This is a guest post by Jonathan Crossfield, for more information visit Robert Half Recruitment Melbourne.
Ever wondered why certain people always seem to have the ear of the boss? Or how they always appear to stumble across great career opportunities? A wise man once said that you make your own luck in this world. So how do you get noticed by the right people with the power to help your career?
Contribute in meetings
Most of us sit through meetings as a routine part of office life. However, if you want to continue being invited to contribute, you must contribute in the first place.
Instead of seeing meetings as wastes of time and sitting passively in the corner checking your emails, take part in the discussions and don’t be afraid to brainstorm ideas. Help the meeting achieve its positive outcome and the boss will remember.
Networking
To be noticed, you have to get yourself out there. Stop skipping the office drinks on a Friday. Grab those opportunities to attend conferences and industry events. Join industry groups and get involved.
Shake hands! Speak up! Swap cards! The right people aren’t going to seek you out, so create as many opportunities as possible for you to cross paths.
Social networking
You can also build a strong online presence through blogging or social media activity. This gives you an opportunity to showcase your ideas and expertise. As your posts and updates begin to attract an interested following, you may develop a positive reputation. Eventually, you may find powerful people start following you and possibly even replying or commenting.
Have solutions, not problems
Finding fault in things is not a special skill. It’s too easy to criticize. It’s much harder to approach problems as opportunities, turning a negative into a positive. This is true whether you’re struggling with an office process or blogging on broader issues in the industry.
Outlining an improvement or solution and – where possible – taking responsibility for implementing it creates trust and tells those in power that you have business success in mind, not just your own convenience.
