How to get ahead at work

Australians think the way to get ahead at work is to be popular with colleagues, while Brits favour the sucking-up-to-the-boss method. Germans think it’s most important to dress the part and Singaporeans emphasise being seen in all the right places.

That is, according to research commissioned by LinkedIn and conducted by IPSOS Mori and Catalyst Research. The survey covered 3200 working professionals globally, including more than 400 in Australia.

Three out of four (75 per cent) Australians rate being liked by colleagues as the most important factor in career development, the study suggests. This compares with fewer than two out of five (38 per cent) of the British respondents.

Meanwhile, building a relationship with the boss is the most significant career driver for two out of three (66 per cent) of respondents in the UK, a factor also rated highly by Germans and Singaporeans.

Locally, nearly seven out of 10 (69 per cent) professionals believe looking the part helps their careers. Yet only four out of 10 (39 per cent) consider being seen in the right places and industry events as significant.

A career coach and director at Nourish Coaching, Sally-Anne Blanshard, says the Australian focus on popularity makes sense, though being competent at the job is also important.

“Being liked in the office is an important part of feeling connected in office life,” Blanshard says. “Most professions incorporate at least some element of team work and forging a strong relationship with colleagues is a perfect way to learn from them and help each other develop.

“Those who place significance on strong relationships with co-workers are likely to have good influencing skills, which are great to have when teams work together under pressure. Good influencing skills are key in all types of career and sectors but particularly useful as your career accelerates and you start to manage people.”

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