However, to really get the most out of your career and enrich your life, you must build sustainable relationships with your co-workers, bosses and customers, no matter what your chosen field is.  If you truly care about your products/services, and are passionate about your responsibilities, then you will carry them out with a great attitude – every day!  People who treat each new day as a blessing and privilege are fulfilled even during the most menial parts of the job and daily grind.  Get in early, dress your best, and accomplish more than expected out of you; this way you will go home pleasantly fatigued and not worn out and cranky!

Attitude is contagious; everyone loves being around people who think, work hard and are great inspirers and accomplishers.  We inevitably learn from others and those that wake up each day with a mission of being excellent are a joy to watch.  If you are not one of those people, then you are probably in the wrong job!

Remember from Part 1, that an ideal job- IJ, is a position working for a company that you believe in.  In order to really believe in a company, you must believe in their products, the people they employ and also, their ethics…among other things.

If you show up each day and do just enough to get a paycheck you will ultimately lose that job. If you complain how hard everything is or how wrong things are, you not only bring yourself down but you will also be let go.  If you love your job and feel you are in an IJ now but need to make more money, do not ask for a raise.  Instead do the following:

1.      Figure out the things that you are really good at and continue to improve on those skills to generate more or even better results.  Make sure these contribute to more sales or reduced costs.  You don’t have to be in sales to generate customer revenue.  Better processes can speed sales cycles and finding less expensive ways to do things can increase profits.

2.      Apply these skills to make more money or cut costs above and beyond what is expected for you to do and/or is done by others.

3.      Take credit for your accomplishments, but be sure to recognize those that also contribute positively to the bottom line success of the company.

4.      Always keep your company’s products and services in mind whenever you talk to people and brag a bit about what a great offering they have.  This should be done subtly and sincerely; pick an appropriate time and do this when you can, as sales often come in via indirect methods and something you say could influence a revenue generation for your employer that will help you solidify your IJ and will continue to pay you more.

5.      Be a leader and inspire others.  Be adaptable and embrace problems as a challenge to be overcome.  Present solutions and deliver results.  Change and self-renewal are how people and companies thrive and grow.  Be self-assured and display competence and intelligence along with a certain amount of wit and humor.  Arrogance and brashness are unappealing on a regular basis.