How to separate the wheat from the chaff and rise above

I received a job offer from nearly every internship I undertook as a young professional. If not a job offer, something just as valuable: phone calls to hiring managers or embarrassingly glowing recommendations. I'm not bragging. I'm just a really hard worker. But it's more than that. I learned long ago that my mother or teacher was apt to give me a gold star (or many gold stars) when I anticipated what was expected of me and executed that task without asking anyone and without making a big deal out of it.

Work life is no different.

I have had many interns over the past decade. Sadly, very few interns have made any sort of impression on me. Most wanted to do the exciting stuff - the things I did or my boss did. It was hard for them to understand that we didn't start producing or writing upon completion of our college educations. And I'm not even talking about paying one's dues, really. It's more than that. When starting any endeavor, there's a ramping up period. The interns and new hire candidates out there should take any opportunity to study the people on the team they've been assigned. Learn their personalities, anticipate that there's opportunity to prove yourself indispensable when staying late to help the producer on a deadline. And perhaps most importantly, strategize a way to separate yourself from your peers.

When I was a researcher at a television production company, I desperately wanted to write and produce. But there were so many producer/writer's and so few opportunities open that I knew it would be very hard to secure a position. So I started going to work on Sundays and writing scripts based on real interviews from the field. I had to go in on Sundays because the machinery wouldn't be available for me to use during the week, plus I had my own responsibilities as a researcher. There was usually one other person working on Sunday's -- one of the company owners. I had never had the opportunity to talk with him before. It turned out he was so impressed by my willingness to prove myself that he personally talked to the Executive Producer of my show. Within a month, I was field producing and accepted a major salary increase.

Another time, I found and pitched eight approved stories in two weeks. Six stories more than any of the other four researcher's. My boss told her boss and two days later, I was in Florida producing an hour-long special for The Food Network.

The thing is - we all have to do what we've been hired to do and a lot of times it's not fun. It's a job after all. But the thing I've learned over and over, if you put more effort in than necessary, the effort will be noticed. And if it's not noticed, make them notice. Put together the "fruits of your labor," schedule a meeting with your boss and let them know the things you've accomplished.

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