Copyright © 2016 by Kayla Buell

Published by Mango Media Inc.

Front and Back Cover, Interior Design, Illustrations, Theme and Layout: Laura Mejía

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

ISBN 978-1-63353-345-5

“There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it.”

— Judith McNaught

Dedicated to young people everywhere with big dreams.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Starting Off On The Right Foot

Talk to your boss about your career goals.

Dress accordingly.

Read up on your industry daily.

Learn some basic e-mail etiquette.

Take free training courses.

Arrive on time to meetings.

Give people a chance.

Get yourself some business cards.

Set up a 401k.

Getting People To Like You

Don’t make it seem like you’re perfect.

Be yourself, not a robot.

Have a sense of humor.

Don’t overshare your drunken weekend stories.

Be positive.

Use thank you cards.

Leave personal drama at the door.

Don’t eat other people’s food.

Making The Workday Enjoyable

Have a pretty desk.

Go for walks to clear your mind.

Don’t eat lunch at your desk.

Find ways to make people happier.

Learn to bake.

Earning Your Boss’ Respect

Do what you say you are going to do.

Ask lots of questions.

Never lie.

Ask for new opportunities.

Stand up for yourself.

Be mentally present.

Own up to your mistakes.

Offer solutions instead of complaining.

Dealing With Difficult People

Don’t make enemies.

Don’t kill anyone.

Learn from your terrible bosses.

Anything you put in writing STAYS in writing.

Don’t let haters bother you.

Accept the fact that you can’t please everyone.

Don’t take everything personally.

Staying Sane

Have something to look forward to outside of work.

Exercise.

Don’t be afraid to say no.

Prioritize your work.

Invest in a coffee maker.

Use your Human Resources department.

Growing as a Professional

There’s stuff to be learned from ANY job.

Ask for constructive feedback.

Join a committee and meet new people.

Ask people you respect for guidance.

Share your knowledge with others.

Embrace diversity.

Don’t be afraid to voice a different opinion.

You don’t need to be an a-hole to be taken seriously.

Managing Your Career

Understand how you’re most productive.

Recognize your weaknesses.

Keep a portfolio.

Have an updated resume available.

Success is never going to be handed to you.

Changing Jobs

Your first job won’t always be your dream job.

Make career decisions for yourself.

Don’t take jobs just for the money.

If you hate your job, don’t quit right away.

Leave jobs gracefully.

It’s never too late to change careers.

Acknowledgments

Author Bio

There you are–armed with a coffee mug and a smile, you walk into a small village of cubicles, hopeful that you’ll make a difference, make some money, or maybe just hopeful you’ll make it past the first six months.

As you enter into the corporate world, you’re excited, nervous, anxious, hopeful, and overwhelmed with the idea that you have no idea what you’re doing, which doesn’t take too long to confirm.

You realize that most of what you learned in school didn’t exactly teach you how to succeed in the office. You can’t even figure out how to properly adjust your office chair, let alone master the nuances of office culture complexities that make you feel like you’re working in a different country.

So only months later as you consume yet another piece of office birthday cake, co-workers pressuring it on you like the cool kids giving you a cigarette behind your high school, you realize that the “Freshmen-Fifteen” is nothing compared to the “Cubicle Cincuenta.” Now the cubicle chair you struggled to get just right becomes something you’re struggling just to get up from.

The job you were so excited about just months before starts wearing on you like each email in your inbox is a brick, encasing you in something with little chance for escape.

So you start secretly beefing up your LinkedIn profile, fantasizing about finding your dream job that won’t have any of these problems. Yet, with each job change (and most twentysomethings have quite a few) you start realizing that the same work problems are following you around like a sick dog that won’t go home.

How do you actually succeed at work? How do you thrive in the office and in your career, instead of sitting at your desk dreaming about taking a never-ending road trip where you’ll blog about avocados and somehow make enough money to never have to work again?

For years, I felt like crappy jobs were a quicksand I couldn’t escape–the harder I struggled, the more they sucked me in. I yearned to figure out the secret to truly finding career success, but how?

The Secret to Succeeding at Work?

It took me far too long to realize the secret to truly finding your dream job: Stop worrying about finding the right job and start worrying about your job getting the right you.

I felt like I couldn’t escape working numerous crappy jobs because every job I worked, I brought in a fairly crappy effort. I mastered the art of “Cubicle Work”–spreading thirty minutes of actual work to fill an entire day.

It took me far too long to realize that you can learn a lot even in a job you’re loving very little. But you have to be intentional. Stay focused. Millennials need to combine their love for innovation, creativity, flexibility, and meaning, with “time-tested” qualities like perseverance, grit, humility, and service. A twentysomethings best ally in the office is quiet confidence and humble consistency to show up every day and get the job done well.

