04 Jan New Year, New Job … or Not: Become a Happier Employee
It’s everyone’s favorite time of year to promise to stop doing all the things they do now, and start doing all the stuff they don’t. In other words, become entirely new people to coincide with a calendar. How about taking on a few tasks that are not too overwhelming, but could help you become a happier employee? Whether you’re looking for a new job, or just a newfound enthusiasm for your current one, these ideas are way easier than giving up gluten or running a marathon.
Here are some resolutions that could help you become a happier employee:
New job, new rule. Stop applying to jobs via the scattershot method. If you are totally unqualified, don’t introduce yourself to an employer with a resume or inquiry that is out of place. Go get the skills or experience you need and come back when you’re ready. Cut down on your frustration and theirs. No one ever accidentally hired someone they didn’t need. Seriously.
New attitude, new rule. If you’ve had your job, like, forever, the newness of it has worn off. You know where the ladies’ room is. You can work the copy machine. You understand the politics.
So you need to find new things to make you become a happier employee. You could become a mentor, and pass on the knowledge you’ve acquired. Or, volunteer for the softball team, or canned food drive, or another good cause sponsored by the company for a totally non-work related experience. Whatever will take you out of your comfort zone and connect you to people that your job doesn’t normally.
New job, new plan. For every job you apply to, you should be able to convey to yourself in three sentences or less, why you want this job. What does it do to move you forward in your career?
Why will it motivate you, or encourage you or surprise you? If you can’t enthusiastically tell yourself why this job matters… you aren’t likely to become a happier employee there than at your current place.
New year, new perspective. Your job is … fine. It’s not the dream job; it’s not even the job on the path to the dream job. But you can become a happier employee even if it’s just a day job while you pursue your dreams; that’s a reason, too. So embrace that and be great at it and find a way to be grateful.
After all, this job today, lets you move closer to that job tomorrow. For every successful actress, there were a hundred waitress jobs before the big break. For every successful entrepreneur, there were ten bad business ideas they learned from. Today has to come before tomorrow. Stay focused.
New job, new(er) you. You don’t have to reinvent yourself every five minutes, but in the world of social media and online presence, you do need to give yourself a touch up every now and then.
Look at your LinkedIn profile and see if there’s something you can update. It can be a new photo, a recent blog, a new skill set – there must be something new in the last 12 months.
Learning to become a happier employee is part of being a happier person.
Stuff happens. It’s not easy to be happy every day – in fact, it’s impossible – but it is possible to find ways to become a happier employee over time. Find one or two things that you can change, and add them to those resolutions. It’ll be easier than giving up carbs.
