase your fine work:
- If you've completed a project and haven't received much acknowledgment, try sharing it with others via group email. You can easily send your email as a mere email containing "keep everyone up to speed" while ensuring that important coworkers and supervisors see your work.
- If you have completed a project that is relevant to a new job under discussion, take your old work as an example for how to proceed or as a guide for exploring new work.
Step 6. Be friendly and polite
Having an optimistic and positive attitude at work is not only for appearing energetic and motivating others, it is also a great way to keep your spirits up and make yourself a more effective worker. If you are friendly, you will find it easier to interact with other employees and they will generally find it easier to work with you. This makes it easier for you to collaborate or ask for help on work, increasing your productivity. Therefore, it should be noted that you are more likely to receive awards and promotions if you are liked by people.
While you're trying to be friendly, you need to avoid sensitive topics of conversation as well as slightly risqué humor. Laughing quickly isn't the equivalent of ruining your efforts so far by simply offending a coworker or showing a lack of sensitivity
Method 3 of 4: Maintaining good work habits
Step 1. Eliminate distractions while you work
There's no reason to spend hours at work if you can't do anything while you're at work. Ensure that you are a productive worker by eliminating any distractions that might distract from your efforts to get your work done. Some of the most common ways to eliminate distractions for workers are listed below:
- Reduce noise distractions / idle chatter at work by using headphones or earplugs or moving to a different workplace.
- Kindly tell the other person you're chatting constantly that you're busy and they can talk back when you're done. Or, try to politely place a sign on your desk or workplace with notice information for others not to disturb you.
- Install additional productivity programs as well as site-blocking programs into your browser to avoid the tendency to be tempted by internet entertainment (gaming, social media and other channels).
Step 2. Set ambitious (but realistic) goals
If you're having a hard time staying motivated to work hard, setting specific goals and deadlines can help you break out of the sluggishness of the work day and focus on the task at hand. When you choose a goal, be ambitious, but have a firm understanding of what you can and cannot achieve in a given time frame. Setting goals that are out of your reach at the same time will set yourself up for failure, which can cause you to feel like an underachievement. It's entirely possible that goals that are too high can end up hurting your morale and making it harder to stay motivated in the long run.
Step 3. Divide large projects into manageable sections
Sometimes, important jobs can seem so overwhelming and daunting that it's hard to decide where to start. In these cases, it can be helpful to focus on a few small, significant aspects and finish this section first. By completing small sections of a large project, you can be motivated by a sense of accomplishment that you can use to fuel your motivation as you move on with the project. You will also have an idea of which parts of the project might be causing problems and so you can dedicate more effort to dealing with them.
For example, if you've been assigned a half-hour presentation for a high-level group of company employees, you might want to start focusing on overall detailing. Although the presentation only includes a summary that represents a small part of the work to be done, you can make the entire project easier by creating your creations in slides, discussing them in detail in bullet points, and so on
Step 4. Try to inspire others
Leadership is a skill that is coveted in almost any profession. Supervisors look for employees who have natural leadership abilities when they are looking for rewarded employees. Displaying your leadership at work can earn you recognition, even more important responsibilities, and even raises and promotions. To demonstrate your leadership, seek to help others in their tasks and be the spearhead in your own group projects. As noted above, you also want to ensure that your leadership is recognized by showing it to others and using it at the right time. If you have a reputation as a leader in your workplace, it is usually only a matter of time before you become a 'real' 'leader'. Below are some opportunities for leadership:
- Take advantage of opportunities to train new employees and help them become familiar with their duties.
- Design your own project, then, with permission from your supervisor, ask another employee to help you complete it.
- Make a few points as you lead discussions in group meetings that don't have a leader in them.
Method 4 of 4: Stay Healthy and Happy
Step 1. Set a schedule for breaks
Workaholics will spend a lot of their time working, but they don't have to spend every second of every day working. Take occasional breaks to recharge your body and mind, ensure that you are as active as possible throughout the day and also increase your long-term productivity. Plus, taking breaks can help you stay in a good mood, which is an important component of staying effective at your job, especially if you work face-to-face with customers. Don't skip your break to work again in a few minutes – work smart, not long.
