What separates the winners from losers and the achievers from non-achievers in work life? Here are 10 points for becoming an outstanding achiever in your field while at the same time, deriving a great deal more satisfaction from what work you do each day. These 10 points can also help you manage your career.

1.  Be properly educated and trained. – have knowledge of whatever profession, career, job that you are going into. If possible try to get some training before you go into the position that you desire. Not ever position requires a college education but it does require training and knowledge.

2. Determine as best you can whether you are a entry level person or a staff person. – If you are a entry level person then management and staff personal won’t expect much from you other than doing your job. A staff person is knowledgeable of the operations and knows ever position in the company. A staff person helps make decisions.

3. Answer the questions that determine what industries, companies and kind of organization or business within your company for which you are best suited. – Determine if you want to work for a company that has a headquarters with a HR department or a smaller company that has no HR department. Also ask if you like working for a manufacturing-oriented company or a marketing oriented company. Search for a position that suits your personality and temperament.

4. Be alert to what is going on in your discipline and industry outside your company, which might spell opportunities for you. – Having knowledge of what is going on outside of your place of business is crucial to have. Because having this knowledge lets you know if you are being paid and promoted properly within your business.

5. Develop strong relationships with key players in the human-resources-development department of your company. – Just as the title suggest develop genuine relationships with those key players in positions of leadership.

6. Avoid a negative management style like the plague. – When you are caught up in negativity it only brings you down and those around you. Negativity in your life only leads to other negative characteristic that can manifest in your life.

7. When on the job, pick the right projects on which you give your best efforts. – What this is saying is that; make sure that you have the ability to do the project that you have been assigned to. If you don’t have the ability or know how to accomplish the project then don’t do it. You could risk loosing your job.

8. Don’t be the inveterate, conniving politician. – What this point is saying; is that you want avoid making it a habit of having secret meeting with upper management. Make sure that when you have a meeting with them that it is an important issue not a self-serving one.

9. Cultivate and express a sense of humor. – Be cheerful and happy in your position; be positive and don’t be cynical. Having a positive, cheerful attitude makes the work day brighter and helps the day go by quicker. Leave the negativity at the door.

10. Learn to be effective. – Here are five suggestions to train your self on how to be effective; 1. make good use of your time. 2. gear your efforts to results rather than work. 3. build on your strengths. 4. concentrate on a few major area where you can produce outstanding results. 5. make effective decisions and judgements based on dissenting opinions.

I hope that you find this post useful to you career and business.

(All the above points are taken from Allen Cox “How to Manage you Career.” These point have been mostly revised and put into my own words.)