If you’re angling for a promotion or a stellar letter of recommendation from your current employer, simply doing your work might not be enough. Depending on the company, there may be dozens or hundreds of other people doing a similar job to yours. If you want to stand out from the pack, you’ll have to make it clear that you’re not just another office drone. Here are some tips for making it clear you’re a valuable, noteworthy employee.
First, don’t suck up to the boss. A lot of people think the best way to get ahead is to be a sycophant—get the boss’s favorite coffee every morning, compliment his awful ties, and so forth. But this common tactic can often backfire, leaving your boss feeling annoyed at the unnecessary attention and you without an extra dollar to show for it. Plus, your coworkers will definitely notice, and it won’t put you in their good graces.
Instead, try sucking up to your coworkers. Bring donuts for the office once in a while. Compliment the secretary’s hair and the IT guy’s polo. If you need help from someone, make it clear that you’re asking them because you respect their opinion, not because they’re the one sitting closest. Sucking up to your coworkers is a pretty counter-intuitive idea—after all, they’re not the ones who decide whether to promote or fire you. But they do make up a far larger portion of the company than your boss does, and their collective opinion can change things. The boss will definitely notice if people light up when you enter the room, or if they don’t even look up from their screens. Plus, regardless of whether or not the boss takes note, it will make office life a lot easier if your colleagues like you.
Once you’ve thoroughly won over the other employees, turn your attention to the office itself. This isn’t a part of any particular person’s job, so little problems like a leaky faucet or a flickering light can often go unreported for long periods of time. If you notice a problem, let your boss know—they can get in touch with the maintenance crew to fix it, and they’ll be impressed at your attention to detail and willingness to help. This applies to little things like buzzing lights and bigger things like inefficient organization (though if you notice the client files are badly alphabetized, don’t be surprised if you’re the one who has to fix it).
This sort of quality-checking is important not just in the office, but also for your company’s products. If you notice a typo in an ad or an unreadable graphic in a customer newsletter, don’t let it slide! Your supervisor will be glad you caught it. No matter how many pairs of eyes go over a blog post or pamphlet, typos can always slip through. Do your company a favor and report anything that might make customers think less of you. Your boss—and your career—will thank you.