You work hard.  You’ve put in your time.  And now you’re ready to take your career to the next step.  But in a sea of entry-level employees, how do you set yourself apart from the rest?  Read on to learn how to become an even more amazing version of your current professional self:

Lower Your Tone of Voice
I grew up in small-town Texas, where we were told to “be sweet.”  This often meant raising your tone of voice an octave or two to give the appearance of niceness. However, in the workplace, “sweet” can oftentimes translate into “not serious.” The problem with this at the office is twofold:

• • • When you’re nervous, your tone tends to get higher and your voice can shake. So if you’re already squeaking speaking at a higher pitch, the result could resemble an unsettling sound that doesn’t exactly say, “I am a confident leader.”
    • If you are working to overcome seeming younger than you are, the last thing you want to do is sound like a voice actor for a Peanuts TV special.  So take a deep breath, speak slowly and confidently, and prepare to amaze your colleagues.

Dress for the Job you Want
Not the one you have.  While this may sound trite, it’s a piece of advice that too often goes by the wayside.

If you got up every day and put on a clean, pressed blouse paired with clean, pressed tailored trousers or skirt, shoes that were not scuffed, clean, somewhat styled hair, and a reasonable amount of makeup and jewelry, would you consider yourself to be in the same league as someone who came in every day with a wrinkled top, scuffed shoes, and a messy ponytail? The answer is no.

The fact is – whether we like it or not – perception is reality.  No matter how great you are at your job or how much of a team player you are, if you don’t look like you can play in the big leagues, it’s going to be hard to overcome that perception. 

Disclaimer:  This isn’t to say that you should spend all of your money on a lavish wardrobe just to get noticed for a promotion.  Nor should you to put all of your stock into your looks.  It’s also important to note that dressing for the job you want is entirely relative to your particular industry.

That said, take a look at your management/executive team, plus the company’s desired clients/customers.  Then, take a look at yourself in a mirror (consider even taking a selfie), and look at similarities between you and the aforementioned groups and any striking differences. Evaluate the differences and take note of what changes can be made to take your appearance to the next level.

For example, if you are a receptionist allowed to wear jeans to work, but you notice the account executives whose jobs you covet dress business/business casual every day, don’t be afraid to break out the black trousers and black pencil skirt.  Mix and match with a few colorful tops (don’t forget to clean, steam, and iron), and you can rotate them in and out without anyone knowing that you wore them twice in one week.

Don’t be Afraid of Taking Risks
Simply doing the status quo at the office doesn’t make you stand out.  It makes you a good and reliable employee, but good and reliable employees aren’t guaranteed promotions.  The bright side, however, with risk-taking is that you could potentially tap into an unknown opportunity for your organization, making you an invaluable employee (see next tip).

Sure, you may make a mistake, but consider that prime time to show how you excel at handling less than ideal circumstances.

This could be something as small as speaking up in a staff meeting.  Sure, you could be wrong.  Yes, your coworkers may disagree with you, but at least they know that you have an opinion and you are engaged in the conversation.  Too often as women, we take a back seat and shy away from sharing ideas, for fear that they will be shot down – even in a board room full of women.  Some of the best campaigns I have seen have stemmed from someone starting out with, “This may be a crazy idea, but…”

That said, please risk responsibly – it goes without saying that talking back to the boss, and putting company resources on the line are not sensible choices, but rather reckless.

Make Yourself Indispensable
The workplace is filled with lots of interchangeable employees.  When you are in an entry-level position, everyone starts out with roughly the same amount of knowledge.  Given that, realize that this is the time to learn what you enjoy and learn what you excel at. Use this time to really hone in on what you, as an individual, bring to the organization.  If you can bring something to a team that nobody else can, it’s worth its weight in gold.

One of the best ways to do this is to be able to take a concept and make it a reality.  Did your boss pitch an amazing idea in your staff meeting that everyone thought would be too lofty to achieve?  Devote time and energy to making it a reality.  Instead of problems, bring solutions.  If you find an obstacle and can’t go over it and others are turning away, figure out how you can go under, around, or chisel your way to the other side.

And in the meantime, pitch in and help!  From my ten years of experience, I can tell you that the most valued and under-represented resource you can offer is doing tasks that are not in your job description. Volunteer for the tough project. Offer to work late to help someone meet a deadline.  Don’t complain and don’t make yourself a martyr.  Do it for the good of the organization.

Read!
Sadly, we don’t get smarter with age by osmosis.  At one time, I actually believed that I would just get smarter as I added candles to the cake.  Turns out, you actually have to invest time and energy into making yourself smarter — and frankly, more interesting.

Therefore, read up on subjects that you enjoy.  Read about something new.  And for goodness sake, READ THE NEWS.  And I’m not talking about the latest in the Kardashian/Jenner household.  Educate yourself.  If you are one of the many people in this country who think that Judge Judy is on the Supreme Court (as we recently heard about), I am specifically talking to you.

You will be surprised to see how many doors will open when you broaden your horizons by reading and keeping up on current events. Who knows, you may even strike up a conversation with your CEO over your shared love of the book Killing Kennedy.  The point is, never stop making yourself better.

As you go forward, use these tips to simply strengthen who you are as a professional.  You have gotten this far with your intelligence and work ethic. Next step: utilize these guidelines to amplify how wonderful you already are!