Tips for helping you advance in your career and create a positive work environment
I was talking recently to a friend of mine who is an upper-level manager at a repair station. During the conversation, I asked him what was his secret to success was. He told me that he always follows three rules at work (and in life, for that matter) that he feels contribute to his success. I realized that the rules he shared, although they may seem rudimentary, are good for anyone to follow. Here are his suggestions.
- Always do your best. You may not be the smartest mechanic in the hangar, or the most experienced, but if you always do the absolute best you can do, you will outshine others who put in a mediocre effort. Your co-workers and supervisors will notice and appreciate your effort. Another part of this rule is to never stop learning. Never pass up an opportunity to learn more, and keep on pressing yourself to increase your knowledge each and every day.
- Always tell the truth - it is easier to remember than a lie. Truthfulness is a quality that is good to have. Sometimes telling the truth is difficult, especially when your boss doesn't want to hear what you have to say. In the long-run, it is much easier to handle problems when everyone is truthful rather than sugar-coating the issue.
- Respect others. Treat others with respect, and respect will come to you. It is easier to work with team members who are respectful of each other and value each other's input.
These rules are not the only things that can help boost your career, but they are not bad rules to follow in life. Looking back at my career in maintenance, those co-workers and supervisors that I admired and respected the most had these traits.
Do you have some other tips for success that you feel are important? What have you learned in your trials and tribulations in your career that other readers could learn from? Or how about the reverse? What are some negative traits that can almost always ensure career suicide? We want to hear from you. Write or e-mail us and share your thoughts.
Speaking about careers, next month's issue is our annual career development issue. The issue will provide tips on how you can maximize your career choices. Included in the issue will be the results from our annual Salary Survey which was recently sent out. The survey results allow you to see how different regions and sectors of the industry stack up pay-wise. They also give you the ability to see how others in your job category are faring.
By the way, this year's salary survey was sent out electronically to those subscribers that have signed up to receive e-mail notification from AMT magazine. If you haven't signed up for this service, you can go to www.AMTonline.com and look on the left side of the home page to sign up for our eNewsletters. It's easy, it's free, and it will give you access to additional resources from AMT including:
- Monthly AMTe electronic newsletter featuring the latest industry news, products, and upcoming events.
- Monthly maintenance alerts. Get the FAA's alerts in your in-box each month and see what defects your peers are finding on aircraft.
- Updates and added courses on our Virtual IA Seminar series.
- Surveys, special reader contests, and more!
While there, be sure to browse around and see all the resources that AMTonline provides to help you advance in your career.
Thanks for reading!
