7 Professional Development Tips

Just because you've finally got the job of your dreams doesn't mean you can relax. On the contrary, you should always be working as hard as you can to impress your superiors so they not only know they made the right choice in hiring you, but also to improve your chance of moving up the ladder.

You should always be thinking about your professional development so you are not stuck doing the same job for an extended period of time. It's not good for your confidence to be working on the same task year after year and getting a promotion will look better on your resume should you ever leave the organization.

The key to climbing up the professional ladder is to make a positive impression on your boss. There are many ways to do this, but here are the seven best tips to make your superior notice your work:

• Go the extra mile by helping your co-workers if they are stuck on a task, or volunteer to take up new responsibilities.
• Have a good attitude. This seems obvious, but it is easy to react negatively when you are given constructive criticism or are assigned work about which you are not excited.
• Be prepared for anything that comes your way.
• When you are done with a task, ask for something new to do without your boss coming to you first.
• Come up with creative solutions for problems that are affecting the organization. This shows you are ready to take initiative on issues that don't necessarily affect you.
• Take constructive criticism seriously. There is no better way to impress your superiors than by actually applying the suggestions they made.
• Try your hardest to be on-time for work every day, and personally phone your boss if you know you are going to be late.