How to Make Your Mark

by Meghan Oakley

categories: Tips for Alum, Tips for Applicants, AmeriCorps

Published November 16, 2009 @ 02:16PM PT

In one of the old episodes of The Office, Ryan The Temp laments developing an office reputation:

I don't want to be like, a guy here. You know? Like, Stanley is the crossword puzzle guy. And Angela has cats. I don't wanna have a thing, here. You know, I don't want to be the "something" guy.

Ryan is a guy who doesn't want to make his mark. (Ironically, he becomes infamous for several things, including starting a fire, defrauding the company, and of course, being a temp).

You don't what to be like Ryan. You want to make your mark. But what does that really mean?

People who make their mark are known and well-respected in both their personal and professional circles. A person who has made their mark is the one that gets a call about a job opening before it's been posted. Making your mark means being memorable to someone you only met once or being the go-to person in your office.

So how do you make your mark? It's not just doing one thing once, but instead creating daily habits that connect you with people and ensure you are in the know about opportunities in your field. There are a lot of ways to foster this, but here are just a few:

• Be an open communicator with people in your office and outside it
• Consider how you handle difficult situations and try to be cool under pressure
• Help out your co-workers around the office... even if you don't have to
• Be a resource for people... connect them with information they need
• Be open you are to new experiences and meeting new people

Making your mark is about creating your professional identity. What do you want to be know for?

Photo Attribution: Irritated Tulsan