Millennials’ anthem should be “HYBO”—Hustle Your Butt Off. As a generation, I believe we have huge dreams of making an impact, making a profit, or most of the time, doing both. Our big dreams are not the problem; the timeline for how quickly we think those dreams should come to fruition is. Don’t chase your dreams. Plant them in the best soil you can find and then water them every day with old school values.

Dream big, and be faithful in the small. Kick those millennial stereotypes in the butt before your employer throws you out on yours. Success happens in the details that no one notices. That’s why Kayla Buell’s Corporate Survival Guide For Your Twenties is so important and an instant leg up for any twentysomething Millennial looking to do much more than master “Cubicle Work” like I did. Having now spoken with hundreds of corporate leaders who are desperate to find twentysomethings who “get it,” Kayla Buell saves you needless hours and hardships in helping you understand, survive, and thrive in any office setting. Buell’s work-wisdom runneth over like a waterfall in this new book and it should be given out in every HR new hire orientation.

Don’t make the same mistakes I did in my twenties. Grab an army of highlighters and reference this book every day. Your dream job will someday thank you.

Congratulations! You made it! You got yourself a job! You worked on your resume for weeks, networked your butt off, and after a million and five interviews, someone decided to give you a shot!

The hardest part is out of the way, right? Now you can kick back, relax, and post all over Facebook the fact that you’re finally employed. You can dress up in nice suits, go to work, collect that paycheck, and life is going to be awesome!

Hah! Not so much. Hate to break it to you, but the hard work is just starting! Yea, you heard me correctly. Now is when things actually get tough. You landed the job, but now you have to live it every day, and doing that isn’t always easy.

Welcome to the corporate world, my friend! A world where things aren’t fair, some people are mean, and if you want to succeed, your boss has to like you.

Let’s face it, no one prepared us for corporate life. No one taught us the difference between carbon copying and blank carbon copying, and if you don’t know what I’m referring to by carbon copying, that’s exactly my point.

Should you speak up in meetings? Should you stay quiet? Are you allowed to be friends with your co-workers? Should you eat at your desk? What should you wear? And what do you do when someone blasts you via e-mail?

You’re going to have all these questions and more, I promise you that much. And while it’s not your fault that college didn’t teach you this stuff, there are things you’re going to have to know if you want to kick-ass in your career.

I’ve been surviving in the corporate world since I was 18 years old, and no, it hasn’t always been easy! A lot of this stuff I’ve had to learn the hard way, and by hard way I mean I’ve been called into the Human Resources office one too many times.

But I’ve learned a lot these past few years, and my goal here is to share with you some basic survival skills for the corporate world. Because when I landed my first job, I really wish someone had handed me a survival guide. Heck! I would have settled for a simple 30-minute advice session with anyone who’d been working for over a week.

But you don’t always get that, and you’re thrown off the boat expected to swim. I’m going to make sure you do. I’m not going to let you sink, because I want you to succeed. I want young professionals everywhere to show anyone who’s ever doubted us that we know what we’re doing and we’re going to make a difference in this world.

So I hope you enjoy the stories and the advice I’m about to share with you, and I wish you nothing but the best!

Talk to your boss about your career goals.

Okay, so your boss obviously liked you during your interview. I mean, you’re starting a new job, right? So that means that your boss thought you were somewhat smarter and better than the other applicants. Your boss decided to give you a shot. They decided to hire you. That’s awesome! You know what your goal is now? Making sure that your boss likes you for more than five minutes. Best of luck with that!

No but really, if your boss is a good boss, they’re going to want to get to know you a little, and while there’s no need to tell them that you occasionally spend your weekends upside down doing keg stands, it’s definitely the opportune moment to talk to them about your career goals. The truth is, your boss is either going to make you or break you. If your boss likes you, they’re going to give you new projects and they’re going to make it their mission to see that you grow professionally. If they don’t like you, eventually, you’ll end up quitting. That’s just how it goes.

But since it’s day one, chances are you haven’t pissed them off yet and they still like you. Which also means that they might actually care about what you want to do with your life. So let your boss know, right now, where do you see yourself in a couple of years? What kinds of projects would you like to handle? What are you passionate about? What are you good at? If you share these things with your boss, your boss might be able to help you somewhere down the road. 5 months from now, there might be a project that requires graphic design, and if you’re good at that and you’ve made it known, they’re a lot more likely to connect the dots than if you’ve kept your hobby a secret.

Dress accordingly.

I have a rule. If I look at myself in the mirror and for even 3 milliseconds wonder whether or not my skirt is too short for work, I get my butt back into my room and change. I don’t care how cute it is. I don’t care how trendy it is. I don’t care how great my Instagram selfies would look wearing it. There is absolutely no room at work for questionable attire.

