These 10 tips will probably translate over to basically any field. I think these are a great way to boost your career and put you on the right track to be successful.

It may be hard to start doing all of these things at once so I suggest you take it a little at a time. I’m actually still working to become this person. Set small goals that lead up to the big goal. No one eats a meal in one bite, you take smaller bites until you finish.

1. Educate yourself. Constantly. I can’t stress this one enough. Part of our job is to integrate, introduce, maintain, and support new technology in the businesses we take care of. Set aside some time to read white papers, books, blogs, watch talks, listen to podcasts, and take courses in your particular specialty. If you don’t have a hunger for learning the latest and greatest in your field you will quickly fall behind. This industry is constantly changing and as technologies get more and more advanced the learning curve gets a little higher. Having a good foundation in the basics will give you a great advantage. Learn the basics inside and out. Make this a habit. An obsession.

2. Find solutions. Never bring up any faults unless you have a solution to propose. No one wants to hear you tell them about their issues. It’s simply not constructive. Try to come up with ways that you could improve the system. People love problem solvers. If you can make some one’s job a little easier they will remember you for it. The respect you will gain will be priceless.

3. Be approachable. There is confidence and then there is over confidence. Don’t be the overly confident jerk in the IT department that belittles non-technical staff. This is really demeaning and will cause employees to respect you less. I understand that there will be times where you get pushed to the edge of sanity. I’ve been there. Work is not the place to cut loose. Tell someone outside of work about what made you angry. They may not be able to help you, but just by telling someone you will feel better about the situation. Your job is to take the friction of technology off of your users. You are the expert, they aren’t.

4. Make yourself available. Don’t hide from from issues. If you get an alert during your off hours that the Exchange server has crashed, don’t try to avoid the situation by making excuses to not take care of business. Your company depends on you in order to operate. You need to take ownership of your network. Make it yours. If your car were to break down you would probably get it fixed immediately because you need it. Do the same with your network. If it fails, you fail.

5. Socialize. Get to know your users. By just shooting the breeze with your users you can get an idea of how satisfied they are with the network you take care of. You will also get a sense of who is somewhat tech savvy and who’s not. This can play to your advantage, especially in the case of troubleshooting issues at a remote branch office. If you know who is tech savvy, you may have a pair of eyes and hands on site.

6. Teach others. Show your users how to do simple tasks on their own. This will take some burden off of you if you teach the right people. Some people just aren’t able to be taught, but if you can show some of your users solutions to simple issues they may be able to help others. I take care of 4 branch offices alone, but I have at least one tech savvy person at each site I can teach and depend on to make small changes or fixes that require physical hands.

7. Document everything. Keep drawings and notes of everything. This is very important to yourself as well as the company. In the case that something were to happen to you or you left for another position your documentation would provide a blueprint for your successor. Keep notes about how you fixed certain issues that are likely to pop up again in the future. When I start a new position I look at existing documentation and then I either improve it or create new ones as soon as I learn the network. Document any projects you work on as well. These will be good when it comes time to negotiate salary raises and also demonstrate responsibility.

8. Take fault. Take responsibility for your ‘Ah, ha’ moments. If you accidentally crash a server during business hours tell the truth and fix it. Don’t lie about how you just logged in and it went down. If you are caught in a lie you will lose points and your job could possibly be at risk. Everyone makes mistakes. Fix them and move on. Have integrity.

9. Don’t say ‘I don’t know’. No one is expected to know everything. If you don’t know the answer, find it. There is a wealth of information out there that is easily obtained. Knowing how to find the correct answer is better than being a know it all. If you can be relied upon to figure things out when it counts you will be a great asset to any employer. Don’t fear to tread where others haven’t.

10. Stay upbeat. Always show enthusiasm. This is better than being an angry genius. Be passionate about your field of work. Strive to become an expert. Be easy going. People enjoying being around people like this. Why? Because they are inspiring. No one wants to be around a grouchy person. Also, surround yourself with people like this. It’s contagious. It will rub off on you and your enthusiasm will rub off on others. Find a mentor or mentor someone else. Some times people like this are hard to find, but when you do meet one stay in touch. They offer a wealth of information and knowing them can be very beneficial.

These 10 tips will probably translate over to just about any field. I think these are great to boost your career and put you on the right track to be successful.

Hopefully I’ve helped someone with this post. If I have, just send me some money in a brown paper bag.

If you have anything to add or argue, please feel free to do so in the comments.