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8 Ways to Prove Your Value to Your Employer

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Toronto MU chapter.

Scoring the right job can be a huge challenge on its own. However, that’s only half the battle. Proving your worth after becoming emplyed can be a concern for many young people.What often happens is that all the effort is put in during the first few weeks, but as the employee becomes more comfortable, they start to slowly slack off. Here are 7 ways to prove your value and keep the job you worked so hard to get!  

 

Tip # 1: Ask questions.

First and foremost, to ensure you are doing what you are expected to do you must be comfortable asking questions. But it’s initiative to see if you can seek out the answer to your question. Ask yourself, can I find out the answer on my own? If the answer is no, proceed and ask. Often, your employer wants yo uto ask questions because it shows that you want to perfect your task and become more comfortable with your work environment. 

 

Tip # 2: Pay close attention to directions and details

If you are asked to complete a task a certain way, do it with the exact directions you were given. List to instructions and ask for specifications if you aren’t 100% certain about what it is you have to do. When it comes to detail, ensure that you are taking criticism from previous tasks and adjusting accordingly for the task you are currently completing. 

 

Tip # 3: Volunteer to do work that may not necessarily be “your job”

A shift needs to be covered? They need someone to learn a new skill in the office to lend a hand? DO IT. This will show your employer that you are willing to go out of your way to complete other tasks. It will also increases your likeability with other team members, as they now know they can rely on you to take initiative and get work done. 

 

Tip # 4: Ask for a task instead of waiting to be given one

If you work a desk job, it can be annoying having to wait for your boss to give you another task when you have already completed one. A great way to show productivity is to simply ask for the next task instead of twirling your thumbs waiting for something to do. If you have ongoing duties you could be doing, start getting them done rather that waiting for someone to tell you so! 

 

Tip # 5: Show interest in learning something new

You should never be satisfied doing the same thing over and over again. Make it clear to your higher-ups that you want to learn something new. Give yourself a challenge and continue learning. this will only add to your current experiences and give you more work with for a promotion or even a brand new job. 

 

Tip # 6: Be grateful for new opportunities

Rather than huffing and puffing about having to do a task that you may not think will benefit you, thank your boss for giving you the task and try to make the best of it. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the outcome of completing a task, but wait until you are actually done to lay out what you’ve learned. Sometimes the greatest opportunities don’t look so glamorous on the outside. 

 

Tip # 7: Leave your problems at the door

I get it , you’ve had the worst week of your life and we all have those. However, a great employee leaves their problems at the door. This is so very important to do because you sure as heck don’t want to be telling your boss about your personal problems and you don’t want to come into work looking miserable. If you need some time off, don’t be afraid to ask for it. But coming in and dragging everyone else’s mood down is not something you want to do to prove your value. 

 

Tip # 8: Be Reliable

Simply said, don’t let your people down. If you are asked to complete something for a certain date, do it. If the deadline is negotiable and maybe it doesn’t work for you, speak up. Bottom line is, you need to keep the trust level between you and your employer at a high or else they won’t trust you with other tasks in the future.  

 

 

 

I'm a journalism student at Ryerson and I'm a writer here and there on really anything that peaks my interest. In between working 3 jobs, you can find me at a coffee shop sipping on something caffeinated and working on my next bestseller. In the mean time, let's keep in touch and talk about some intriguing topics: @zeinabsaidoun on your favourite social platforms.
Ben Samuels

Toronto MU '16

Benjamin is a reluctant third-year English major at Ryerson University and the newly minted Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus Ryerson.You can reach Benjamin on twitter and instagram @iamsashagay, and by email at benjaminkent@hercampus.com