Every professional craves recognition at work. Did you know that one of the top reasons quoted for looking for a new job is the lack of professional recognition? Employees who feel taken for granted or not valued by the business prefer to move to a new company. 

Yet, finding a new job is no easy task. As a candidate, you will need to be clear about what you’re looking for and how to impress recruiters with your personal brand. That’s why many employees are unsure about switching companies. However, staying in a job that fails to satisfy you isn’t the right solution either. 

How about considering tips to make yourself a more desirable and productive employee for your current employer? Indeed, more often than not, employers lack feedback and insights to provide the recognition their team needs. So, these easy tricks could make you stand out, helping you get the recognition and perhaps even the promotion you deserve. 

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Boost your problem-solving skills 

More and more companies seek problem solvers. But there’s only one issue about that. Problem-solving is not a skill you can learn as part of your studies. So, you could have fantastic academic results, but still be unable to tackle everyday problems. Why? Because problem-solving is a skill you must develop. You can train your brain to think creatively and analyze data rapidly with simple logic exercises. Escape rooms, for instance, are designed to develop problem-solving skills. But as playing escape rooms regularly can be an expensive and time-consuming hobby, you can focus on portable puzzles, such as these logic and math books from PennyDell Puzzles. They help you streamline your thinking process so you can rapidly identify issues and solutions at work. Being logical and able to solve math problems quickly can be useful in every line of work, whether you need to figure out a software bug or solve a customer’s issue. 

Learn a new language

Tools such as Duolingo are completely free and provide plenty of exposure to foreign languages. Your career may not require you to work in a bilingual environment. Yet, if your company has merged with a foreign business or is reaching out to the international market, a basic understanding of other cultures and languages can be a game-changer. It’s important to mention that language learning applications are designed to be fun, entertaining, and help you progress. They will not replace learning with a professional coach. However, they can be useful to:

• Communicate more effectively with the international team
• Review international content
• Provide cultural understanding for international content and offers

At an age where international customers and professionals feel taken for granted or undervalued by US companies, you could become the person who boosts international relationships. 

Be a confident social media user

Being active on social media is not the same thing as knowing what to do. But you can show your expertise to your coworkers and manager, making yourself a valuable member of the team. If you are unsure how to make the most of your social media presence to support your career, this free social media marketing course by the Hubspot Academy can help you maximize your digital activities. The course also provides successful participants with a social media certification, which you can share with the HR team. 

More importantly, as you get to understand the strategic and valuable social media activities, you can grow your profile online. This can not only get you noticed by other companies, but also becomes a reference for your employer. Indeed, nobody wants to lose an employee who establishes themselves as a social media influencer! 

Create your individual channel

Vlogging is more popular than ever. Not all vloggers can make money through their activities. As a professional, vlogging can serve another purpose for your career. Indeed, you can establish your channel on YouTube or even on TikTok to share frequent video content about your job.

What type of content makes a good vlog?

• Technical tips and tutorials through popular digital tools in your market (such as explaining how to use Google Analytics to track the user’s journey)
• Live streaming from events, such as trade shows 
• Interviews of other professionals, such as coworkers, on their careers or the market

You should never reveal confidential information about the company or your customers. Ideally, vlogging serves to share your expertise and passion for your job. Your vlogging channel can not only attract the attention of your employer, but it could also drive new customers to the business. 

Network like a pro

You don’t need to run a business to learn how to build a network. On the contrary, you can leverage your network to grow your influence over the business world. 

Networking is a delicate art as you can’t simply send invitations from your LinkedIn profile without nurturing your contacts. 

Who should you include in your network?

• Existing and former coworkers
• Clients
• Suppliers and providers
• Qualified leads who have already expressed an interest in the business
• Like-minded professionals from other LinkedIn groups or social media platforms

How do you approach networking on LinkedIn?

Effective networking is not about gaining a new contact. It is about building a meaningful connection and conversation. So, for instance, if you wish to reach out to a former coworker, you could phrase the invitation as a question about how they are growing in their new position. If you reach out to potential leads, make it clear in your invitation that you are familiar with their business goals and are wondering if you can help with them. 

Your network can grow your professional influence and help when it comes to driving new gains for the company. 

Never stop learning

The business world constantly reinvents itself. New technologies, new practices, new trends refresh strategies and requirements. Therefore, it makes sense to keep updated with the activities in your specific sector.

Thankfully, there is more than one way to stay in the loop when it comes to business news. First of all, LinkedIn can push you in the right direction as your contacts publish articles and share their latest news. Additionally, you can also identify relevant experts who you can follow on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms. 

It is worth considering expert blogs and podcasts, which are always a great source of information. 

Typically, your employer should also design a training plan for your career progress. You can make the most of your training to gather new information and stay in touch with actors in the market, including course participants and trainers. 

Finally, you can also consider specialist content, such as membership-based platforms, which can be accessible to businesses. 

Boost your emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence, or EQ, contributes greatly to your success in life. Indeed, people with a high EQ are more successful at building strong relationships and achieving their goals. Contrary to common belief, you can improve your emotional intelligence. Essentially, EQ refers to 4 specific qualities:

• Managing and maintaining good relationships through communication, teamwork, conflict handling, and influence
• Empathy, which enables you to understand the needs, concerns, and emotions of others and pick up on emotional cues. 
• Recognizing your own emotions, so you can know how they affect your behaviors and thoughts. 
• Being able to control behaviors and impulsive feelings in a healthy manner. 

Improving your emotional intelligence can help you become a better leader within the team, a more active team player, and a person others turn to for guidance and advice. 

In conclusion, improving your performance at work could significantly change the way your manager and coworker perceive you. Enhancing problem-solving skills or learning a new language, there is more than one way to gain the recognition you need. More importantly, professional recognition can drive high income, exciting job offers, and great career progress. So, it is worth investing in yourself to become the best version you can be at work.