A lot of us face similar scenarios when just starting out in our careers: You are one of ten new hires or interns who are all in the same (or similar) roles, and you all aspire to secure that next promotion or job offer.

When it comes time for your annual reviews, how do you set yourself apart to ensure you achieve success?

I’m a big proponent of showing initiative as a way to differentiate yourself from your peers. Whether you are fresh out of college or a 15-year industry veteran, proving you can independently take charge of your work is instrumental in finding professional success.

Initiative looks different at every stage of a career. How do you show initiative when interning or just starting out in the workforce?

In this article, I outline 2 simple (yet effective!) questions you can ask your managers that will show initiative early in your career and allow you to differentiate yourself from your peers.

What Can I Do To Help?

Managers are busy. Chances are, whatever you are working on as an intern/new hire is only a small part of your manager’s overall workload.

Because of this, interns and new hires are not always a manager’s top priority. There might be an activity that is perfect for you, but because your manager is distracted with the other dozen items on their plate, they may overlook you as a resource to help with a task.

It may sound simple, but proactively asking “What can I do to help” solves this gap. It brings you back into the manager’s attention and gives you more opportunities to work on projects that, if you didn’t ask, might not come your way.

By asking this, you not only show your manager you are here to help them (and the company) succeed, but you are also creating opportunities to work on projects that may have not come your way, which provides more chances to prove yourself to your bosses.

And even better, asking this question is easy! If you hear your boss talking about a project or a task, just ask “is there anything you can do to help” during the conversation. Or, if you ever find yourself finishing a project early and still having time left in the day, just ask if there is anything else you can assist with. It’s that simple!

Where Can I Learn More About This?

You are not (or shouldn’t be) expected to know everything as an intern or fresh college graduate. So don’t be scared if you don’t know the answer to a question, or, if in some meetings, you have no idea what is going on.

However, in order to have a successful career, you will be expected to learn relevant topics as you progress within an organization.

If you are early in your career and facing a topic you know little (or nothing) about, asking your supervisor “where can I learn more about this?” is a great way to show initiative and proves you want to learn the subject matter. There is a high chance your manager will point you to the resources (trade journals, memos, websites, etc.) that they believe best teaches the related material. This question opens the door to teaching materials that, had you not asked, you probably would not have accessed.

And asking this question is also simple! Ask it during your next 1:1 with your manager, or after a meeting covering some new topic. Phrasing the question as “Hey, a couple of days ago, XXX came up in a meeting, do you know where I can learn more about it?” or “We keep talking about XXX and I’d love to familiarize with it myself a bit more. Do you have any suggestions on how I can learn more about it” are two possible approaches.

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Make Sure To Follow Through On The Answers

You’ve asked questions on what you can do to help and where you can learn more about a topic. So far, you’ve shown great initiative just by asking the questions.

Are you done showing initiative? No!

Asking the question is part one. Now, you have to fulfill the task that was given to you.

Make sure to successfully complete that project your manager assigned to you when you asked how you could help. Read that article, try a LinkedIn Learning course and really try to learn the subject matter when you asked where you can learn more about a topic.

Each project is different, and this post can’t touch on all the ways to succeed at specific tasks, but if you show you are working your hardest and putting in the necessary effort after asking these two questions, you will find success in your career.

Not Everyone Is Asking These Questions

These questions seem simple, but the truth is, most people are not asking them.

During my 11+ years in the accounting industry, I’ve managed dozens of interns and new hires, and trust me, asking these two simple questions and successfully fulfilling the related requests shows initiative and proactiveness that allows an individual to really stand out amongst their peers.

While you won’t be punished for not asking these questions, you’ll likely be rewarded for asking them, and they may be the differentiator when determining annual recognition, promotions, or job offers.

Don’t Confuse Initiative With Being A Workaholic

One last point I want to cover: I want to make sure showing initiative and asking these questions is not confused with becoming a workaholic.

Yes, asking these questions is a great way to get ahead in your career and I do believe they create a path to success, but make sure to always consider your work-life balance. While each industry, organization, and role have their own expectations, please take this advice in the context of your individual situation.

Simple example: if you ask “what can I do to help” so much that it leads to hours and hours of overtime beyond what your peers are working, you will likely get burnt out. So when asking these questions, please do so wisely in the context of your individual role to ensure you have your desired level of work-life balance.

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Meet The Writer!

Hi! My name is James Blake, and I have been working as an accountant for over 11 years. I recently started the Accounting Career Coach Instagram account in mid-2022 with a mission to provide lessons I’ve learned throughout my career to help people make decisions in their careers. While some of my content focuses specifically on accounting, many of my posts focus on general career topics that I believe are universal across all industries and roles. I’m early in the coaching game and I would love to turn it into a larger endeavor at some point, but for now, I’d love to connect with you on Instagram @accounting_career_coach.

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2 Practical And Manageable Strategies For Showing Initiative In Early Careers