Be GREAT

02 September 2019
By Toni Bracken

Tips from Toni on making the best of opportunities to make the most of your career! 

Be GREAT

GROWTH 

  • Growth comes from learning and listening - Be a lifelong learner – go back to school! Whether it is a professional qualification, that A Level Psychology you always fancied or Wine appreciation, any development is development and can only enrich your life. Go for it.

  • Be transparent about your career aspirations - ask for feedback - positive & negative and plan to work on it, setting those SMART goals.

  • Be aware of your salary in the market and make sure you ask for increases but always back it up with evidence of where and what you have achieved. Unsure? Ask us!

  • Ask for a mentor / become a mentor, learning from those above us and below in their careers is another area that offers life enriching experience.

  • Join committees/ boards / schemes, volunteer – all of these offer you more chances to grow. 

RECORD

  • Record your work accomplishments – achieve your goals/targets and make notes along the way – these will always help when its promotion or salary negotiation time as well as acting as a plot of your journey.

  • Put your hand up for the internal project/The 10k run/the overseas aid project/the cake sale not only does this offer experiences that you can use as future examples as your career grows but will also give you lessons that money can’t buy and give you pride and confidence.

ENERGY

  • Bring it! Be a radiator not a drain.

  • Be positive have fun.

  • If its negative, make it constructive.

  • Don’t be a gossip.

  • Go the extra mile - put yourself out of your comfort zone regularly!

  • Contribute and share – be the person that your colleagues go to.

AUTHENTIC

  • Be Real.

  • Be Authentic.

  • People will see through falseness, be true to yourself.

  • Your personality it is your USP.

TRY – And keep trying 

  • We might not always know the answers but by trying to work them out we learn.

  • Change….it is the only constant! Accept it and try to embrace, particularly in the work setting. People struggle with change and if you can be the person that supports it this can really help your career and your position as both an employee and a colleague.

  • Understand your employers’ goals- align yours- be an ambassador for your organisation.

  • Get to know your team – what they do/who they are - be a team player, the one people seek out.

  • Be visible. Speak up in meetings but speak well and be relevant – articulate yourself.

  • Revisit your career notes – How far did you get? Did you meet that goal? Look out for new challenges/learning opportunities/leadership opportunities.