This One Skill Helps Advance Your Career and Salary — 5 Ways To Strengthen It
Written by
Peter Burns
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Personal strengths like being a team player, demonstrating strong critical thinking skills, knowing how to adapt or showing leadership ability can all contribute to career success. However, there is one overlooked skill that can help in nearly every situation: being likable.
No matter who you are, you can improve how others view you and become more personable. Here are some ways to practice being more likable and reap the benefits through career advancement and raises.
1. Don’t Be Fake
Most people’s intuition is good enough to tell if someone is faking excitement. Even if you do it with the best of intentions, it may come across as disingenuous and lead others to question your motives. Instead of pretending, practice active listening and ask questions to find areas of common interest that can create connections. If you sense someone is passionate about a topic, digging deeper is an excellent way to show that you care without being fake.
2. Paying Attention to Details
One way to show that you care about others is to remember what is important to them. When you recall small details like birthdays, personal preferences or milestones and follow up on them, people take notice.
Don’t be afraid to jot down some notes after an encounter or conversation on a notepad or your phone. The next time you’re around that person, take a look at what you wrote down and use it to your advantage. Also, one detail you should make sure to never forget is someone’s name.
3. Taking Responsibility
No one likes a know-it-all. If you act like you’re always right and have all the answers, you’ll become unpopular in a hurry. Instead of getting defensive, it’s important to be objective, realize how you can improve and be honest with others.
Being accountable in the workplace means fulfilling your duties, doing your part and taking the blame when you make mistakes. This shows that you’re dependable and trustworthy. If things go wrong, you’re not going to look for a scapegoat, and others will know they can count on you to take responsibility and do your best.
4. Being Available
Sometimes being likable is as simple as replying to others promptly. If someone sends you a message or calls you, it’s vital to acknowledge it. Ghosting people is a sign of disrespect, even if you’re busy. A simple response can go a long way, even if it’s just explaining that you’re under a tight deadline and will give a more thorough reply later.
Being available also means being supportive and emotionally present. If someone has a tough day or achieves a big accomplishment, acknowledging that means a lot. Likewise, if someone needs a favor, helping them or putting in the effort to show that you care will yield positive results.
5. Sharing the Spotlight
Giving credit to others for their work and accomplishments is a surefire way to get on their good side. People want to be around others who support them. Making a point to bring up what someone else has done in a positive light can work wonders and doesn’t cost anything. In the workplace, this is an excellent way to boost morale and respect.
Similarly, taking credit for someone else’s work is an easy way to be disliked. When this happens, others won’t want to work with you as they’ll expect you to steal recognition for their accomplishments. These types of actions create a negative reputation that will hurt your career advancement.
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