Some offices expect you to show up to work in a suit and tie every single day. Others are a bit more casual. Every office is different. That’s something you’ll have to gauge for yourself upon arrival. However, there’s one thing they all have in common. No office wants their employees to look as if they’re ready to go out clubbing later that night. That much I can promise you.

If I can see your bra, that’s a problem. If I can’t see your bra because you’re not wearing one, that’s even MORE of a problem. Six-inch platform heels are not appropriate. Neither are skirts that hug your butt so tightly that you can’t grab any extra fabric at your hips. Oh, and check the slits on your skirts, too! You might think your skirt’s okay for work. You might even do that thing where you place your arms at your sides to see if your fingertips reach the bottom of the skirt. That’s great! But if the slit on the back goes way up your butt, you really need to leave it for another occasion. Perhaps Halloween, the one night that it’s become socially acceptable to walk around half-naked. So yes, please do yourself and your co-workers a favor and watch your slits. I cannot even begin to tell you how many things I’ve seen via those slits that I definitely could have gone my whole life without seeing.

Dressing professionally at work is non-negotiable. Sure, you can look chic and put-together and still rock the latest trend, but you can’t look like a stripper. I’m sorry, you just can’t. You should want to be taken seriously as a professional. You should want your boss and your clients to value your brain cells. You should want them to recognize you for your talents and your skillset, and they can’t really do that when they’re too busy looking down your shirt.

Read up on your industry daily.

If you want to succeed in your business, you have to know your business. Simple as that. Not just the textbook stuff, though. No, that stuff you’ve probably already learned in school (and forgotten at this point). But your industry changes every day. New stuff’s going on all the time, and new trends are always emerging. Better practices are constantly popping up, and the frontrunners in all industries often share their thoughts and ideas.

You want to know that stuff. You want to stay current in your industry. You want to know what’s going on, and more importantly, where your industry is heading. That’s something that will set you apart big time. Most employees are comfortable doing their job day in and day out. They’ve been there 15 years and know what they need to do. They’re good at it, even. But that’s not enough anymore.

The people and companies who succeed these days are the ones who can see where their industry will be 5 years from now. It’s the people who correctly anticipate the future that are most successful, and if you’re reading up on your industry all the time, chances are you’ll be a lot more in tune with the latest happenings than if you just go to work and do what you’re told. Besides, you want to be known as an industry expert. That’s how you move up in Corporate America. “Subject Matter Expert” is a new phrase that everyone’s throwing out there all the time. That’s what you want to be. That’s how you’ll get paid the big bucks, and honestly, you can’t live off of ramen forever!

Learn some basic e-mail etiquette.

LOL. WTF. FTW! HIMYM. Basically, that’s how we communicate these days! We text and we Snapchat, and e-mail’s just that thing we use to get coupons from all the stores we shop at, forever tempted to buy more stuff.

In the workplace, though, e-mail will likely be your primary method of communication. You’ll find that even people who sit right next to each other send e-mails instead of talking, something that I’ll never understand. Actually, I’m lying. I know why they do it. They send e-mails because e-mail’s the only way to cover your ass at work, something I’ll go over later. But anyway, if you want to survive in Corporate America, you need to know some basic e-mail etiquette rules so people don’t want to strangle you right off the bat. Here are some good starting points.

Have an e-mail signature: there’s nothing more frustrating than receiving an e-mail from someone, wanting to give them a call to clarify something, and not being able to find their freaking phone number. I mean, if you’re looking to really get on someone’s shit list, don’t include a signature. But if you’d like to stay in their good graces, apply an e-mail signature to all your e-mails. It’s simple, really. Just your name and your phone number will suffice. Every office is different though, so you might want to check and see if there’s a standard e-mail signature you’re expected to have. Some people add their titles, others add their company logo. But at the very minimum, your signature should contain your phone number or some other method of reaching you.

CC and BCC: Carbon copy and blank carbon copy. That’s what those letters stand for. When you cc or copy someone on an e-mail, it’s kind of seen as an FYI for that person. It’s not an e-mail that’s directed right at that person, nor do you require that they respond. It’s more of a “keeping them in the loop” kind of thing. When you BCC someone, you’re copying them on the e-mail so they see it, but the main person you send it to can’t see who you’ve blank copied. This is used mostly when you’re sending an e-mail to multiple recipients but you don’t want everyone to know who else is receiving the e-mail. Now, let me tell you something. Every day, probably even right now as you’re reading this, there’s someone out there who’s really upset because of an issue related to that cc field on an e-mail. It’s crazy, but I promise you it happens. I’ve seen grown people in tears or involved in near fistfights because of it. Let me give you an example… Laura is an employee, so is Charlie, and Mary is Laura’s boss. In this scenario, Charlie had asked Laura to take care of something for him a week ago and still hasn’t heard back from Laura. So what does Charlie do? He sends an e-mail to Laura asking for an update and he copies Laura’s boss, Mary. You guys, that is the quickest way to piss someone off in the work-world. I mean, if you hate someone and you’re purposely trying to raise their blood pressure, do that. It’s extremely effective. So before you copy someone on an e-mail, ask yourself:

a.   Is this something that they really need to know?

