If my dad taught me one thing over the years, it’s always been that you have to work hard for success. When I was a kid it seemed like my dad was always working — he made time for us kids, no worries there, we just went to work with or for him — but he was ALWAYS working. He would get calls late at night that would drag him out to a work site and he wouldn’t return until early the next morning, crash on the couch fully dressed, and wake up again a couple hours later to shower, change, and head back out. He still does that now, even though he’s getting older and the kids have all (but one) moved out. He’s still out and moving, now in charge of the company he’s helped build to what it is today. He’s smart, he’s got the skills, but the biggest reason I think he’s found success in his own way is the fact that he shows up! He always shows up.

I’ve taken this to heart with each and every job or position I’ve taken. For me, it’s imperative that if you want the job, and you want the people who count to see you mean it, you show up, you stay late, you do whatever it takes to get the job done.Often, it’s the time you put in during the first few months that count the most: you’re learning the basics of your new job, the type of working environment that you are in, and proving that you should stay past the probation period.

Here are 3 reasons why your presence at work (whether you're sick or not) matters.

1. Show up early, and stay late.

This is crucial for making a good impression; it shows that you want to be there getting your work done. You may not be able to do it all the time, but I think you should never let your boss be in the office before you, and if you can help it, you should rarely leave before he or she does. When your boss walks in and sees you sitting at your desk already knee deep in the day’s projects, they are bound to notice. When they sign off for the night and you are just finishing up another project, they will know that you are serious about what you do.

Of course, you shouldn’t be staying late because you’ve been dawdling all day on your regular tasks, but this is a great time to go the extra mile. Try it, you’ll be surprised how many of your colleagues don’t use this simple practice to their advantage.

2. Go home sick, after you’ve shown up for work.

I don’t know about you, but I always feel guilty when I get sick, and worry that people think I’m playing hooky. Not to mention, sometimes you may feel sick first thing in the morning and then feel fine a few hours later. So, unless I’m vomiting all over myself and other horrible things which make it impossible to even get to work, I head out as usual and see how I feel once I’m in the office.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “Then I’m spreading my bug to all of my colleagues!” I’m not condoning going to work in dire straits — I’m just saying if you’re feeling under the weather, it’s better that you head in and tell your boss. They can see that you look a little pale and groggy, compared to if you call and fake a cough because you’re unsure if they will believe you or not. Then you’ve earned your sick day in my books.

3. Show up for EVERYTHING.

When I started my current position, I was showing up early, leaving late, sweating streams at my desk as I pumped through project after project and tried to overcome what I didn’t know and make better what I did. If I was invited into a meeting or presentation I made sure I was there, and if I needed to make up the time afterwards at my desk, I did.

Then the annual dinner came up where all of our customers attended as well as staff. It was a big to-do where relationships could be grown from formal meetings into casual conversations and friendships. And I got sick. Now, I know what I said a minute ago, but at the time everybody was scared of Swine Flu and so nobody wanted me around them, let alone eating dinner and drinking wine with them. I can understand that — but the missed opportunity came up all the time at meetings only letting up once I was able to attend the following year.

So for an entire year I was null on conversations about the dinner, how good it was, funny things that happened, and of course everybody seemed to forget I was sick; in fact, I felt people just thought I didn’t show up because I must not have felt like it (free fancy dinner and bottomless glasses of wine! Are you nuts?). It just took that much longer to build and work on my relationships both within the company and out. So I’m telling you, you have to work hard, but showing up is half the battle. jp