Landing the job that you’ve always wanted is a milestone in your career life. However, it should not and does not stop there. How well are you doing in this job? Are you one of those average performers or do you stand out? Working is not at all easy, especially if you have goals to hit and dreams to make. You don’t operate in a vacuum but instead, have people and systems to deal with ever day of your corporate life. It’s not at all smooth-sailing, so you need to carefully understand how you can skillfully reach your targets, get that promotion, and lead a fulfilling career. Here’s a piece of advice:

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” –— Winston Churchill

 Be genuinely self-confident and accept feedback positively

We say genuine because you cannot pretend something that you’re not. Eventually, your pretension would get the better of you. Being self-assured lets you know where you excel and where you need to improve. You will earn the respect of both colleagues and superiors once they know that you’re sure of yourself. And when you’re confident, you tend to welcome criticisms constructively. Your boss will see your professionalism and maturity in the way you receive feedback with humility and the desire to improve.

 Under promise, over deliver

There’s nothing more disappointing for a boss than to be told that the report would be on his desk the next day and receive it the day after. You’re the only one who knows your pace and how soon you can produce results. So you either meet the deadline or make the boss happy by submitting much earlier. Throw in a couple of unexpected bonuses, too, like an additional report that he didn’t ask for, but you think he might want to have. A boss, like a customer, is delighted by a quicker service or a surprise freebie.

 Think strategic

It’s not enough that you know your job and department by heart. You should study and understand the company’s business and operations to best appreciate your role. What you do completes the puzzle that forms the organization. Keeping this in mind, you should be able to think of the impact of your job on the bigger picture and know when and how to suggest ways of improvement or new ideas. Develop the mindset that you’re not an employee but a shareholder in the company. Its success is your success.

 Make your boss look good

Do not ever make the mistake of embarrassing your boss, even if you think that he’s the one at fault. On the other hand, think of your boss as a reflection of yourself and only do things that would make him look really good. It’s as simple as getting the job done in high quality and ahead of schedule.

 Be savvy

Office politics are hard to eradicate, but you don’t have to get involved in any controversial issue. Just tactfully steer clear of gossips, speculations, power-play, and other counter-productive situations. Only voice out opinions on work-related matters and don’t contribute anything to discussions that touch on personal circumstances.

Having what it takes to be recognized in your job is not just about the technical expertise and work experience. Your behavior, disposition, and attitude are the ingredients to having that edge of getting ahead of the rest.