b.   Can I communicate this to them using a better platform?

c.   Is it necessary to copy this person’s boss, or can I get an answer by communicating with the employee directly?

Yes, sadly, this is one of those things that we waste our energy on at work. I’ve been in the workforce since I was 17 and even today, this is a giant puzzle to me. If you sit right behind me at work and instead of talking to me directly, you send me an e-mail copying my boss, I promise you, I’ll hate you forever. Unless it’s an e-mail saying how cool I am. That would be fabulous.

On a side note, I’d advise that you ask your boss what she’d like to be copied on. I’ve actually gotten in trouble before for NOT copying my boss on certain e-mails. When in doubt, just ask them, because no matter how hard you try, you can’t really win here. You’ll have managers that don’t want to be copied on ANYTHING because it clogs up their inbox, and you’ll have others that want to be copied on EVERYTHING. It all depends on their management style, and since you’re not a freaking mind reader— although most managers will expect you to be— it’s better that you discuss that up front.

Proofread your e-mails: When you’re typing up an e-mail, you’re probably typing a million miles a minute, thinking about everything you want to say, and also figuring out what you’re going to eat for lunch later. You’re also doing that thing where you’re typing and erasing and then typing and erasing some more, trying to formulate your e-mail in a way that doesn’t get you fired (when really, all you want to type are the words YOU. ARE. STUPID!)

With all the thoughts flooding through your brain, you’re very likely to use the wrong form of “there” or forget a word entirely, so you need to proofread your e-mails before you hit send. I’ve proofread e-mails right before sending them and I’ve honestly asked myself, “What the F were you thinking?” Like, they’ve been bad. Addressing the wrong person, entering the wrong numbers, that kind of bad. Or my personal favorite, the e-mail where I say, “Please see attached wonderful document that I’ve spent hours putting together for you, let me know what you think!” and then I forget to actually attach the damn thing. Minor details. So do yourself a favor and proofread everything you write, because I promise you, if you send out an e-mail and it’s got spelling errors, makes no grammatical sense, and looks like maybe a 2nd grader wrote it, the person receiving that e-mail WILL share it with all of their co-workers and you’ll just look like a total loser.

Take all the free training courses available to you.

Training courses can be expensive. But you know what? Good companies provide their employees with lots of them. Employers often times figure that the cost of training outweighs the cost of poor performance, so they invest in their employees and provide lots of training opportunities.

There are different kinds of training courses, though. There’s the traditional face-to-face training session where an actual instructor is teaching you, bringing back lots of high school memories. There are also plenty of webinars available that you can take in the comfort of your own home, on your bed, in your pajamas. Those kind of rock, obviously.

But regardless of the type of training, the point is this…TAKE ALL THE TRAINING YOU CAN GET! It’s free information, people! Why on earth would you pass that up? There are two types of people in the workforce. The type that gets an e-mail about a free training opportunity and automatically files it in the “Trash” and the type that gets the same e-mail and actually looks into it to see if they might benefit from it.

Guess which type your employer would prefer that you be? Guess which type seems more committed to their job? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. So show your new boss that you’re interested in learning all you can. If you have a one-on-one sit down with your boss, ask the question. Ask them if there are any free training opportunities available or if there are any resources available to employees to help them expand upon their skillset. Your boss might not know the answer, but he’ll be impressed that you asked, and he’ll know that you’re taking your job seriously.

Arrive on time to meetings and pay attention.

You have to be on time to meetings. There are ZERO exceptions. There’s nothing worse than when a meeting’s already started, people are in deep conversation, and then oh…look at that…someone’s walking in late. At this point, all of the meeting attendants are staring at the late person thinking, “Ugh, what a slacker.” Because that’s what you look like when you’re late to a meeting. You look super unprofessional and you look like a total slacker. Not to mention that you’ve now shifted the focus of the meeting from whatever important topic was being discussed to you and your late self. No one likes this, so plan accordingly and don’t be late. If you ARE for some reason going to be late, it’s a good idea to let the meeting organizer know that, due to your schedule, you probably won’t be able to make it on time. At that point, they can let you know whether or not it’d be worth it for you to attend, and at least if you are late, it’ll be expected.

