3 Ways To Succeed On Your First Job (Or Any Job)

You've heard the real estate cliché: the three factors that determine a property's value are location, location, location.

Well, here's an instant cliché about creating value on the job: to succeed, you need to work, work, work.

But there's more to success than 80-hour workweeks.

You have to do the right things in the right amount to get ahead, according to employment expert Ramon Greenwood. He's a former Senior Vice President at American Express and author of the book, "How to Land Your First Job and Make a Success of It." He operates CommonSenseAtWork.com.

Greenwood's insights, while especially relevant for new graduates entering the workforce, will help anyone of any age who has to earn a paycheck.

Here are three of his most valuable tips for success on the job.

1) Work hard at the right things.

"First, understand what it is you're doing and why you're doing it, so you can figure out how to do it better," says Greenwood.

In other words, make sure you know why you're on the payroll. What exactly are you getting paid to do? Make money? Save money? Both? Ask your boss to spell out which job duties will determine your success. Then focus on doing those critical few things well.

Once you know what to do, a great way to get more of it done is to arrive early and stay late.

"Get to work 30 minutes before the starting time. You can get routine chores out of the way and organize your day's work before the interruptions start. Often you will find your boss is in early, too, so this is a great time to get better acquainted with him or her. At the end of the day, stay at least 15 to 30 minutes after hours. Clean up your work place and make a list of actions to take the next day," advises Greenwood.

This one thing -- starting 30 minutes early and staying 30 minutes late -- will give you an extra 20 hours of productivity every month. That's equal to six full working weeks every year. Now, do you think you might get noticed by the boss if you worked six weeks more than everyone else?

2) Seek out responsibility.

Most people instinctively run from responsibility, like cats from a hose. Call it human nature. But this opens the door for anyone willing to take on new, more challenging tasks.

"When it comes to responsibility, you can dodge it, accept it when you have no other choice, or seek it out and take it on," says Greenwood.

Prove this for yourself. Look around your office. You'll find the most successful people at work are those who seek out new responsibilities. (If not, you're likely at a company where the top employees all refer to the boss as "Mom" or "Dad.")

From my own 20+ years of experience, I can verify that anyone who volunteers for the tasks and responsibilities that nobody else wants will make himself indispensable. You can literally become "fireproof" this way and create real job security for yourself.

3) Don't be afraid to ask for help.

We all know men hate to ask for directions. (That's why man put GPS navigation systems in cars.) But work is different. Man or woman, you'll never become an all-star employee if you never seek assistance.

"It takes courage to ask for help, but you'll be better off when you do and ultimately, you'll be better respected," says Greenwood.

After all, you can't be expected to know everything. Asking for help is a sign of strength. It shows to others that you are confident and focused on producing results.

So, find a mentor who will take you under their wing and share their experience. Good news: this is easy to do, since roughly 100% of folks are flattered and willing to help when asked for advice. Just be sure not to abuse the privilege and dump every minor problem in your mentor's lap.

These real-world tips from a former executive won't guarantee you a promotion in 30 days. But they will increase your odds for success on your current job and throughout your career.

Best of luck to you!

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes.

Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others.

As a reader of this publication, you're eligible for a special offer. Get your Free Job Search Kit ($25.00 value) at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - http://www.gresumes.com

---

How to Write a Simple Job Description

1.0 A timely reminderIn a recent decision in a New South Wales court it was found that an employee was psychologically injured and that contributing factors such... Read More

Is Your Job Search Guided by the Controller or the Controllee?

I'll define what I mean by these terms. "The Controller" is a job seeker that is ruled by doing everything right. He/she has read all of the... Read More

Job Search: Age-Proofing Your Resume

Older job hunters fear interviews where their age cannot be concealed and where an initial response of dismay on an interviewer's face, quickly hidden, confirms their anticipation... Read More

The Quickly Changing Landscape Of The Job Market

Does it seem that with every passing year it's getting harder and harder to find good paying jobs? If you think so, you're not alone in your... Read More

Working Abroad - Employment Advice In Spain

Jobs and employment on the Costa BlancaThe Council of Europe regulations forced Spain to end all restrictions on the free circulation of European Union workers as of... Read More

Workplace 911

I've watched a few episodes of Nanny 911 and with the chaos, out of control children and seemingly irreparable behavior, it strikes me as a precursor to... Read More

Traveling for An Interview? 10 Tips to Get You From Here to There

You've just been granted an on-site interview in another town. Hurray!This means you'll be traveling to an employer's location so that they can further evaluate you for... Read More

Why Should We Hire You?

This is one of those broad questions that can take you down the wrong road unless you have done some thinking about what to say ahead of... Read More

Using Freelance Websites to Telecommute

How is your job hunting going? Have you had problems finding legitimate jobs? I don't know if you've ever thought about using freelance websites to obtain work... Read More

The Telecommuting Tightrope

For many of us, telecommuting seems like the ideal situation. You wake up, shuffle over to your home office, work at your own pace. You take a... Read More

Tell Me About Yourself

The need to tell people about yourself may present itself during an informal conversation with a colleague, on the Little League field with a neighbor, on the... Read More

Great Salary Negotiation Tips

11 Commandments For Smart Negotiating1 - BE PREPARED. The more information you have about your market value and the prospective employer, the greater your likelihood of... Read More

Why It Is Impossible To Raise Your Standard Of Living Working A Job

Everything in nature has been endowed with what it needs to survive. There is no living thing that isn't inherently equipped with the skills and abilities it... Read More

50 Things To Do To Your Boss That Are Fun For You, But Not For Them

1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations at his favorite restaurant. You know, the one you can't afford. Call them back and cancel his... Read More

How to Transform a Boring Note Into A Killer Cover Letter - Part II

In Part I, we covered how to grab the reader's attention with the opening sentence. Now we'll get them interested, arouse desire, and get them to take... Read More

Learn Some Useful Feng Shui Career Tips

As it does with every main life aspect, feng shui also provides tips and guidelines to help you improving your career. If your career is not moving... Read More

Managing Emotions During Career Change and Job Search, Part One

How can you manage your emotions during your career change or job search? To answer this practical and wise question, let's first define what emotions are. Emotions,... Read More

Shades of Grey

A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in silver the message: Life isn't always black and white. It serves as a reminder there are few... Read More

Does Your Career Change Itch or Burn?

Two weeks ago, I received a newsy email from a former client. Dan gave me the scoop on his life and new love, and ended by saying... Read More

Nine Ways to Tell Youre Ready for a Promotion

So you noticed the new job board posting on your way back from lunch. They finally decided to fill the assistant manager spot in your department! Trouble... Read More

Consulting: A Different World

I won't say I have a vast array of knowledge as a consultant...collectively I've only been doing it about 8 years. However, there are some things that... Read More

Speak Up: Your Job Is At Stake!

How good are you at standing up for yourself?Do you run the other way when done an injustice or when someone steps on your proverbial toes?How do... Read More

The 7 Tough Job Interview Questions That Can Make or Break You - and How to Answer Them

Some interview questions are asked so frequently that they've become classics. Practically every interview you go on you'll be answering one or more of these seven interview... Read More

How To Find Writing Work

Are you looking for new writing work? It can be a challenge to build a career in any area, but it is often even harder to do... Read More

The 10 Second Window of Opportunity, Resume Hour Glass

Do you know that a hiring manager just spends 10 second with your resume before deciding to forward or junk it? Ten seconds is all you got,... Read More

175 Power Verbs and Phrases for Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviews

While you're revamping your resume or cover letter or constructing your proof-by-example stories for interviews, you'll find you need to watch your word choice. Why? Communication is... Read More