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Be there on time and ready to work.
Establish your appetite for hard work.
When someone needs help, always offer to help.
Start putting money into your 401(k) immediately and leave it there.
Don't be too quick to think that you will fix an unpleasant situation by moving to a new job.
Never quit a job until you have your next one.
Only work hard at the thing that will really pay off. Bottom line is you're going to be 10x more successful playing the political game than you are by just working hard and becoming valuable. When it comes for layoffs the guy who was massage the bosses rear for the last 5 years is going to keep his job. Guess who won't keep their job? The hard worker who just focused on their job, kept their head down, focused and Not playing politics
Yes working hard, keeping your head down and not playing IS for suckers in contemporarycorporate America. Because these people 9 times out of 10 get let go first before the office weasels and political players even if that means the company will get ran into the ground. I've seen this play out more times than I want to remember over and the last 10 years. Maybe it's different in small companies but big F500 every time this happens
Meritocracy doesn't exist in the modern corporate workplace anymore. It's a thing of the past. Kissing up, being "pretty" with a fake smile and a little bit of luck does. Far more useless lazy inept politicians keep their jobs than valuable hard workers
Don't buy into this tripe that working hard is for chumps.
Work hard, make a name for yourself, be reliable AND innovative, and don't justify slacking by blaming the company for your attitude problem.
^^This and know that it's not all going to be enjoyable. Every job has some crappy work involved. It might not be what you signed up for but if it's part of the job do it. From what I've seen good work and innovation IS rewarded. Your job may not be a passion but very few people are lucky enough to work at something that is their passion.
Stay away from the gossip and drama but be social. Every CEO, CFO and VP that I've met are good at networking. You don't have to be best friends with anyone but it helps a lot if you are friendly. You need to be good at your job AND good at networking to move up. From what I've seen they don't promote idiots even those with great social skills.
Finally, save for retirement now. Compounding is key and in 40 years you'll be so glad you did.
1. Never underestimate yourself;
2. Limit your loyalty;
3. Go where the money is;
4. Cross-train and put it on your resume;
5. Avoid Government service;
6. Take your job seriously;
7. Be friendly to your co-workers but not make them your friends. They are not your friends.
8. Be on time.
9. Never embarrass the boss in front of someone.
10. No whining.
11. If you are really sick, stay home. Co-workers do not want your illness.
12. Be kind to older workers, they were where you are now.
^^This and know that it's not all going to be enjoyable. Every job has some crappy work involved. It might not be what you signed up for but if it's part of the job do it. From what I've seen good work and innovation IS rewarded. Your job may not be a passion but very few people are lucky enough to work at something that is their passion.
Stay away from the gossip and drama but be social. Every CEO, CFO and VP that I've met are good at networking. You don't have to be best friends with anyone but it helps a lot if you are friendly. You need to be good at your job AND good at networking to move up. From what I've seen they don't promote idiots even those with great social skills.
Finally, save for retirement now. Compounding is key and in 40 years you'll be so glad you did.
This is true, but be careful and make sure you draw your own line in the sand as to how far you take this. If hard crappy work really means just that then thats fine, but if suddenly your being asked to do extensive travel and you have a family then hold your ground. Or if you are being asked to go to some crap hole with sub par accomodations. You have to learn, very quickly, the line between simply hard knarly work and exploitation. Some of the knarlyest hard work I have done has been very rewarding, and because it was knarly and difficult and no one else wanted to do it no one was on my butt micro managing my time down to the half hour, it got done when it got done. If you are just doing simple tasks then its alot easier for people to micro manage you. However, out of 12 years I only went to a dirty crap hole with questionable accomodations and dreary conditions like maybe 2 weeks in total in 12 years. Refusing to get on that plane may have indirectly lead to my lay off, but think of it this way, what if you metaphoricly suck a you know what and STILL get laid off ... let that sink in, you cant metaphoricly unsuck that, now you have to live with the fact that you got on your knees and still got the boot, thats a pill I will never swallow (no pun intended).
I am guessing no one feels the need to have "f you" money? Always contribute to your retirement but you can be laid off LONG before 40 years and you need a way to protect your dignity and quality of life in the event of treterous behavior, that could come 5-10 years in or less. If it comes a year in your kinda screwed, so hope that does not happen, however, if it comes a year in you just go back home.
Never let yourself be put in a position financially where you are starting to consider putting your family time second, doing something morally questionable or flat out illegal (I have been asked by a prospective employer to do somethng straight up illegal, I was silent on the line and asked the guy if he was serious, it was alot of money and I never imagined I would have ever been in such a situation, I did not take that job). Having to constantly travel every where while your family stays home, pretty soon your going to get divorce papers unless your wife is a eunch, they are making you travel becasue they want to stay home. Unless you are going to exotic locations with your wife for work its not a bennifit, dont do it unless its AWESOME money and your single still and bank that as f you money.