Paying attention is just as important as being on time. Remember in high school when the teacher would randomly call on students and ask a question mid-lecture? Remember that time your teacher called on you and you hade no idea what what he was asking because you’d been staring off into space for the last thirty minutes, contemplating life, love, and all of your weekend plans? “I’m sorry, what was the question?” Yea, don’t let that be you at a meeting.

If a meeting’s being held, it’s because there’s something that needs to be discussed, or something that needs to be communicated (otherwise, there wouldn’t be a meeting in the first place.) So the point of you being invited to the meeting is for you to contribute and provide value. If you’re on your phone, answering e-mails, playing with your Apple Watch, or doodling pretty flowers on your agenda, making no effort to pay attention to what’s going on, why the heck are you wasting your time being there?

If you’re at a meeting, you’re expected to pay attention. It’s really that simple. But dude, I’ve been at meetings and witnessed the big guys— the Directors, VPs, and CEOs— scrolling through Facebook and answering e-mails. I always laugh when I see this, because it’s us young people that usually get the bad reputation of always being on our phones and not paying attention. But really, if even the leadership’s participating in that kind of behavior, what kind of example are they setting? It’s almost like they think that answering e-mails on their Blackberries during meetings makes it seem like they’re super important. We have so much to do, so we have to answer e-mails during meetings! Sorry but no, if you’re at a meeting, your focus should be on the meeting, that’s it. And if you’re just too busy and have too much to do, excuse yourself from the meeting, and have someone else fill you in later.

It’s called manners, people. Whoever’s holding the meeting put time, effort, and energy into making sure that it runs smoothly, so that person really deserves your respect. Think about it. How would you like it if you were holding a meeting, spent all night preparing for it, and all you see is the guy in the backseat with his head down sleeping, the guy in front of him drawing pictures on his notepad, the lady to the right of him scrolling through her Pinterest account and her friend next to her, reading and answering e-mails? You wouldn’t like it, would you? Nope, I didn’t think so. I know you’re dying to know how many people have liked the Instagram picture you just posted, but it can wait a little while longer, I promise.

Give people a chance. Don’t be so quick to judge others.

I’ll be the first to admit it. I’ve been the QUEEN of judging people. I mean, I’ve been known to look at someone and declare them an absolute jerk within 2.5 seconds of meeting them. I told you! Queen of judgment. If I like your face, you’re cool in my book, but if you just so happened to give me a nasty stare that day, I’ve forever declared my hatred towards you.

But I’ve definitely learned that you need to give people a chance. I mean, maybe that lady who gave me a nasty stare that day just got some terrible news. Maybe she’s having a rough time at home. You never know what other people are going through, so it’s really not fair to judge them right away.

I’ll never forget this one lady I worked with. I had never actually spoken to her, but man, I judged her so quickly. I didn’t like her. She was mean. She really didn’t speak much, so she obviously had no people skills, and I was sure she hated me right back. We were enemies in my mind, and she didn’t even know it. But you know what? I actually got around to talking to her months later and I genuinely liked her. She wasn’t scary like I had made her out to be, and there was actually a lot I respected about her. So there I was, talking crap about someone I hardly even knew, when I really could have spent that time getting to know her and building a friendship.

So give people a chance. People will actually surprise you. Before you decide that you like someone or not, get to know them yourself. Don’t listen to what your co-workers have to say, their experiences could be very different from yours. Give people the benefit of the doubt, and if after you spend some time getting to know them, you still think they’re mean or weird or anti-social, then fine. That can be your opinion of them. But everyone deserves a fair shot. You wouldn’t want people hating you the first day you meet them just because you’re younger or have a different fashion sense. Totally not cool.

Get yourself some business cards.

Nothing says you’re a legit businessperson like having your own business cards! I remember wanting business cards so badly while at my first couple of jobs. I wanted to be part of the cool-kids club, and having a business card was all it took to get in. To me, it meant that I had made it as a professional, and that I had some kind of authority. AKA: yes, I look like I’m twelve, but you need to take me seriously!

The problem here lies in the fact that not all employers will provide you with business cards. Especially if you’re just starting out. Oftentimes employers will wait until you’ve been on the job a few months to make sure that either a: you don’t quit, or b: they don’t fire you before actually investing in business cards. Those things cost money, you know?

But if for whatever reason you’re not given a business card, my suggestion to you is this: get some anyway, even if you have to pay for them yourself. Why? Well, because I already told you, it’s the easiest way for you to seem legit. Not only that, but if you want to have a happy career, you’re going to be doing some networking, and a key part of networking is having a business card to give other people when they meet you. Imagine this. You’re at a networking event talking to someone who could really impact your future. They’re impressed by you, and they ask you for your business card. Now what? You say, “Oh, I’m sorry, I ran out of my cards,” which by the way is code for I don’t actually HAVE business cards. And so that really important person just nods and walks away.

