1. Be goal oriented - Imagine running in a race without knowing the finish line. Would it matter even if you ran incredibly fast? The same thing applies to your career. If you want to fast track your career, you need be absolutely clear about where you want to move and how fast you want to go. The ability to stay motivated is a critical ingredient in one's corporate career and research suggests those who have clear goals, are more motivated than others.
2.Don't stop learning - Guess what's common between world's most successful people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and many others? They never stop learning. From books to MOOCs (Satya Nadella is known to be a big fan of MOOCs), make sure your learning doesn't stop with your formal education. Also, you need to go beyond enhancing your skills, you also need to learn about what's going on in your industry and new tools that might improve the way you work.
3. Be a leader - Automation is a threat to many of the existing jobs, but there are many things machines still can't do, and the most important one is being a leader. Don't expect to move fast in your career if your work involves only following a set of instructions. You need to come up as a leader and show people that you are capable of going beyond your job description.
4. Network and build relationships - One thing that is not taught in formal education is how important relationships are when it comes to business. Businesses succeed or fail on the basis of relationships. But there are a few things you need to understand to be a pro at networking. Firstly, contrary to popular beliefs, don't always be in a selling mode. Connect with people, try to learn more about them and their work, and work on creating a relationship that lasts long. Best business relationships are those where both parties try to understand each other's needs and have a relationship which is mutually beneficial.
5.Be a resource aligned with the company goals - Among other things that you need to learn, you also need to learn more about your company and what are the broader goals that your company aims to achieve. This is very important if you plan to grow at a fast pace within one organisation or a specific industry. You need to be a resource to a company rather than just an employee. This involves initiating work and processes other won't, equipping yourself with skills that align with the company's goals and helping others move in the same direction as well.
6.Work hard in a smart way - People usually carry a false dichotomy in their heads, you either work smart or you work hard. But did you know their is a way to combine the two? There is no alternative to hard work but what you need to understand is that working hard is not about putting in longer hours. It means you produce more work than others within the same time as others and that's where the component of smart work comes in. You need to be aware of the tools, hacks and methods that make you more efficient at your work.
7.Your appearance matters - It's one thing to hate wearing a tie everyday to work but it's an entirely a different thing to go to a sales meeting in a hoodie and skinny jeans. Make sure that you are ALWAYS dressed for the occasion. Dressing appropriately in smart formals and casuals when allowed (but don't go overboard with it) also exhibits your seriousness about your work. So don't forget to give your wardrobe a big change. Bid goodbye to your funny, graphic tees.
Rishabh Mehta is the founder & CEO of What After College.
