How to Be an Excellent Employee
Be on time., Complete tasks on your own., Adapt quickly to changes., Work hard., Keep organized., Pay attention to detail.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be on time.
Punctuality is important.
No one wants to work with am employee who's consistently late.
Make sure you arrive to work, work meetings, and other obligations on time."To be early is to be on time" should be a mantra you live by.
Try to get to work 5 to 10 minutes early each day.
Arrive at meetings a little before things are scheduled to start.
This will show your boss that you take your obligations seriously.
He or she will be impressed to see you always running a little ahead of schedule.
In the morning, give yourself more time than you think you need to get ready.
If you normally take 20 minutes to shower, give yourself half an hour.
If you think breakfast will take about 15 minutes, set aside 20 minutes to eat.
Always take more time than necessary for your commute.
Things like traffic and train delays should not result in you running late to work. -
Step 2: Complete tasks on your own.
Your boss wants an employee who can get the job done without excessive handholding or coddling.
Strive to be autonomous in your work.
Complete tasks on your own, without asking superiors for assistance.Pay attention during training.
Take notes if necessary, and study them at home as if you were prepping for a big test.
You want to know all the basics of how to do your job so you won't end up confused later on.
If you're unsure of something, try to figure it out yourself first.
Before going to a superior with a question, see if there's a way you can figure out the problem on your own.
Is there an employee handbook that may answer your question? Can you search for potential solutions on the internet? If you're able to identify and solve a problem without asking for help, your boss will be impressed.However, you should ask questions if you're still unsure of something after searching for a solution on your own.
While your boss wants employees that can work solo, you don't want to risk making a mistake.
This could reflect more poorly on you than simply asking for help when you need it.
Just try to minimize how often you come to your boss or other workers with an issue. , Changes are a part of any office dynamic.
Employees who are able to adapt to changes fast are very desirable.
In the event of a change in policy or procedure, try to adjust to the new routine as quickly as possible.Ask questions and take notes when something new is being explained to you.
Try to understand new information right away so you can smoothly get back to your job with changes in mind.
Be willing to learn.
Many employees will complain about, say, a new computer system at work.
Try to be the employee with a positive, excited attitude regarding changes.
See a shift in work dynamic as an opportunity to learn something new and diversify your resume., It seems obvious, but old-fashioned hardwork is among the most desirable qualities in a job candidate.
When you're in the office, pay attention to your job.
Focus all your energy on completing the task at hand in an efficient manner.
Employers want employees who are hardworking and produce results.Work to see concrete results every day.
Try to tune out distractions when you're at your desk working on a job or project.
Avoid taking excessively long breaks or chatting with other employees when you should be working.
Many employees feel schmoozing and getting close to higher ups is the way to the top.
While being friendly with your boss can help, employers want hard workers above anything else.
Focus on your work over the politics of the office. , Organization is the foundation of efficient work.
Your boss will be impressed if you're a well-organized person, as your organizational skills will benefit your place of work.Keep a planner or calendar at your desk, keeping track of deadlines, meetings, and other aspects of your schedule.
Set personal goals for yourself.
If your boss assigns you a project, break the project down into chunks.
Set manageable mini-deadlines for yourself in the weeks leading up to the project's final deadline.
Stay up-to-date on e-mail, returning e-mails within 24 hours.
It can help to make a list in a notebook of e-mails you need to return.
When you have a spare 15 minutes, work on returning e-mails. , If you've ever browsed a job-board, you'll know lots of employers say they're looking for someone "detail-oriented" to fill a position.
This means employers want employees who are able to focus on work.
In your own place of work, try to be a detailed-oriented employee.A good way to increase your attention to detail is by doing one task at a time.
When you have a list of 10 things to do for a workday, do not think ahead when you're working on the first item on the list.
If you need to call a client to set up a lunch meeting, all your energy should be focused on talking to that client.
Make sure you get all the details down.
What days are best for the client? What kind of food does he or she prefer? Does the client want you to bring anything to the meeting? Keep yourself in the present moment.
If you start thinking about the press release you have to write when you get off the phone, you may forget important details. -
Step 3: Adapt quickly to changes.