Last edited by pittsflyer; 10-27-2017 at 01:10 PM..
This is true, but be careful and make sure you draw your own line in the sand as to how far you take this. If hard crappy work really means just that then thats fine, but if suddenly your being asked to do extensive travel and you have a family then hold your ground. Or if you are being asked to go to some crap hole with sub par accomodations. You have to learn, very quickly, the line between simply hard knarly work and exploitation.
I am guessing no one feels the need to have "f you" money? Always contribute to your retirement but you can be laid off LONG before 40 years and you need a way to protect your dignity and quality of life in the event of treterous behavior, that could come 5-10 years in or less. If it comes a year in your kinda screwed, so hope that does not happen, however, if it comes a year in you just go back home.
Yes, everyone will have a line in the sand somewhere. I personally would not leave a job (unless I was in physical danger or asked to do something illegal) unless I had another one lined up. In the example about travel, if the travel is long term (instead of for a couple months) then IMO the person should look for another job and deal with the travel until he/she finds a new job.
If the "crap hole" with sub par accommodations were for a short duration, I'd personally suck it up and go. It's as you said, a matter of personal tolerance but I've seen a lot of posts on this forum that I was hired for X and now they want me to do Y (and Y isn't a horrible option). That sort of thing is fairly common especially in large corporations. Often the people who are the most flexible are the ones that are rewarded financially and move up in the company. If the person doesn't want to to Y then they should leave but since the premise of the OP was advice to someone starting out, I stand by my original comment, be flexible.
I think people should have an emergency fund to cover 6-12 months of expenses in case of job loss. Hopefully there is enough money to save for the emergency fund and put something towards retirement (even $25/mo).
Yes, everyone will have a line in the sand somewhere. I personally would not leave a job (unless I was in physical danger or asked to do something illegal) unless I had another one lined up. In the example about travel, if the travel is long term (instead of for a couple months) then IMO the person should look for another job and deal with the travel until he/she finds a new job.
If the "crap hole" with sub par accommodations were for a short duration, I'd personally suck it up and go. It's as you said, a matter of personal tolerance but I've seen a lot of posts on this forum that I was hired for X and now they want me to do Y (and Y isn't a horrible option). That sort of thing is fairly common especially in large corporations. Often the people who are the most flexible are the ones that are rewarded financially and move up in the company. If the person doesn't want to to Y then they should leave but since the premise of the OP was advice to someone starting out, I stand by my original comment, be flexible.
I think people should have an emergency fund to cover 6-12 months of expenses in case of job loss. Hopefully there is enough money to save for the emergency fund and put something towards retirement (even $25/mo).
There is a small flaw in this, that is, it may not be so simple to line up a new job. I think you need to save 5 years of income to live well so that you can quit a job WITHOUT another job lined up. You could be doing alot of sucking for a long time while you look for this elusive "other job", that is not good for your soul or your dignity. I agree be flexable starting off but if you have to get on your knees and do undesirable things make your compenstation is rapidly filling your "f you" coffers, because if its not your going to feel sick later on. If you are having to do undesirable things like crap hole traveling, you should be banking at least 2k a month, banking not making, otherwise its not worth it.
If things go south fast early on make sure you can go back home and look for new work. Never tolerate exploitation (unless the money is phenomial and you can build your f you fund in less than 2 years, 100k in the bank). IF they want you doing crap that they are not doing make them pay for it, if not go home and find a new job, dont sit there for a year and a half taking it up the rear end for marginal pay while you look for a new job with the whole 2 hrs a night they are giving you as you travel and work 10 hr days, just dont. The more people that tolerate this sort of behavior the more it emboldens corporations to exploit.
I suppose you could take the abuse for a few weeks/month and look for work and if you find something great, but you want a back plan to get out even if you dont find something. Never put youself in a position where you have to desperatly find something to get out of a hell hole. Always leave yourself an out and make sure the price tag matches the work.
Remember all that matters is the f you money and the relationship between work desirability and pay needs to be exponential function in order to ensure your f you money grows fast. And remember if nothing bad happens the f you money can roll right into retirement, you can put PART of that money into index funds or other fairly safe investment. I have often wondered why f you money is not a focus for alot of people, the fact that its not and if you have it puts you in a position of tremendous leverage, while eveyone else at your job is dropping to their knees with their mouths open when the market gets tight and the ax starts falling you can put your feet up on your desk (litterally) and be like peter gibons in office space, smile tell them you hope their firings go well and that your not going to the middle of the saudi desert near war zones for 180k a year lol, have a nice day.
Last edited by pittsflyer; 10-27-2017 at 02:17 PM..
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