Value Added

I have been thinking about my career path lately and wondering how I have been able to manage being incredible happy at each job I have worked at. I realized that each job didn’t start out as my dream job, but I made it into my dream job. Here are a few ways I did that:

1. Any existing procedure or product that you have control over – MAKE IT BETTER! Put your “touch” to anything that crosses your desk. If you are asked to enter data in a spreadsheet (the most mundane task in my opinion), make the spreadsheet look, function and print better than when you received it. Add value to everything you touch. The more you do this, the more you will be entrusted with larger projects and new ideas. Be faithful in the small things first…
2. Learn as much about your industry as you possibly can. Get excited about what makes your company different or better in your industry. If you are interested about your “product”, you will be happy to spend your days working for it.
3. “There is no bad news, just information.” If you approach challenges with this attitude, you can quickly disregard “bad news” and start working on a solution. I see many people freak out every day. They lose their cool and panic. This will only create stress around you and your peers and supervisors will get the impression that you cannot handle your job.

There’s so much more you can do, but these are at the top of my list. For more work advice, my friend’s mom has an awesome site: http://www.tinalewisrowe.com/.

Now – back to work!