Perhaps you’ve reached a bit of a block with your career and need a bit of a boost to get to the next step? Maybe your to-do list is getting out of hand and deadlines are creeping up on you?
Here are five of our top tips that will help you become more efficient, productive and more likely to get to that next stage in your career.
1. Build your personal brand
Even if you’re not looking for a new job right now, keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date is important. It’s a fantastic platform to market yourself as an expert in your field.
If you’re just starting out in your career, you can use the platform to show how driven you are and how passionate you are about the industry. Connect with leaders in the automotive industry and learn from what they have to say. Start engaging with the things that these experts post and share your own ideas and thoughts.
If you’re a little further along in your career, consider creating some articles on LinkedIn sharing some of your personal insights and tips.
Build some time into your week to update LinkedIn. Using a little and often approach will ensure that you build up an impressive profile quickly. Your colleagues and recruiters will soon see how proactive you are and how much confidence you have in your role.
If you are looking for your next role, making the most of LinkedIn is a no-brainer. Have a read of our article on how social media can help you find a job to find out more about how you can stand out to recruiters online.
2. Start asking more questions
This is a really easy tip that can have a huge impact. It seems as though many people are reluctant to ask too many questions at work for fear of sounding uneducated or inexperienced.
In fact, asking questions can help you seem much more engaged in your role and willing to learn. If you ask the right people the right questions, you’ll start picking up valuable tips and insights that you can then put into practice.
3. Read regularly
…and we don’t just mean books.
Written communication is incredibly important in most roles and one of the best ways to improve your writing is to read. We advise finding a publication that regularly reports on industry news relevant to your role. This will help you stay ahead of the game whilst exposing you to high-quality writing.
Reading is also excellent exercise for your brain, exposing you to new ideas and perspectives. This is another area where employing a little and often approach can really pay off.
4. Get rid of any distractions
There are potential distractions everywhere. Your phone is the most obvious place to start. You’re unlikely to be productive if you’re checking your phone every couple of minutes. Either turn off your notifications while you’re at your desk or switch it off completely and hide it away in your bag.
Music can also be a big distraction but certain types of music might help to motivate you and unleash your creativity. If you want to listen to music while you work, find out what works best for you and avoid the tunes that have you singing along and taking your focus away from your work.
5. Make the most of your time
There are some really simple tips that can make your workday more efficient. The easiest to start implementing is the ‘two-minute rule’. The idea behind this is that when you come across a task that can be done in two minutes or less, do it straight away.
Do you absolutely need to go to all the meetings on your schedule? Do they need to last so long? Cut back on any unnecessary time spent in meetings. While some are important, sometimes they can break your flow and divert your attention. Could you achieve the same outcome by sending an email or having a quick phone call?
Start tracking how much time you’re spending on your tasks. Once you have a clear idea of how long certain tasks take you, you’ll be able to plan your time more efficiently.
If you’re feeling a little demotivated at work, or unsure of how you can prove to your boss that you’re ready to take the next step, put a few of these tips into action and you might find that you really start to impress.
