Article: Show your boss that you're committed to your job and that you want to be the best by advancing your education and job skills. Enroll in courses or skill building programs and attend seminars that focus on learning new aspects of your position and career. These programs can make you better at your job and may even make the work more fun. Additionally, a lot of companies will pay you more if you have more training. You can also make sure to stay current in your field by continuing to take courses to refresh your memory about certain protocol or just to make sure you have the most up-to-date training on how to use technology in your workplace. Advancing your education will please your boss because he'll see that you really want to continue to improve at the work you do instead of being stuck in the same role. You will please your boss if you go above and beyond and attend as many "extra-curricular" company events as possible. Whether these are birthday parties, happy hours, team building activities, team volunteering events, or other special activities, you should make an effort to attend as many of these as you can to show your commitment to your work. Of course, you have a life outside of work and can't be expected to attend every event, but you should make an effort to be there as much as you can. If you really want to take the extra leap, then you can even organize some of these events yourself. This shows initiative and that your job really means a lot to you. Plus, if you attend more work-related activities outside of work, this will give you more of an opportunity to bond with your boss on a new level and to put yourself out there. Another way to go above and beyond and to impress your boss is to work on building strong relationships with your coworkers. You don't need to be best friends with them or to hang out with them outside of work all the time, but you should be friendly with them and make an effort to get to know them a bit. If you have a reputation for keeping to yourself and not opening up to anyone, then your boss will think that you're only looking out for yourself. Even if you're really busy outside of work or more on the shy side, it doesn't take much of an effort to smile at your co-workers, to make a bit of small talk, and to ask them about their families, their vacations, or their pets. Plus, you want your boss to see that you're an important part of the office team. If your co-workers love you and the office wouldn't be the same without you, you're much more likely to keep your job when it's time to downsize. If no one in the office even knows who you are, you're less likely to seem crucial to the team. To really go above and beyond and please your boss, you have to be able to think outside the box. The times are changing quickly, and chances are that your job and company will be changing, too, especially if you've been at the same place for a while. You have to be able to accept whatever changes may come your way and to come up with new and creative ideas for how to solve old problems. You don't want to be known as the guy who is stuck in the same old ways when the company around him is changing. Instead, you should be the first person to come up with innovations and to follow them through. If you've been doing something the same old way for five years, then it's time to think about whether or not there are faster, more original, or more effective ways to get your job done. If you've found an innovative way to address an old problem and it really works, share it with your coworkers so they know what to do, too. In order to please your boss, you have to show that you're a person he or she can depend on when it's time to do some extra work. Whether you're suddenly in the middle of a complete work crisis or a project is just taking way longer than expected, you should be there to offer to help out, to stay late, or to complete the extra work that needs to be done. This shows your boss that you're really committed to your job instead of just being the person who counts down the hours until quitting time every day. Of course, you shouldn't be the person who gets taken advantage of every single time. Make sure your boss acknowledges your efforts and gives you extra compensation when you deserve it. When you do offer to help out and do more work, make sure you do it enthusiastically instead of begrudgingly. If you're offering to help but would rather go home and watch TV, then your boss will be able to see it in your face. Ultimately, the best way for you to please your boss, and to have the best time on the job, is to truly love the work that you do. If you're really committed to the mission of your company and love your job, then you won't have to try so hard to please your boss because being positive and having great ideas will come naturally to you. If you feel like you're faking it whenever you have to muster enthusiasm for your job, then this may mean that it's time to consider finding a more fulfilling line of work. Even if you don't love all of your job, it's important to find something to be excited about. If you're absolutely miserable at work, then your boss will be able to tell. If you love your job, you'll be more likely to offer meaningful suggestions, to give great feedback, and to be a great person to work with.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Advance your education. Participate in company activities outside of work. Build strong relationships with your coworkers. Be innovative in your position. Offer to do extra work when it's needed. Find meaning in your work.