3 Things My Boss Taught Me About Success - Work It Daily

3 Things My Boss Taught Me About Success - Work It Daily June 2015 officially marked the third year I’ve worked full-time for CAREEREALISM Media. I’ve had lots of success here - I spearheaded my very first content campaign, I wrote my very first ebook, and - with the knowledge I acquired from this job - I wrote an article on LinkedIn that received over 600,000 views. It’s been a crazy, awesome ride (to say the least). RELATED: Need some career advice? Watch these tutorials! In honor of my third work anniversary, I’ve gathered the three most important lessons my boss taught me about success. Here they are: 1. “Your goal is to work yourself out of a job.” When I first started working here, I remember my boss telling me this. I thought, “What?! Are you telling me to my face that you’re planning to fire me?!” Well, if I could go back and put the brakes on that reaction, I would, because that’s not what she meant at all. In fact, it was quite the opposite. What she really meant was do your job well, and you’ll be rewarded. Exceed expectations, and you’ll get promoted (AKA get a “new” job). Makes sense, doesn’t it? If you prove your value beyond your position, you’ll get promoted. As a rising star in your company, your goal is to show your employer that you’ve outgrown your position and you’re ready for a new challenge. Think about internships. We’re a BIG fan of internships. They help us judge who is ready to join our rapidly growing company and who is still developing. As an intern, your goal is to work yourself out of your internship and into a full-time position. If you can prove that you can add value to the company, your chances of getting hired skyrocket. 2. “Fail.” I’d be lying if I said I never doubted myself and my abilities during this job. It’s my first one, after all. And like everything in life, you’re bound to make mistakes the first time. But without those mistakes, you’ll never learn how you can get better - how to work smarter. (I know what I’m about to say sounds pretty harsh, but bear with me. You'll be pleasantly surprised.) My boss always tells us that we need a “Fail Bell” in the office that we can ring each time someone or something fails. Crazy, right? Not really. In her eyes, failing is just proof that we tried something new. We tried something different. We didn’t settle for the “same old thing.” We took a risk. This mentality makes us more innovative and creative as a team. We are no longer afraid to fail because we realize failure is good â€" it’s merely a step in the staircase to success. 3. “Find a passion project.” For many professionals, the majority of their workload consists of daily routine tasks. Although some are extremely content with only doing these tasks, others crave something more. They want to make a difference. They want to create impact. They want to contribute on a higher level. They make an effort to take on projects, pitch new ideas, and test the limits. Those are the people who are happiest and more successful. That said, not all companies encourage these kinds of projects. Thankfully, we’re not only encouraged to find a passion project here at CAREEREALISM, but we're also encouraged help each other conceptualize, present, and execute them. We are lucky enough to have the ability to marry our interests with our jobs to create more value for our company. Having this freedom to pursue our own projects is incredibly gratifying, and it really makes you excited to go to work each day. And those are the three most important lessons I learned about success throughout my three years of working at CAREEREALISM. I know I'll learn many more! This post was originally published at an earlier date. Related Posts 5 Things Successful People Do Before Breakfast What You Need To Have A Successful Career How To Be Successful And Happy At Work Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!