You were top of the class in high school, sailed through your university exams – or at least survived them – and now you’ve graduated and got yourself your first job. But how do you succeed in the workplace? Have a read of these essentials, to find out how to achieve your potential as you move into the next stage of your career:
1. Be presentable
This is an obvious one, but the dress code for your workplace probably isn’t casual as the dress code for your third year lectures. What we’re saying is, for starters, don’t wear your pyjama top. Taking care of your appearance will do wonders for your first impressions in the workplace. We’re not talking the height of fashion here, but try to make sure that your clothes have at least been ironed, and that you give your shoes a quick polish. Unless they’re suede. Don’t polish those.
2. Be well-rested
If you have to leave for work at eight in the morning, don’t stay up until 2am every night of the week. You might stay awake through the day, but there’s a big difference between being functional, and being a well-rested star employee.
3. Be positive.
As much as you can, be positive in the workplace. If things are going wrong, or if your colleagues aren’t getting on with each other as well as they could be, stay cheerful and positive. Try not to get yourself mired in office in-fighting or complaining, and you’ll impress everyone with your professionalism. More than that, your workspace will be a much more welcoming place to be, if you don’t ruffle everyone’s feathers in the first two weeks.
4. Be punctual.
This is a big one. If you have a fixed time to be at work, make sure you give yourself enough time to get there. And we don’t mean enough as in, enough if you run all the way from the train station to the office. We mean enough time to get there and give yourself five minutes to settle, organise yourself, and get to work. The same goes for if you have office meetings or you have to go out to visit a client. Whatever you do, try to be punctual about it, and you’ll naturally seem more organised and level-headed. Because you will be.
5. Stand up for yourself.
In most cases, the promotion you want isn’t going to land in your lap. You’re going to have to let people know that you want it, and make sure that you work for it. If you have a supportive supervisor, then it might be a good idea to speak to them: tell them what you’re looking for, and ask them if they think it’s a possibility. If they think it isn’t, then ask them what you can do to get to that stage. They’ll help support you, and you’ll reach where you want to be so much faster.
For students and graduates with the passion to succeed and the dedication to push their limits, Enterprise Rent-A-Car offers a variety of roles and internships, designed to support you as you achieve your ambitions. Take a look at our job opportunities, to see how far you can go.