That would really suck! Bye-bye potential career opportunity! Now you’ll always wonder what could have happened had you been able to provide that person with your card. So be prepared for situations like that. Go out and at the very least get yourself a business card with your name, company, title, phone number, and e-mail address. Not only will it increase your chances of properly networking with others, but it’ll also make you feel a little badass. It’ll be that confidence booster you need when you look in your purse or on your desk. You’ll feel official and important, and you’ll see an increase in your job performance when that’s the attitude you have— when you take yourself seriously.

Set up a 401k. Right now. There’s nothing more beautiful than compound interest.

The smartest thing you can do the minute you start working is to open up a 401k. Don’t know what a 401k is? That’s fine. Open up Google, and search. Basically, it’s the best kind of savings account you can have. Not only do you put that money away, but based on how stocks are performing, the money grows much faster than it does in a typical savings account.

I started working at a big company just a few months before I turned 18, and as soon as I could, I set up my 401k. Yea, it made me a little sad when I saw that for every paycheck, there were a hundred or so dollars that automatically went into this super adult savings account that I could never touch, but today, it’s totally worth it. Sure, I still haven’t been able to buy those Louboutins that I absolutely adore, but over the past 6 or so years, I’ve watched that account grow and it’s amazing how quickly money accumulates in an account when you don’t touch it.

Today, I’m 25 years old with over forty thousand dollars in my retirement account. That’s really one of my proudest accomplishments. You want to know why? Because I’m doing a whole lot better than most people my age. Heck, I’m doing a whole lot better than most of the freaking country.

So do yourself a favor and set one of these magical accounts up. Invest in your future. Sure, you might have to cut back on going to the movies every weekend or Starbucks runs for a latte every morning, but in the long run, I think I’d gladly give up a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes if it means being able to retire early. What do think? Less money in your retirement account, more shoes in your closet, and working until you’re 75, or more money in your retirement account, less shoes in your closet, and actually getting to enjoy your life rather than dying at work? I think that’s a no-brainer.

HUSTLE HARD || No matter what you do for a living, be the best damn worker you can possibly be and put 110% into every single task you complete. Even if you’re not passionate about what you are doing right in this moment, the hard work you put in now will ultimately pave the way to pursue your dreams when the opportunity does present itself.

-Christina Tiplea

Embracing Simple

Don’t ever make it seem like you’re perfect.

I’m only going to say it once, but it’s super-important, so listen. No one likes a know-it-all. No one. No one likes the person at school who sits in the front row every day and raises her hand over and over again every single time a question is asked. So what makes you think anyone would like that person at work? It’s okay to be confident, and yes, you want to be seen as intelligent. But if you want people to like you, you need to make it very apparent that you understand you’re not perfect.

Letting other people know you’re not perfect and acknowledging your flaws is actually a super likable trait. Why? Well, because who’d want to work with someone who thinks they’re better than everyone? You want to know a little secret? Not even your boss likes that! We’re all human. We’re not perfect, and just like the next guy, we all have strengths and weaknesses.

So be humble. Instead of trying to prove that you’re better than your co-workers, get to know them, and ask for their help and advice. It goes a long way, especially for us young professionals. You don’t want to walk into work the first day and prance around the office thinking you’re God’s gift to the company. If you do that, you’re just asking for people not to like you. Your co-workers are going to instantly peg you as the new girl who thinks she’s all that, and no one’s going to want to go the extra mile to help you. And you’ll need the help at some point. So do yourself a favor and don’t make people hate you on day one. Maybe over time, they’ll still end up hating you, but you shouldn’t go into a new job and have people hating you right off the bat. Try to make it past day 3 without making enemies, okay?

Be yourself, not a robot.

People think that just because you’re at work, you have to act like some kind of corporate robot. It’s like, the minute you sit down at your desk, you can’t smile, you can’t laugh, and you can’t have any kind of fun. But how lame would that be? I’m sorry, but if I’m spending 8 hours a day in a place that’s not my house and I can’t wear pajamas, I need to at least be able to act like myself.

When it comes to getting other people to like you, you need to realize that it’s okay to be human in the workplace. No one wants to interact with a corporate robot, so don’t be one. Do you have any idea what people say about the person at work who never smiles, doesn’t say hello, and just sits at her desk all day without an ounce of human interaction? They say terrible things because no one likes her, and can you blame them?

