Staying relevant at your company

By: Aminat Saliu Musah You’ve landed the job of your choice and you’re finally moving up in your career path. You were hired because you stood out; you showcased your passion and ability to get the job done and you’ve aptly justified your presence in the company. So, what’s next? How do you stay relevant? While you might be an expert in your field, many people tend to get too comfortable at work. Staying relevant goes beyond observing your daily duties, it also requires a set of soft skills. Three of these skills have resurfaced time and time again from online researching and speaking with professionals. Listed below are the quick, but useful, skills that will help you build a credible and long-lasting career. While these pointers may seem obvious, they are often challenging for an average individual. However, mastering these skills will help boost your career significantly. Ask questions An old Chinese proverb states, “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.” Asking questions in the work environment fosters collaboration and interaction between the parties involved, and portrays you as an innovative thinker. Asking questions broaden and strengthen ones understanding of a subject matter, leading to better intellectual discoveries. This tends to be beneficial to both the individual and the company, so don’t be afraid to raise your hand and get noticed. Don’t be a wall flower Contribute to the discussion during meetings; however, don’t forget to constantly research your company. Being able to join in meaningful conversation requires knowledge about current trends affecting your company. Educate yourself. Learn how your role fits into the bigger picture and understand the roles of the people you work with. This will add to the value you bring to the table and will earn you a shot at growing with the company. Attend company social events A lot of people shy away from socializing, let alone socializing with coworkers. It is definitely tempting to skip company social functions, however, it isn’t only your coworkers that will be in attendance. As mentioned in this article, it is likely that you don’t have frequent interaction with most of the people at the event. This is a great opportunity to make moves that will upscale your career, so ditch the inebriated coworkers and make your way to the people who call the shots. I should add that knowing who will be at the event beforehand will better prepare you. Listed above are just three tips, however, there are endless opportunities to grow within the company and to be better at what you do. Remember, many successful people strive to do well outside of their comfort zone; break out now and reap the benefits later. Below are a few websites I found interesting; they elaborate further on how to stay professionally relevant and what it really means to be comfortable outside of your comfort zone. 6 Tips for Remaining Relevant Professionally The Science of Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone (and Why You Should)   Edited by Monal Mehta.