When firms go to a finance industry recruiter to find a financial advisor for their firm, there are two categories of skills that they look for.
First, they seek out the tangibles-- an appropriate education and level of licensing, and an expected level of experience for the given position.
There is also a second level of skills, the intangibles, that can go a long way for an employee to get chosen.
Often, those who are promoted ahead of the usual advancement skills are high in the intangibles.
These can include positive demeanor and/or emotional intelligence, ability to work with difficult people, work ethic, willingness to listen to others both above and below them, and productivity.
Though some of these skills are difficult to teach, others, like productivity, can be improved by making some good, conscious choices.
If you are someone who is looking to boost productivity, and your future career prospects, give these techniques a try: Learn Your Baseline In order to discover whether you are improving your skills, first you need to know your current productivity rates.
If all of your work is on a computer, you can set a timer for jobs, or even find productivity software online.
One benefit to this is that it gives a better idea of your natural rate of work, as you aren't hyperfocused on the amount of time it is taking.
Set a Goal and Celebrate its Achievement Studies show that setting a series of small, achievable goals is a consistently successful strategy in conquering long-term goals.
This strategy has been implemented in therapy, in twelve-step programs, and is a great way to up your productivity in stages without getting discouraged.
As you achieve smaller goals, reward yourself.
Make the rewards increasingly bigger- a new item you want to buy, a night on the town, a vacation, etc.
This makes the reward even sweeter, and you more likely to follow through.
Curb Distractions If you want to be more productive at work, consider the things that are currently slowing you down.
If you do internet research, do side ventures into tangents catch you in the web vortex? Is your office space too noisy or too quiet? Do you have trouble sitting still? Identify your target issues, and find simple ways to fix them.
Internet side-searches can be slowed by installing software that will block the time-suck sites of your choice during working hours.
A pair of noise cancelling headphones, with or without music, can help the noise level in the office.
A standing desk (or newfangled treadmill desk) can stop issues with sitting still.
Look at your Diet Are you getting adequate levels of water and nourishing foods in your diet? Consider a supplement and more hydration if you think that your diet is subpar.
It is amazing how much of a difference that water can make.
Avoid too much sugar and caffeine without protein to counteract it, unless you want to face an afternoon slump.
Take a Walk If you find that you have a certain time of day that is consistently your low-production time, take a fifteen-minute walk instead of a coffee break just before this.
This will wake up your body and your mind.
A large glass of water afterwards, and you will be surprised at the difference.
Mindfulness The practice of meditation has been shown to keep people, more than any other practice, in the here and now rather than off in their heads.
It has been shown to actually change certain neurochemistry in a positive way and boost productivity as a result.
Apps are available online that allow you to practice this for ten minutes a day and try it out.
First, they seek out the tangibles-- an appropriate education and level of licensing, and an expected level of experience for the given position.
There is also a second level of skills, the intangibles, that can go a long way for an employee to get chosen.
Often, those who are promoted ahead of the usual advancement skills are high in the intangibles.
These can include positive demeanor and/or emotional intelligence, ability to work with difficult people, work ethic, willingness to listen to others both above and below them, and productivity.
Though some of these skills are difficult to teach, others, like productivity, can be improved by making some good, conscious choices.
If you are someone who is looking to boost productivity, and your future career prospects, give these techniques a try: Learn Your Baseline In order to discover whether you are improving your skills, first you need to know your current productivity rates.
If all of your work is on a computer, you can set a timer for jobs, or even find productivity software online.
One benefit to this is that it gives a better idea of your natural rate of work, as you aren't hyperfocused on the amount of time it is taking.
Set a Goal and Celebrate its Achievement Studies show that setting a series of small, achievable goals is a consistently successful strategy in conquering long-term goals.
This strategy has been implemented in therapy, in twelve-step programs, and is a great way to up your productivity in stages without getting discouraged.
As you achieve smaller goals, reward yourself.
Make the rewards increasingly bigger- a new item you want to buy, a night on the town, a vacation, etc.
This makes the reward even sweeter, and you more likely to follow through.
Curb Distractions If you want to be more productive at work, consider the things that are currently slowing you down.
If you do internet research, do side ventures into tangents catch you in the web vortex? Is your office space too noisy or too quiet? Do you have trouble sitting still? Identify your target issues, and find simple ways to fix them.
Internet side-searches can be slowed by installing software that will block the time-suck sites of your choice during working hours.
A pair of noise cancelling headphones, with or without music, can help the noise level in the office.
A standing desk (or newfangled treadmill desk) can stop issues with sitting still.
Look at your Diet Are you getting adequate levels of water and nourishing foods in your diet? Consider a supplement and more hydration if you think that your diet is subpar.
It is amazing how much of a difference that water can make.
Avoid too much sugar and caffeine without protein to counteract it, unless you want to face an afternoon slump.
Take a Walk If you find that you have a certain time of day that is consistently your low-production time, take a fifteen-minute walk instead of a coffee break just before this.
This will wake up your body and your mind.
A large glass of water afterwards, and you will be surprised at the difference.
Mindfulness The practice of meditation has been shown to keep people, more than any other practice, in the here and now rather than off in their heads.
It has been shown to actually change certain neurochemistry in a positive way and boost productivity as a result.
Apps are available online that allow you to practice this for ten minutes a day and try it out.