3 Keys to Unlocking Career Success

The world has become so competitive that everyone seems expendable. If you don't do well at your job there will always be someone to replace you. But is it really the case?

While there is truth in the above claim, there are also ways to stay highly valuable and become someone the company cannot do without. And these qualities are what we think that do.

Three keys to unlocking career or job success:

1. Effective Communication

By definition, communication is the art of expressing oneself in an articulate manner. It is one key that works everywhere regardless of who you are or what kind of relationship you have with others. In workplaces, it is even more necessary to effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas, convey what you know and explain how to execute them. How happy would your seniors be if you are able to pave a path to innovation simply because your ideas and plans to executive them are clear and precise?

However, communication is a two-way process: when one speaks the other listens. And believe me, it is always the listeners who get remembered. I read someone suggesting to be interested instead of interesting. Be interested in what other people have to say, for nobody likes it when you keep talking about yourself and are not bothered about knowing others' life, goals and viewpoints.

2. Develop(ed) Confidence

Confidence is a product of knowledge/awareness, experience, preparation and skills.

I remember one of my friends breaking down after a session with her boss. Apparently, her performance wasn't convincing enough for the client to trust the things she pitches in about their company. I told her that everything is a process. I also added that no matter how skillful and prepared she is in talking to clients, with her limited awareness about the products that she was selling and the experience to do it, many questions that she doesn’t know how to answer are expected to pop up one day or another. And that she has to do research, expand her knowledge, and seek help from experienced people for future reference.

Acquiring knowledge and awareness is a result of experience and research. The more you know, the better you can prepare for unexpected events. While all of these are at play, a skill is being developed.

What's important about developing confidence, however, is the willingness to learn from mistakes and try not to repeat them, openness to suggestions, desire to adapt and evolve and zeal to compete with oneself, which is trying to outdo oneself yesterday and be a better self today.

3. Great Character

Character is defined as the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. Now I am sure you have heard someone describing somebody as a person of character, and this phrase generally means positive. But what makes a character great?

These are our favourites:

• Morally upright. It almost always follows that when one has strong moral principles, they usually have integrity and are honest.

• Emotionally intelligent. IQs are important for a person but what one has to strive for is EQ or emotional quotient or our ability to sympathize with others' feelings as though we are wearing our own shoes. Being emotionally intelligent simply means that you don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you.

• Persistent and enthusiastic. Persistence means trying to do one's best to excel in what one does and, at the same time, knowing when to stop when something is not working.

• Reliable and accountable. If you are asked to do something, make sure it gets done well and within the stipulated time.

• A leader and a team player. Although not everyone can be a leader, being a team player also plays a vital role in career success. After all, human society thrives in a collective effort. Your effort either as a leader or a team player matters.

• Motivated. Whether your motivation is money, prestige, comfort, passion or service to others, it is only proper to stay motivated at what you do. When you are motivated, work won't feel like work anymore.

• Humble. Humility is a character trait that acknowledges 'I don't know many things but am willing to learn more'. It is the acceptance that you've made a blunder and are not proud of it but are ready to correct it.

There is no one particular or magic key to unlocking career or job success. It is always a combination of many keys. These 3 keys that unlock career success are just a few of many.