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How to Stand Out in your Job Role

Written by: Charlotte Rogers
Published on: 25 Oct 2021

Stand Out Hero Image

Have you been considering a new job recently? Are you thinking of a promotion within the same company you work for, or a new company all together? Whichever one you chose; you may be thinking of ways that you can really start to stand out in your role and get some of the attention you deserve. You might simply just want to get things back on track and improve your current performance at work. Sometimes it can be easy to let slip when other things are on your mind, but there is always something you can be doing to show your employer that you really care about your job.

When you’ve been in a job for a while, your routine can start to feel a little bit repetitive. For some, this can mean they get a little too comfortable with their daily tasks and never really stray from them. However, if you’re looking to switch things up and really push yourself, then we have some advice for you.

Use your initiative

This is probably something you’ve been told before but starting to use your initiative on a daily basis can be one of the best skills you can learn to help improve your performance and really stand out at work. Being useful and going beyond what you usually do without being asked, may not usually be expected, but it can be rewarded. If you notice that something needs to be done, you could be trying something new with your own work strategy or you simply noticed something wrong in a spreadsheet or document, fix it and then let someone know. Instead of just notifying them and them fixing the issue, let them know you went ahead and did it for them. Helping the people around you is a great morale boost. Helps people realise that they can trust and depend on you if they need something.

Share your ideas

Do you have lots of ideas but are afraid to share them with your boss or team? Simply put, no idea is a bad idea. We tend to put ourselves down a lot more than we should, so if you have a good idea, share it, it might just be what the team is looking for. And if not, there’s not much to lose. If you don’t speak out people won’t know you have any ideas and unfortunately, most opportunities don’t come to people who keep quiet. Let them know what you are capable of.

Another important thing is to not go along with things that you disagree with. If you don’t like something someone has done or they have an idea you don’t think is all that great, talk to them about it. Nothing bad will happen, just sharing your thoughts is an important part of being in a team.

Consistency and reliability

You don’t have to be on your ‘A’ game 24/7, you are only human, and people make mistakes and get worn-out. However, try to be consistent in your role. Get things done on time, be punctual, meet deadlines and talk with your team every day. Being consistent means that people are more likely to trust you and know that you are a reliable member of the team.  Trust and reliability go along way with employers and they are skills that develop over time.

However, like I said, there are things that get in the way and sometimes unforeseen circumstances mean tasks may not be done and deadlines are not met. In situations like this, it’s important to talk to your team and your boss to let them know what is happening. You may not be able to complete the initial task in the original timeframe, but they can trust you to let them know why. Consistency isn’t about being perfect, it’s about working hard and getting results. If you are working hard, people will notice it.


Get to know others

Making an effort with your immediate team is important, especially if you are still working virtually. If you don’t have a daily team meeting or catch-up, maybe schedule one in, or take some time to send them a quick email asking how they are and if everything is okay workwise. Sometimes, simply knowing a team of people is there, can really brighten someone’s day. If you are in the workplace, maybe grab a coffee with your team or it can be as simple as a quick catch-up. Try to interact with others.

It is also a good idea to try and meet people outside of your team. This is good for cross team collaborations or simply growing your network and having a voice in the workplace. You never know, you might make some great friends you didn’t expect. If you can create some great links with your colleagues you can guarantee that when new opportunities arise, they may think of you. Accept invitations, get to know other people and take an interest in meeting others.

Never treat anyone as if they are beneath you. Every staff member you work with should be treated with the same level of respect, patience and understanding. If you rub somebody up the wrong way without even realising it, you never know when it’ll come back to haunt you when you’re looking to progress at work.

Learn more about your company

You don’t get promoted by simply doing your job and leaving, take some time to get to know what projects are currently happening within the company and always be on the look out for vacancies. (If that’s what you are looking for) It all links back to using your initiative and being proactive, opportunities may come your way every now and again, but the reality is, most of the time, you have to go and find them yourself.

Grab opportunities

If there are any opportunities, even small ones, to help others or work with new people on a new idea, take it. One way you are going to stand out in your job is if you are open to trying and learning new things. Try and push yourself out of your comfort zone just a little to find out what is going on around you. You’ll be surprised what you can find in your workplace.

Ultimately, by doing all of the above you’ll allow people to see the asset you really are. No one ever got anywhere by sitting there quietly. These things can help you stand out for all the right reasons. As long as you’re good at your job, you’re a friendly and approachable person and you have an open mind and are easy to work with then you’re on the right track.