Even though you’re at work, you’re allowed to have a personality. Is that totally mind-blowing, or what? I mean, think about it. If every single person acted the same exact way at work, how boring would our lives be? You can be smart, professional, and still have a personality. People do business with people. They make business deals based on good relationships with others. The guy sitting next to you might be three times smarter and put in longer hours, but if he has zero personality, zero social skills, and no one likes him, no one’s going to do business with him. Instead, they’ll do business with you.

Don’t be afraid to have a sense of humor.

This goes hand-in-hand with having a personality, but it’s worth mentioning. Having a sense of humor and using humor in the workplace can be extremely useful. The best bosses I’ve ever had were the ones that I found to be hilarious. I had a boss once that I could just laugh all day with and it was awesome. We’d go to meetings and someone would say something that made no sense, and she’d just give me that look that said, “Uh…what’s happening here?” and I’d have to stare at the floor, holding in my laughter. Those were good times.

But really, being able to laugh at work makes being there all day much more manageable. I think pranks are awesome too, by the way. This one time we took our coworker’s computer mouse and we put tape on the bottom of it and then we waited for him to get back to his desk. Let me tell you, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a grown man get frustrated because he can’t get his mouse to work! Just don’t do that to your boss, especially if she’s having a bad day.

Having a good sense of humor will also help you get through some really embarrassing times. Because regardless of how flawless and put together you think you are, I promise, at some point in your career, something really embarrassing will happen to you. If you have a good sense of humor, it’ll just be a great story to tell later on. If you don’t have a sense of humor, you might go home crying.

I, for one, could spend hours writing about my embarrassing stories. Like that one time in high school when my pencil fell and I reached over the side of my desk to pick it up and my whole desk fell on top of me, pinning me down on the floor. My skirt flipped upside down and everyone saw my underwear, including the deacon, who was teaching my religion class. That was pretty priceless.

And at work? Well, I fell at the bottom of the stairs once. Got my heel stuck in a crack on the sidewalk as I was coming down and completely ripped my pants. The butt part, to be exact. Damn, I really liked those pants. RIP, beautiful Banana Republic pants. Then there was that time I was in a training session and got really hungry, starving actually. I remembered that I had a pack of M&Ms in my purse, score! So I pulled them out and tore off the end and somehow, they all fell to the floor. One by one, bouncing, and bouncing, and bouncing all over the floor. As you can imagine, everyone stared at me. The room was totally silent except for the trainer who was conducting the session, and even he stopped to see what the commotion was about. So I just had to sit there like, “Uh…sorry guys…dropped my M&Ms! Proceed!” Yea, I really wanted to kick myself that day, but hey, you live and you learn! No more M&Ms at meetings!

Share your drunken weekend stories with your friends, not your co-workers.

You remember that one time you were out with your friends and got so drunk that you somehow wound up on stage at a strip club? That’s fantastic! Now keep it to yourself. While I’m all for socializing at work and developing good, positive relationships with your co-workers, there are certain stories that you should just share with your friends. I mean, you’re young, you’re bound to do some stupid stuff at one point or another, and yes, sometimes they make for some rather exciting stories, but the very last thing you want to do is share those stories with people you work with, even the ones you consider your friends.

You think I’m being a party pooper? That’s fine, I’ll take it, because if it means saving your reputation at work, then sure, consider me the biggest party pooper of all time. Think about it. You have a crazy weekend. You get drunk, wind up on someone’s rooftop, launching yourself into the pool, and then skinny dipping. So you decide to share that story with your work friend. Now let’s say that 6 months down the road, you and your work friend break up. 6 months down the road you get into a huge argument and now you’re not speaking to each other. Do you really want someone else at work having that kind of dirt on you?

I’ll make it really easy for you. The answer is, no, you don’t want that. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s okay to have a personality at work. You don’t need to be a corporate robot. But you don’t need to give anyone— especially management— any reason to believe that you’re not responsible. And as fun as it is sometimes to drink and do keg stands and flirt with cute boys, most drunken stories tell the same old story. One of a young twenty-something who’s not responsible, can’t handle his or her liquor, and really shouldn’t be taken seriously enough to manage a corporate account.

Being young, we already have a hard enough time being taken seriously. So please, don’t make it even harder for us by living up to the “irresponsible” stereotype. While it’s inevitable that you’re going to do stupid things at some point, do yourself a favor and save those stories for brunch with your long-time girlfriends. And when your co-workers ask you how your weekend went, tell them you were home with your cat watching Netflix.

Be positive.

You know that guy in your department who’s always bitching and complaining about something from the very first moment he walks into the building? Guess how many people like that guy? If there are three people out there who genuinely like him, I’d be surprised. Long story short, there’s enough drama going on at work without you constantly contributing to the negativity. Sure, the workplace isn’t always a magical, wonderful field of daisies, but rather than just pointing that out all the time, you should really try to make the best of it.

