10 Working Habits You Should Develop to Get Ahead

Do you want to be promoted? Get a raise? Or better yet, do you want to run your own business? These are some of the things that people want in their career but seem to have a hard time getting.

What do you think is the difference between people who can naturally achieve their career goals and people who cannot?

The answer lies not on who they are, but more on what they do. Your actions are what determine your future and your habits are the keys to your actions. If you want to do well in your career, make sure that you adopt these good habits.

Be confident in yourself

The first habit to develop is confidence. Most people think that confidence is a trait that you either have or not. Absolutely wrong! Confidence is a habit that you develop until it becomes your complete second nature. Start boosting your self-esteem today and develop more skills to build more confidence.

Be courteous and humble

Whether you’re an employee or run a business, it pays to be courteous to others because you’ll never know when someone will become a contact or a partner in the future. Might as well start building your network early on and creating lasting connections by being courteous and humble.

Be on time, all the time

This is one of the worst habits of both employees and business people alike — being late. Not only do you waste time on your engagement, but you also waste the other person’s time. Being late can actually lead to a lot of lost opportunities and paints you as an irresponsible person.

Take initiative

This is the one trait that will get you far anywhere you go. Everyone loves a person who is willing to take the initiative to do something because it shows that you have the heart for what you do and that you can contribute to the cause of your business partner or employer.

Plan your day

One of the best habits of leaders is that they plan every single day with their activities. This is why all successful people have planners or journals where they write down their daily activities. It keeps you on track for everything that needs to be done and can help you accomplish much more because you can clearly see how much time you have for each task.

Be organized and systematic

It pays to be organized and systematic with everything you do, so that there won’t be any confusion with your work. It’ll also help you to do work more efficiently and reduce the possible stress associated with rushing through a task or forgetting something completely.

Never stop learning

The most successful people are the ones that never stop learning. They are always curious about new things, which is why they know so much. All of these pieces of knowledge will help them in their life and in their work. Being open and responsive to new information is an admirable trait to new employers as well, as it shows a willingness to learn and exceed in the role.

Meet new people all the time

As mentioned earlier, it’s important to increase your network. Always try to meet new people by attending social gatherings or celebrations. Having conversations and connecting with likeminded people is invaluable and, who knows, they could turn out to be a great mentor or even your future business partner.

Constantly develop career goals

A person who doesn’t create new goals regularly will have nowhere to go. If you want to achieve something, you need to make a goal. With regard to career, you have to have a big “why” in regard to why you are working in your current role/industry. If you’re having a hard time and hit roadblocks along the way, always go back to your purpose for wanting to achieve it.

Reflect on yourself

Lastly, always evaluate yourself – where you are at and how far you’ve come. Always reflect on the things that you have done wrong and the ones you have done right, so that you know which areas to keep and which to improve.

These are a few good habits to cultivate. In line with the tips mentioned above, here are a few more habits to cultivate if you are a fresh grad or junior employee. These habits will help you get through your work and help you achieve your goals.

Good working habits for fresh graduates and juniors

1. Build your LinkedIn
2. Go out of your way
3. Be earlier than the agreed time of meeting
4. Maintain a good relationship with your boss
5. Be organized
6. Follow-up on tasks
7. Be friendly
8. Keep your social media professional
9. Update your resume regularly
10. Do your best

When you want to be successful in your career, you need to watch your habits. The right habits will definitely get you to the goal that you want. These are a few habits that’ll definitely get you where you want to be.

Thinking of hiring a career coach to help you develop more of these skills and get your dream job? Browse our directory of career coaches and get a FREE consultation or request a personalized coach recommendation!