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I recommend this article from Forbes regarding 20 things 20-somethings need to know regarding work and career. Others might add to this list or dump some.
I would add be nice to people. That is the single piece of advice I give to the students working in my office. No one is beneath you. Be nice to everyone. Each person has a role in to seamless functioning of the institution, and everyone deserves a baseline level of respect (unless they have done something to lose that, and even then at least be cordial). Does that mean I'm BFFs with everyone? Not at all. But I am friendly, pleasant, polite, and don't waste anyone's time.
Nice to the FedEx delivery guy? He will look out for you - he recently called every truck in town to round up shipping supplies for me when I ran out, then made a second stop at the end of his route to give me time to pack everything.
Nice to the materials delivery guy? You'll be one of the first people he delivers for, and he will put that case of printer paper where you need it rather than just dump it in the middle of the office.
And above all else, be nice to the office manager! The business manager in my department knows everything and everyone. I don't go to her with frivolous things, so she knows it's serious/important when I do ask for help. I also don't dump and run when I ask for help - I tell her what I need and why, then offer to do anything I can to help move things along.
I would add be nice to people. That is the single piece of advice I give to the students working in my office. No one is beneath you. Be nice to everyone. Each person has a role in to seamless functioning of the institution, and everyone deserves a baseline level of respect (unless they have done something to lose that, and even then at least be cordial). Does that mean I'm BFFs with everyone? Not at all. But I am friendly, pleasant, polite, and don't waste anyone's time.
Nice to the FedEx delivery guy? He will look out for you - he recently called every truck in town to round up shipping supplies for me when I ran out, then made a second stop at the end of his route to give me time to pack everything.
Nice to the materials delivery guy? You'll be one of the first people he delivers for, and he will put that case of printer paper where you need it rather than just dump it in the middle of the office.
And above all else, be nice to the office manager! The business manager in my department knows everything and everyone. I don't go to her with frivolous things, so she knows it's serious/important when I do ask for help. I also don't dump and run when I ask for help - I tell her what I need and why, then offer to do anything I can to help move things along.
Absolutely spot on. Be especially kind and generous to the boss' secretary. Amazing what that can accomplish.
I have seen and heard HM's post this.........................burn it to memory they don't care what you need they care about how you are going to make their lives easier and make them look good to their boss.
So show how your last job you increased revenue or improved efficiency, how you made your boss and dept more successful.
Absolutely spot on. Be especially kind and generous to the boss' secretary. Amazing what that can accomplish.
It's amazing some people need to be taught this. When I went to sales training school for a company that sold supplies to auto repair and body shops we had to have this drilled into us. Was told that it's a pretty good chance the person working the front counter is the wife or daughter of the owner.
Also made sure that I grabbed a 6 pack of beer for the techs that worked for me at another job if they went above and beyond. Nothing says thank you like an ice cold 6 pack and well worth the $10 investment.
Yes don't talk down to the person at the front desk, befriend them, make them an ally because I have seen non hiring personnel get to chime in on who should be hired.
It has been said in many articles that the millennials tend to be a narcissistic and might not have the personal skills others take for granted. I tend to believe social media has helped produce that. People don't have face to face contact enough nor will engage anyone in conversation they do not know. Guess what, you don't know the interviewer or likely the future boss and you are likely to get that 1000 yard stare in your eyes.
I recommend anyone join a Toastmaster Club to learn to speak to strangers.
It has been said in many articles that the millennials tend to be a narcissistic and might not have the personal skills others take for granted. I tend to believe social media has helped produce that. People don't have face to face contact enough nor will engage anyone in conversation they do not know. Guess what, you don't know the interviewer or likely the future boss and you are likely to get that 1000 yard stare in your eyes.
I recommend anyone join a Toastmaster Club to learn to speak to strangers.
I would respond to this that rhetoric is always said about the next generation. Gen X were the slackers. I am sure the next generation will be as bad as millennials in the media.
"A New Job a Year Isn’t a Good Thing **– 1-year stints don’t tell me that you’re so talented that you keep outgrowing your company. It tells me that you don’t have the discipline to see your own learning curve through to completion. It takes about 2-3 years to master any new critical skill, give yourself at least that much time before you jump ship."
This one kind of hit home for me. I haven't spent 2 years at the same company for most of my career. I get bored doing the same work and same job day in and day out. It seems that jumping ship is about the only way for me to get a well rounded exposure to what's out there. The problem is, I have become a jack of all trades, but I haven't become a master of too many. I can do most anything required, but I am not the fastest, which is a problem when everyone wants a specific type of specialized worker.
Having said that, obtaining exposure to multiple areas greatly increases the number of jobs I can actually apply too. Companies usually pigeonhole their workers in my occupation. They get really good at one specific task. When they lose that job, many of them go months before they can find a job in their one little area. These types of workers also seem to learn new tasks slower than those who are always learning new things, another big disadvantage.
It really, really bugs me how articles like this assume that everyone is a morning person. I am not a morning person at all! The article claims that you are most productive in the morning. I am least productive in the morning! Even if I have to work until 3 AM, I am more productive then than I am in the morning. Why does everyone assume that everyone is a morning person??? That is my absolute pet peeve.
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What they should be focusin on really
