The things you need to do to find opportunities early on in your career are much simpler than most people think.
Four rules:
- Find something to do
- Show up
- Do what you say you’ll do
- Ask for help (and advice)
This is a classic “simple not easy” set of rules though. There are lots of things that can get in the way of following these rules.
Find something to do
Any job is better than no job. Don’t wait around for your dream job. Just get started. Without working you won’t learn what’s valued. If you can’t find a paying job, offer to work for free until someone takes you up on it.
Show up
Get to work early, stay a bit late, and always come prepared. Don’t come to work hungover and don’t come to work tired. Never miss a call, appointment, meeting, or shift.
Friends and other commitments can pull us from work. Maybe you stay out late with friends on a Wednesday, or maybe someone makes you feel that working extra hard at your job is lame.
If another commitment or person prevents you from showing up and doing what you say you’ll do at work, you have to make a choice between that thing and your work. What you choose is your priority and if you don’t make work a priority you will not get results.
Do what you say you’ll do
Fulfill your commitments, meet your deadlines, and if you are delayed, communicate about the delay with your boss before you miss the deadline.
Keep your promises and overdeliver when you can. Don’t let your urge to be a people pleaser lead you to overcommit. Don’t let your fear of conflict get in the way of communicating clear expectations.
Ask for help (and advice)
When you run into a problem, first, try and solve it yourself. Search online for answers or try Chat GPT, but if you can’t find the answer ask for guidance.
When you feel like you’ve outgrown your role ask how you can do more. When you’re struggling with new responsibilities ask for advice on how to get better. When someone gives you advice, act on it, and then tell them about what you do.
When you learn of a different career, a different industry, or a different company that you want to work at, ask someone who is already there how you can make the transition.
If you do those four things consistently you’ll build a reputation as being ambitious, reliable, and effective. You will attract more opportunities than you can say yes to.
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