Give

In the volunteering portion of my talk, I give some reasons why volunteering is a good idea. I see this as doing more than you need to do, without being asked. When you volunteer to help others, whether this is work related or not, it shows:

• you are motivated
• you choose to do things without being told
• you want to make something better
• you are willing to help
• you can do more than you have to.

There are probably more reasons, but those are some that I give.

I ran across a piece on giving, showing others believe in this advice as well. Giving is a positive exercise, and while you will feel good, it shows that you are someone that is less likely to take more out of job/life than you put back. You will likely be an asset more than you are a burden.

Think about giving at some point in your life. It might not be now, but I do believe that you should give back to others when you can. At work, however, you ought to think about doing this quarterly, helping others when you can.

Standing Out

I saw this post on 10 Tips for Programmers to stand out at work. It’s a good piece if you’re a programmer and want to move up in your company, or get more money/responsibility/whatever from your current employer.

However it’s also a great post if you want a new job. The same types of things you would do inside your company are valuable in presenting yourself to prospective employers. All of these items are good ways to show that you are really a professional.

A Journey

We are all on a constant journey, but the best of us push forward regularly, even if that means finding another job.

Read this piece on How to Keep Your Best Programmers. I found it interesting and I agree with lots of it. However the important thing here is to think about what your journey is and work towards it.

To help you on your journey, document your progress in a blog of some sort. Network with others to find opportunities or ideas that might help you move, and have all of that ready as your brand for the next step of your travels.