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Career Advancement Interview Tips Self Improvement

Being a Professional at work

Stand out with just a few changes to yourself

You got the job! Congratulations. With such high competition in the market right now, you’ve managed to come out on top. To stand out from the competition and getting noticed by your new employer, self improvement is the key. In a world where the initial human contact is virtual, the first thing that an employer sees is your photo and resume as well as how that first meeting goes.

Have The Right Profile

Do you have a good photo of yourself in your FB page? It’s the image of yourself you want others to see isn’t it? If you’re a fresh graduate, you have quite a lot to learn in the way of work experience but having the right profile can be the most important thing in your day to day.

So what do we mean about having the right profile? It means having the right portrayal of yourself. Here are a few things you can do to achieve that.

Dress Properly for the job

Dressing for the job goes a long way. This is especially if you are in the sales or services industry where it involves meeting people. While perfume, cologne or anti-perspirant is optional, too much isn’t preferable but having an odour isn’t nice at all. A good scent will lift you up and will certainly make you more classy.

Punctuality

Someone once said, “Don’t be on time, be before time”. If you’ve been someone who reaches the office just 5 or 10 minutes before the clock, It’s time to change that. Remember your interview? Did you arrive 5 or 10 minutes before? No, you were considerate enough to go an hour or 30 minutes before time. While this may be too much of a demand considering the Klang Valley traffic, a realistic 20 – 25 minutes is better. It allows you to settle in for the day and you’d feel more prepared and less tense. Your employer will appreciate and respect you for giving more. Conversely, he or she will also appreciate the respect you give. We can’t stress it more. Coming early is an important sign of respect. It will pay you handsomely later on so never ever be late.

The right communication

To stand out from the rest, especially if the office has cliques or groups whispering at the water cooler, avoid these groups like the plague. This is gossip and gossip is basically immaturity at the workplace. It usually focuses on the negative or on someone’s failings. This is the 9 to 5 game you need not be a part of especially if you’re just starting out on your career. If you couldn’t avoid this for any reason, just be a listener but don’t be a contributor. Your words might travel and even reach your boss’ ears. Now this is something totally unavoidable if you were to think as a professional. A professional knows that every office has its own problems and every person their shortcomings.

Handling people professionally as well as portraying yourself as such can gain you an unexpected respect. It shows maturity and as having the right priority. Be assertive, brave, dress well and communicate confidently and walk with your shoulders up. Do this and you will certainly make your own mark in the office. You might even open new doors of opportunity both for you and your company.

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Develop yourself into a professional-shift your focus

Carry yourself with a special confidence

If you’re in your first job, try not to think of yourself as too young or inexperienced. Although you may not be in a senior position, your quick mind and body is essential for a fast moving business. You might find yourself being asked to do things that others can’t. We encourage you to give more.

Giving More

Show yourself a capable worker. Dedicate more time to see what the company is doing. Do your tasks well, fast, efficiently and bring new skills to the table.

Should you find yourself unable or unskilled to handle the speed of today’s workplace, you can always practice and train yourself by enrolling in the various online training programs designed to help and train young workers. There’s always a way if you would care to find out about how you can shape yourself into a desirable worker. This is also about having initiative and being assertive.

Conversely, if you are the type of person that refuses and stops from giving when you certainly can do more and the people who hired you know that you can, don’t you think you may be sending a negative message to them? They might even be having doubts about you now. So learn to give more of your talents and abilities and do not stop short. You may be one of the few who can help your company reach the stars.

Focus on results

A professional doesn’t complain or murmur about how he or she can’t get the salary that they want nor are they affected by some circumstance in the office that’s not going their way. Again, shift your focus. Transform yourself into a professional with an employer’s mindset and not an employee only mindset.

Having a decent salary is vital but for some people, the focus may solely be on the salary at the end of the month. That’s a sad way to build a career. Focus into wider results for the betterment of everyone.

The professional’s response to any challenge

When your employer takes you and throws you into the middle of the pool, don’t dismay. Perhaps he’s not out of his mind to do so. He hired you so he’s testing you. Most likely he believes that you can do it and he is taking a chance on you. To build you up and develop you into a professional with some added versatility. What could be your response to this extraordinary situation? Are you up for the challenge?

John F. Kennedy was extraordinary in many ways. In his 1962 speech on space exploration, he said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organise and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we’re willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone and one we intend to win, and the others too.”

Stay updated with our latest job vacancy: www.xremo.com

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