When you’re first starting your professional career, it can be difficult to know how to be successful. Developing good work habits early on is crucial to success later down the line. Here are ways to start your internship or career on the right foot to ensure future good habits in the workplace that will make you a valuable employee.
Good habits for work include:
1. Excellent Timekeeping
While this may seem obvious, many interns and young professionals don’t realize the importance of timeliness. It is one of the most important good work habits but can be the most difficult to master. Arriving on time or even a few minutes early goes a long way in the workplace. Getting to the office at the right time is an easy way to show your manager that you are dedicated and take the position seriously. It demonstrates that you are organized enough to maintain your schedule and workload.
Arriving on time, particularly in the mornings, is also crucial to your productivity the rest of the day. Arriving late usually means you are rushed, and don’t end up doing your best work. Also, arriving late regularly for meetings or other functions demonstrates a lack of respect for your colleagues. To show your respect and dedication, dress for success and always be on time!
2. Asking Clarifying Questions
Asking questions is one of the easiest ways to avoid making mistakes. When you receive an assignment, it’s important to be sure that you fully understand your role. Asking questions will make it easier to complete your task correctly the very first time. Handing in top-notch work, that doesn’t need extensive revisions, or worse, to be re-done, is key for professional success. By asking questions, you prevent wasting your or a colleague's time when tasks need to be re-done or improved.
3. Proofreading
Out of all the good working habits to keep in the back of your mind, proofreading your work is one of the most important. Sloppy, incorrect, or misspelled writing does nothing to strengthen your professional image or give people faith in your abilities. Whether you’re sending out an email or drafting a newsletter, take the extra time to read through what you have put together. These few extra minutes might be the difference between excellent work and grammatical mistakes being pointed out to you after the work has gone out.
4. Being Passionate
Finding your passion can be one of the most difficult challenges a young professional faces. However, it is one of the most important things for a successful career. It is undeniable that you do your best work when you’re contributing to something you are passionate about. Finding roles and organizations that excite and inspire you is key to building success as a professional. You're more likely to find success and new opportunities the more passionate you are about what you do - passion can be a great gateway into new experiences and roles, as employers can see you're excited about the career or project and are keen to get involved, making you stand-out as a professional.
5. Staying Curious
To be successful and continue growing in your career, it’s important to stay motivated and curious. Don’t get too comfortable! Try to push yourself out of your comfort zone, try new things, learn a new skill, and gain a new perspective. Just because you’ve graduated doesn’t mean you have to stop growing, learning, and becoming a better professional! The more you can learn, the more doors that will open to you in your career.
Practice these good work habits with an internship abroad. Apply now!