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Step 4: Work hard.
-
Step 5: Keep organized.
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Step 6: Pay attention to detail.
Detailed Guide
Punctuality is important.
No one wants to work with am employee who's consistently late.
Make sure you arrive to work, work meetings, and other obligations on time."To be early is to be on time" should be a mantra you live by.
Try to get to work 5 to 10 minutes early each day.
Arrive at meetings a little before things are scheduled to start.
This will show your boss that you take your obligations seriously.
He or she will be impressed to see you always running a little ahead of schedule.
In the morning, give yourself more time than you think you need to get ready.
If you normally take 20 minutes to shower, give yourself half an hour.
If you think breakfast will take about 15 minutes, set aside 20 minutes to eat.
Always take more time than necessary for your commute.
Things like traffic and train delays should not result in you running late to work.
Your boss wants an employee who can get the job done without excessive handholding or coddling.
Strive to be autonomous in your work.
Complete tasks on your own, without asking superiors for assistance.Pay attention during training.
Take notes if necessary, and study them at home as if you were prepping for a big test.
You want to know all the basics of how to do your job so you won't end up confused later on.
If you're unsure of something, try to figure it out yourself first.
Before going to a superior with a question, see if there's a way you can figure out the problem on your own.
Is there an employee handbook that may answer your question? Can you search for potential solutions on the internet? If you're able to identify and solve a problem without asking for help, your boss will be impressed.However, you should ask questions if you're still unsure of something after searching for a solution on your own.
While your boss wants employees that can work solo, you don't want to risk making a mistake.
This could reflect more poorly on you than simply asking for help when you need it.
Just try to minimize how often you come to your boss or other workers with an issue. , Changes are a part of any office dynamic.
Employees who are able to adapt to changes fast are very desirable.
In the event of a change in policy or procedure, try to adjust to the new routine as quickly as possible.Ask questions and take notes when something new is being explained to you.
Try to understand new information right away so you can smoothly get back to your job with changes in mind.
Be willing to learn.
Many employees will complain about, say, a new computer system at work.
Try to be the employee with a positive, excited attitude regarding changes.
See a shift in work dynamic as an opportunity to learn something new and diversify your resume., It seems obvious, but old-fashioned hardwork is among the most desirable qualities in a job candidate.
When you're in the office, pay attention to your job.
Focus all your energy on completing the task at hand in an efficient manner.
Employers want employees who are hardworking and produce results.Work to see concrete results every day.
Try to tune out distractions when you're at your desk working on a job or project.
Avoid taking excessively long breaks or chatting with other employees when you should be working.
Many employees feel schmoozing and getting close to higher ups is the way to the top.
While being friendly with your boss can help, employers want hard workers above anything else.
Focus on your work over the politics of the office. , Organization is the foundation of efficient work.
Your boss will be impressed if you're a well-organized person, as your organizational skills will benefit your place of work.Keep a planner or calendar at your desk, keeping track of deadlines, meetings, and other aspects of your schedule.
Set personal goals for yourself.
If your boss assigns you a project, break the project down into chunks.
Set manageable mini-deadlines for yourself in the weeks leading up to the project's final deadline.
Stay up-to-date on e-mail, returning e-mails within 24 hours.
It can help to make a list in a notebook of e-mails you need to return.
When you have a spare 15 minutes, work on returning e-mails. , If you've ever browsed a job-board, you'll know lots of employers say they're looking for someone "detail-oriented" to fill a position.
This means employers want employees who are able to focus on work.
In your own place of work, try to be a detailed-oriented employee.A good way to increase your attention to detail is by doing one task at a time.
When you have a list of 10 things to do for a workday, do not think ahead when you're working on the first item on the list.
If you need to call a client to set up a lunch meeting, all your energy should be focused on talking to that client.
Make sure you get all the details down.
What days are best for the client? What kind of food does he or she prefer? Does the client want you to bring anything to the meeting? Keep yourself in the present moment.
If you start thinking about the press release you have to write when you get off the phone, you may forget important details.
About the Author
Danielle Reyes
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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