How To Find & Improve Your Value

Learn to work and work to learn. My past experiences taught me both.

My last three jobs all offered me a promotion or an award.

What caused this? A change in work ethic and self-image.

Like many others, I held several jobs throughout my high school career. Nothing major, just the typical couple of food industry gigs and a sales associate at Finish Line. At these jobs, I was average at best. Even after graduating and entering the Air Force, my attitude towards work could be best described as childish.

Starting out, I was an airplane mechanic. The only problem with this is that I’m not mechanically-inclined. I never used hand tools before, didn’t know the difference between a crow-foot wrench and a socket wrench, and was completely uninterested in the career. I could always point out problems but fixing those problems was not my strength.

I frequently volunteered for the easiest tasks. Not only because they were easy but because I had little to no confidence in my work ethic and knowledge. The routine quality assurance checks and potential mistakes having life or death consequences did not help. Below I give three tips to improve your work ethic and your self-image.

Find something that piques your interest.

Eventually, I switched to a coordinating position sitting behind a desk and that’s where I first found my groove.

Not only was I good at this job but very invested in its role towards the mission. I asked questions and took on extra responsibilities whether it be managing two units or going to maintenance meetings. Whenever there was downtime, I would practice various emergency checklists, play around with one of our four computer programs, ask the supervisors for work advice, or ask questions and handle a different career field’s workload (Command Post).

So what exactly sparked this change?

I began to take pride in my work.

I wanted to fix problems before others pointed them out and no longer require supervision. We were a small workplace (15–20 people), so when someone had to miss work everyone else needed to step up to fill the vacancy. The more value you bring, the higher your supervisors and coworkers view you.

I was viewed so highly that I was offered a senior coordinator role, something that was two ranks (at minimum) above my current rank. I wanted this role but had to decline because I was separating from the Air Force. I took this newly found work ethic and applied it to my next job: washing customer vehicles at a local car dealership.

Major takeaway: Honestly, I never found airplanes or cars very interesting. If the industry you’re in does not interest you, then find something within the industry or position that is interesting. For me, I loved knowing what was going on each and every day and is why I held several coordinator positions.

Let your work do the talking

I never thought washing vehicles would be an important stop on my professional journey. I wasn’t directly hired by the dealership either, I went through a temporary employment agency and had a three-month trial period prior to becoming a ‘true’ employee at the dealership.

In the first month of being there, the person in charge of managing and training me left for a different position making me the sole full-time employee in the department. I had to learn on the fly and find the fastest methods with the best end results before being an official employee.

I never sat down, scrolled through my phone, or wandered off. At the end of each day, I was drenched but not from water, but from sweat. Whenever I saw someone had trash laying around, I cleaned it up; grease on the floor, I mopped it up; if it snowed, I shoveled. All without being directed to do so. I only took breaks when explicitly asked by the department heads.

I worked so hard that I was promoted to section lead and awarded employee of the month by my third month there despite still belonging to the temp agency.

This opened several more doors for me. I was the go-to person to deliver customer cars, take customers to work or home while their vehicles were in the shop, and manage the trash and recycling program for the dealership. I was offered three different positions at the dealership but had to decline because I was starting college and moving out of state. However, my determination did not stop there.

Major takeaway: Communication is important for a business to operate but too much communication can lead to arguments or a drop in productivity. Try to balance the two. If you can’t have a quick conversation with a coworker, find something that makes their job a little easier whether it be taking out their trash or taking them a piece of equipment. People love when the extra things are taken off their plate.

Pick up where other’s drop off

After starting school, I picked up a job working in the weight room at the student recreation center. I showed up early for every shift, finished all my and my coworkers’ required tasks, stayed over when needed, picked-up shifts, and helped other Rec Center employees in different departments.

If someone was in a bind and needed someone to cover for them, I was their guy.

If I saw someone setting up or tearing down equipment for an event, I ran over and helped.

If I saw something that was not up to my standards, I fixed the issue.

I was promoted to shift lead in my first two months and then promoted to Student Coordinator three months after that, yet, my itch to do better remained.

At one point, I had four separate departments fighting over me.

Prior to leaving, I was offered two new positions at the Rec Center: an administration position, and facility operations position, but declined both to focus on school.

Major takeaway: Find someone who goes above and beyond and observe them. Ask them why they go above and beyond and what it helps. You’ll figure out how an extra ten minutes can prevent hours of future work. If there isn’t someone who goes above and beyond, be that person. It is always better to be known for your good work than for lack of work.

Finding your interests is important for everyone. In the workplace this may be difficult but still achievable — search deeper. Once you find that interest, keep improving your work around that interest — accomplish more. Look for leadership figures and mentor them. If there is no one to learn from, become that person. Prove yourself.