Do you know how to be the employee your company wants to promote?
I heard an interesting statistic on the radio awhile back that really sparked my interest. It stated that 90% of people who do this are promoted. Then, they had listeners call in and try to guess what that one thing was. It was something I personally NEVER would have guessed.
About 90% of people who keep a candy bowl on their desks for people who visit their office or drop by are promoted. Can you believe it? Maybe you can… maybe you can’t… but it got me to thinking. I think, as a generalization (I use this term loosely), employees can fall into one of two categories: wanters and doers. So, are you a wanter or a doer?
Wanters
Wanters are the employees that always want to know when they’re going to get a raise, a promotion, or something that benefits them. They’re the employees who never stay past 5 p.m. And you can set your watch by them; because at 5:00 p.m.—on the dot—they’re clocking out, checking out, and going on about their day. Is there something amiss with this type of employee? Maybe, maybe not. I know there have been times in my life when I was this type of employee, and the reasons varied.
Doers
Doers are the employees you can count on to help bear your burden. They’re right there beside you—making sure the job gets done—doing their part, and going above and beyond to help out wherever and whenever needed. They take the pressure off of their bosses. They’re the type of employee that says, “Will you let me take care of that so that you can focus on something else?” These are the employees that employers want to promote.
Doers notice when a co-worker has something going on outside of work and could use someone to pitch in and help. This is tremendously helpful to the person the doer is helping; but it’s not just the co-worker that takes notice—the employer does too. Does this mean you have to stay late every day, work overtime, and run yourself ragged to be promoted? No. But you do have the type of personality and work ethic that says “Hey, if something needs to get done, I’m here to help do it.” Diligent and intentional people are promoted.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
About the author
Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, CEO of Great Resumes Fast is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter. Want to work with the best resume writer? If you would like us to personally work on your resume, cover letter, or LinkedIn profile—and dramatically improve their response rates—then check out our professional and executive resume writing services at GreatResumesFast.com or contact us for more information if you have any questions.
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