If you are like most new employees, you can’t wait to get off work. You’ve worked hard all day, and you are eager to get to the gym, to happy hour, or to see your significant other. But resist the urge to leave at the closing whistle. Stay an extra 15 minutes!
Staying 15 minutes longer shows that you leave when your work is complete, not when the clock strikes. Departing at 5pm signals that you are eager to leave and were staring at the clock, waiting to get out of there. These 15 minutes will not cost much of your time, but will have a tremendous impact with your supervisors.
Consider extending this strategy one or two days each week by getting to work before your boss or staying an extra hour or two. A little effort and variability in your schedule can go a long way!
Use your time during non-peak office hours to think and organize. Use it to be “broad-productive” (upcoming post). Not only will your boss be impressed that you are arriving earlier or staying later than he or she is, but you will use that time for productive, career-building work.