It should be noted that you may also be legally required to rest. In the United States, there are several federal laws that dictate the types of rest that must be provided. However, state laws differ from state-of-the-art. For example, in California, employees must take a 30-minute break if they work for more than five hours without stopping, unless their total working hours are less than six hours
Step 2. Don't work during breaks
During holidays, sick days, holidays, and family time, try to work as little as possible. The period when you stop working is meant to allow you to recharge your energy reserves, reorganize your attitude, brighten your outlook, and recuperate from the busyness of working hard. While some work may be unavoidable, devoting too much of your "rest" time to work can result in a reduction in any restorative benefits you may already have.
- To ensure that you can stay fully motivated while you are actually working, allow yourself to enjoy a day off completely free from work.
- Keeping your schedule free during your downtime can mean doing extra work before you leave. If this is the case, do as much work as you can before you spend your free time so that you will be able to rest in peace without worrying about anything.
Step 3. Get plenty of sleep
Almost every part of the job becomes more difficult if you don't get enough rest. Staying focused during meetings, keeping track of projects, and making sure your work gets done on time can be difficult when you don't have enough time off. To avoid this problem, try to get a full night's sleep as often as possible (if not every night). Doing this will make it easier for you to stay focused on your work when it really matters-at your job. By keeping your immune system strong, getting enough sleep also reduces the chances of you having to take time off work due to illness.
Although everyone's biological needs are different, most medical experts agree that adults generally need about seven to nine hours of sleep on a regular basis for optimal health, mood, and mental function
Step 4. Take care of other interests outside of work
Although work should be the main focus of a workaholic's life, it should not be the only focus he has. Having friends and hobbies outside of your work life can help you stay motivated at work by keeping you from the "stress" that builds up in your work routine. More importantly, it is a way to enrich your life by enhancing your quality and experience. People are not defined solely by the work they complete in their lives – they are also defined by the relationships they form, the fun they have, and, above all, the love they share and the memories they create. Don't spend your whole life working. If you don't have something on which to work, what's the point?
Sometimes, people who devote most of their energy to their work have a hard time making friends outside of work. If this suits you, don't feel stressed, as this is a common thing among workaholics. In that situation, you might be able to join a club that can help you make new connections in your busy schedule
Step 5. Find meaning in your work
Let's be honest-not every job is a dream job. Sometimes, the things we do to support ourselves can be very different from the things we want to do for personal fulfillment. However, it's almost always easier to work hard if you can find some reason for you to dedicate yourself to a job emotionally, even if the reason is a small one. Look for aspects of your job that give you satisfaction, allow you to take pride in your work, or make the world a better place in some small (achievable) way.
For example, if you have a job that is often described as unimportant-working as a cook at a fast food restaurant for example, try to stay focused on the positive, satisfying aspects of your job. For example, in your position, you are responsible for quickly satisfying hundreds of busy workers every day. If you don't do a good job, you can easily put some of them in a bad mood, which can affect them in other areas of their lives. On the other hand, if you take pride in your work and focus on doing a good job, you can help these hundreds of people have satisfying meals, which in turn can help them be the best they can be at home and at work
Step 6. Spend some time with your family or girlfriend
This is something that many workaholics struggle to do and some fail to do entirely. Work/family balance is one of those things that is sometimes difficult to manage even for people who work a normal 40 hours per week. For people who work 70 hours per week, maintaining the right balance can be very challenging. However, your family is not something you should ignore when you are working extra hours. In the end, the love of a happy family is far more satisfying than the rewards offered by work. If you find yourself having to debate whether to spend a few nights each week with your spouse and kids or work extra long hours to get the promotion you've been seeking, admit that your priorities have drifted. Even workaholics struggle to be loving partners and parents, and sometimes this means putting aside work to make time for the things that really matter.
Step 7. Motivate yourself
Just as working hard is easier if you can find satisfaction in your work, of course it is also easier to work if you give yourself a reason to work. For the lucky few, work is a very fulfilling activity in and of itself. However, for most others, it's often something to do just to support oneself and one's family. During a dull day at work, it's easy to forget the ultimate goal of your work. Remind yourself of the reasons why working can help you focus and put in the extra effort needed to move forward when the situation really matters.
For example, if you work to support your children in a job you don't like, you may need to post some small photos of them behind or at your workplace. If you're having trouble motivating yourself to stay late or take on extra projects, take a look at these photos. They are a useful reminder of what you want to achieve by working hard
Tips
Let your customers and co-workers know that you will always be available to help with their needs
Warning
- It is recommended that you have eight hours of sleep even if you feel you are getting enough with only four hours of sleep.
- If your family doesn't understand you then you may have problems at home.
