Working Wounded: How to Get Ahead at Work

Sept. 7, 2007 — -- Dear WOUNDED: : I'm frustrated by my inability to get promoted at my current job. What can you do to really get ahead at work?

ANSWER: Recently I came across a survey of recruitment managers who were asked, what is the most common reason that a resume gets rejected? The answer probably will surprise you. It wasn't a lack of experience or a muddled objectives statement. The biggest reason a resume gets tossed, according to the people who do the tossing, was typos and grammatical errors.

We get tripped up by the simplest things at work, like typos. It's no different when it comes to getting ahead. We think the shortest distance to a corner office is to nail a big report or identify a great new revenue stream. Sure, that can propel a career.

But the reason that many careers stall is the little stuff that we don't do. I've listed three Do's and one Don't below to help your career take off. For more, check out "You, Inc." by Harry Beckwith (Warner, 2007).

DO thank unforgettably. Most studies say we don't send "thank you" notes after job interviews, after someone bails us out on a project, etc. But today, it's often not enough just to thank someone, you've got to do it in a memorable way -- something that will break through the clutter. For example, resist the temptation to just dash off a quick e-mail and send a handwritten thank-you note. When was the last time you got one of those?

DO do favors. The toughest thing at work is to have to ask someone for a favor out of the blue. That's why I'm a big advocate of doing favors for as many people as possible before you need help in return. Think of it as banking a deposit long before you ever have to make a withdrawal. Make a list of your most important contacts and think of things you can do for them to make their jobs easier.

DO share success. Have you ever watched people leave an office building at the end of the day? Most of them look wounded in battle as they limp away from their job. That's why it's so important to share successes -- projects that have been successfully completed, increases in revenue, decreases in costs -- anything that documents success. The more tangible you make success, the more energy people will have to go back into that office building tomorrow, and the day after.

DON'T only focus on the boss. Most people are solely focused on their boss in terms of getting ahead. Given the turbulence of today's workplace, that is extremely short-sighted. You've really got to focus on getting along with everyone, because you'll never know who will be in charge of the next task force or key committee. Treat everyone like they matter.

Focus on the stuff that matters at work and you won't get too tripped up by a few little problems along the way.

"My formula for success. Rise early, work late, strike oil." -- John Paul Getty

The ultimate one-way street at work: loyalty … How loyal are we?

• 75 percent of workers say they are loyal to their company
• 13 percent say their company is loyal to them
• 16 percent say their company is not at all loyal to them

From: Adeco

Bob Rosner is a best-selling author, speaker and internationally syndicated columnist. He'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic, especially if you have better ideas than he does. His books include "The Boss's Survival Guide" and "Gray Matters: The Work place Survival Guide." Send your questions or comments to him via: bob@workingwounded.com.

ABCNEWS.com publishes a new Working Wounded column every Friday.This work is the opinion of the columnist and in no way reflects the opinion of ABC News.