If you ask the most successful people in the world what the key to their success was, many will credit some great advice or learning they received early on in their careers.

No wonder there is an abundance of self-help books, Instagram inspiration quotes and Youtube videos about achieving success in your career. Sometimes, however, you don’t want to or have time to read entire books or watch a long video of someone you don’t know or trust. You’ve got a busy schedule, time is money, and you want to learn something quickly that will start changing your life.

To make things easier for you, we have compiled some of the greatest, and simplest, quick tips you can learn in 15 seconds that will positively impact your life. Some of you will know, of course, but there will be a tip here: if you can adopt, it will start changing your life. And, of course, we’re in a community, so share this with others when they are struggling. Enjoy!

1.      Turn Up

Have you heard the expression “If you’re just on time, you’re late”. It sounds simple, but turn up on time. Not just on the last second of the last minute before you start, but allow time to get settled and connect with others before you are due to start. The same goes for leaving; if you watch for the clock to hit the second before you go or leave before you are due, it sends a negative signal. Good time management skills will make you more productive and earn you the trust and confidence of your colleagues and bosses. The secret to career progression is keeping an open mind. Many often start with jobs or assignments that are less than ideal, yet these jobs often lead them to find what they really want.

2.      Have a Plan

Never start your job without a clear picture of what you want out of the day and a plan to get it. A plan provides a roadmap for achieving success and milestones for evaluating your progress. Lack of planning will often lead to stagnation. This applies whether you are on the job for a day or long term. Always find new ways of making yourself more valuable. Find and plan ways of getting better at your job. If you have to take a problem to your boss, think of possible solutions and present them to your boss after stating the problems. Even if your solutions aren’t adopted, it will show that you are proactive.

3.      Be the hardest worker in the room

Working hard will not only help you achieve more, but your solid work ethic will also earn you the respect of your colleagues and bosses. You want to be relied on as a consistent worker, not going at 11%, and then flat out when the boss is in the room as it is simply dodgy. Be consistent and find a pace that you can work out well and if the boss is on site, always, always keep busy. If your boss knows they can trust you, they’ll spend less time worrying that you won’t deliver. They’ll be more comfortable delegating more tasks to you, which is good for your career progression. At the same time, be reasonable. Overworking is not something to be worn as a badge of honour. Instead of making your more productive, it will impact your performance negatively. Take some time to unplug and recharge yourself.

4.      Be Organised

It doesn’t matter whether you are on a site for a day or part of a regular crew, keep a neat and organised workspace. This indicates that you are an organised person who has everything under control. It also makes you more productive. Give it a deadline whenever you need to do something – a project at work, applying for jobs, reaching out to a recruiter or employer, or anything else. Giving yourself deadlines minimises the chances of procrastination. Take the initiative, and don’t wait to be asked to do something when it is clear that it needs to be done. Do it out of your own initiative.

5.      Face Up

Your career progress will be significantly influenced by the relationships you form with people. The strongest relationships are created in person, not through email or social media. If possible, opt for face-to-face conversations over online conversations. This is especially important to young people, who are more dependent on technology for communication.

6.      Be Reliable

If you say you will do something, do it. If you want to be seen as a trustworthy and reliable person, learn to follow through with what you said you will do. This includes simple things like submitting timesheets on time, communicating as promised, and the actual work. You are the sum of how you show up in all areas, not just the sum of your skills. You could be the fastest and most fantastic plasterer in the world, but if you are unreliable in other areas, you may just become not worth the hassle.

7.      Become a good listener

You learn nothing by talking. You can only learn by listening. Developing good listening skills is a skill that will positively influence your career. Criticism is a part of life. Don’t let criticism crush or discourage you. Whenever you receive criticism, evaluate it first. If it is constructive, listen to what is being said and use it to improve yourself. Watch your body language also, as this communicates more than your words. Master your body language to project the image of a confident professional who knows what they are doing.

8.      Handle Conflict

Always remain humble and avoid showing excessive emotions. If you are angry with your boss or a colleague, don’t shout or say bad things; show that you are in control of your emotions and have restraint. Treat everyone with respect – your bosses, subordinates, colleagues and customers. It will take you a long way. Even if you don’t like someone at work, never let it show. Showing your dislike for someone will only paint you as an immature person.

9.      Don’t Create Drama

No one ever got anywhere by being negative, difficult or creating drama. Stop whining continuously. Stop not completing works or timesheets when due. This will only drain the energy out of you and your team. Instead of constantly complaining, find ways to make things work. The truth is that life is not fair. You will get passed over for promotions, assigned the projects no one wants, and so on. Even if it feels bad, don’t turn it into a grudge. Just let it go and focus on the future. If you want people to back you to be a success, you need to be backable!

10.  Don’t be a Bad Mouth

Never say anything bad about your previous employer during job interviews or site inductions. The interviewer or site supervisor will assume you will do the same thing about them, which will hurt your chances of getting hired or rehired.

11.  Be a Team Player

Many employees mistakenly think claiming credit for everything and excessively tooting their horn is the best way to earn a promotion. Claiming credit for everything or gossiping about others, will turn off your colleagues and make it seem like you only care about yourself, which will hurt your chances of getting promoted or that next job. Don’t hog success to yourself, and don’t be afraid to lend an extra pair of hands or share knowledge if you find one of your colleagues facing a challenge you can solve. Your willingness to assist will reflect well on you. You cannot succeed alone; therefore, you should learn to attribute your success to your team members.

12.  Take responsibility for yourself

Take credit for your accomplishments, and at the same time, be willing to take the blame for your mistakes. Never blame your mistakes on someone else. Taking responsibility for your actions shows your maturity and professionalism. Learn to apologise if you are wrong, and then action a correction if needed. The same can be said for taking responsibility for your abilities. If you notice that there is a skill that is lacking, learn it and step up to fill the gap. This will make you an invaluable asset and might even create new opportunities for you.

13.  Ask

Many people mistakenly think asking for help shows weakness or incompetence. It’s not. No one ever became successful without some help along the way. The other mistake many of us make is to think we know everything. Asking questions is the key to increasing your knowledge. It is better to ask a question and look dumb for a minute instead of remaining quiet and ignorant for life. If you want to progress in your career, you should have the confidence and courage to ask for things, including what is needed to get to the next step or improve where you are at. No one knows what you want, so it is up to you to ask for it.

14.  Take good care of yourself

It does not matter where you stay or what you do. The better you feel, the better you’ll do your job. Take care of yourself.

15.  People Skills and Humour

You have to know how to relate well with people if you want to move forward in your career. Be friendly, warm, cheerful, approachable, personable and outgoing. This will help you build relationships with people who might help you find new opportunities in the future. If you have a sense of humour about yourself, it will lighten those inevitable difficult moments, as well as make you are a joy to employ and be around. Be a little nicer and kinder. This little piece of advice can take you very far, both in business and in life.

The journey to growing your career and achieving your career objectives will not be a straight path, and the path will be peppered with moments of failure. Don’t let them stop you. Pick yourself up and keep going.

You will never get anywhere without believing in yourself. Believe in yourself and your ability to succeed, and grab any opportunities that come your way. Watch the people you let into your circle, and surround yourself with ambitious and successful people with a “can-do” attitude, and their success and ambition will rub off on you.

Success means something different to different people. It might be getting the corner office, a bigger paycheck, a job that gives freedom to spend time with your friends, family, and so on. Define what success means for you and go after it.

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