Does it seem as if your boss has no idea how much work you really do? Could be. But then again, are you telling him or her?

Even if it feels like bragging, you need to find a way to let your boss know about the extra hours you put in, the projects that got done on time and under budget and any other extraordinary work you're doing. No one else is going to do it.

And don't assume your boss knows. They're too busy worrying about their own problems to know everything you're doing. If you want recognition for the extra hours you're putting in, you'll need to make a point of telling them.

This can be especially true if you're putting in overtime before the start of your workday. Workplace early birds don't get the same credit as people who work late after others have left the office, according to Management Recruiters International.

For some reason, less notice is taken of people who come in early to get work done. They don't reap the same rewards such as promotions or acknowledgements for their hard work as people who work late.

Perhaps it's because no one is there to see how early you came in. But if you work late, your boss sees you toiling away when he or she leaves the office. On the other hand, some bosses start their work day early. If you're there when they are, that seems normal to them. Working late, though, seems out of the ordinary.

Set up a time to meet regularly with your boss to briefly review the projects you're working on and the results. At the very least, make a list of these projects and review them two times a year at performance reviews. But make sure you explain the impact of your work. Just saying you came up with a new billing system won't cut it. You need to explain how much the new system increased revenue and improved bill accuracy.

If getting noticed and being acknowledged for your extra efforts is important to you, like it or not, if you don't let your boss know all the good work you've been up to they may never know.

© by Andrea Kay