If you want people to like you, you’re better off being positive. Because as much as people do enjoy a healthy bitching session every once in a while, constant negative discussion is super unhealthy. It’s draining, really. Negative people are like legit soul-suckers. Not only does their terrible attitude make them seem really miserable, but you want to know the worst part? It’s freaking contagious! Hang around a Debbie Downer all the time and you’ll see what a drastic difference it makes in your attitude.

Now, I’m not saying you have to be a giant, shiny, annoying ray of sunshine who walks into the office singing songs and twirling up and down the hallways (no one likes that guy either), but do try to see the positive in things. It’ll make work a whole lot more bearable and you’ll find that people enjoy being around you a whole lot more.

Use thank you cards.

Alright guys, I hate to break it to you, but in the workforce, most of the time, people suck. You’re going to meet people who walk right past you without saying hi. You’ll meet people who slam doors in your face. When you call customer service numbers for help, most of the time you’ll be transferred to the most unhelpful people. I wish I could say otherwise, but I’d be flat out lying. The vast majority of people suck.

But every once in a while, you’ll encounter that magical unicorn of a person who’s actually nice. You’ll meet someone who goes out of their way to help you. Someone who– wait for it– OFFERS to help you. So when you meet someone like that, it’s worth recognizing their awesomeness, and the best way to do that is by sending a simple thank you card. Sure, a thank you e-mail will work too, but whenever you can, try to send an actual card.

You’re young, so people don’t expect you to know how to mail a physical letter, so when you actually do that, it impresses the hell out of them. Invest in a pretty Kate Spade set or run over to Target and pick up a few, and keep them on your desk for those moments when someone really deserves one. Not only will it make that person’s day, but it’ll also say a lot about the kind of person YOU are. It’ll say that you’re super classy, because not much is classier than sending thank you cards.

Leave your personal drama at the door.

We all have personal drama. There’s not much we can do to escape that. On any given day, we could be having relationship problems, money problems, issues with our kids, or in my case, issues with my cat. Maybe your mom is driving you bat-shit crazy. Maybe your baby daddy’s being an a-hole. It happens. We’re human, and we have lives outside of work. That being said though, no one wants to be sitting at work and have to hear their coworker yelling on the phone, dealing with personal drama.

So leave that stuff at the door. If you need to take care of personal issues, it’s better to ask your boss for a little time off of work to take care of your stuff than to have him walk by your cubicle to find you screaming on the phone and in tears.

Besides, haven’t you heard stories on the news about angry exes showing up at their used-to-be significant other’s workplaces going crazy? Yea, nobody needs that, so whatever you do, try to resolve your personal issues as peacefully as possible, and unless you absolutely HAVE to, never give your new significant other the exact location of your workplace.

Don’t eat other people’s food. The break room refrigerator isn’t a free buffet.

I kid you not, I’ve seen grown adults arguing over yogurt before. You see, most offices have some kind of communal refrigerator for employees to stick their food in. You bring in your lunch, you stick it in there, and come lunchtime, you retrieve your oftentimes not-so-delicious food. But imagine if the night before you packed yourself a really great lunch and you spent the whole morning looking forward to that pumpkin spice yogurt you miraculously found at the grocery store and when you go to grab it, it’s not there. You’re going to be pretty pissed off.

And you know what’s really going to throw you over the edge? When you pass by your coworker’s desk and you find a pumpkin spice yogurt half-eaten.

LOL you think this doesn’t happen? I mean, yea, common sense would dictate that NO, you don’t eat food from a fridge that doesn’t belong to you, but some people either don’t really know that or don’t really care.

So let’s just make this very clear from the start. The break room refrigerator is NOT a free buffet, and you can’t go eating stuff that doesn’t belong to you.

Well, I suppose you CAN, but if you do, know that you’re going to have other people yelling at you for half an hour, and then they’re going to tell the rest of the office what happened, everyone will think you’re super rude, and no one will like you.

HAVE NO FEAR || At my first job after college, I was prepared for a lot of the “big stuff” but not something as simple as…wait for it…the bathroom. I didn’t know where the bathroom was and whether I had to ask someone to take a break to use it— how silly is that? In addition, my biggest advice is to stay humble, learn everything you can, and do not let others take advantage of you. I was discriminated against and taken advantage of in one job and had to learn how to tactfully, confidently, and gracefully stand up for myself, even when I was terrified.

-Lindsay Rosasco

www.itssimplylindsay.com

Have a pretty desk.

Okay, so your office might be ugly. It might be old and smelly and your cubicle might even be older than you. But that doesn’t mean your workspace has to be horrible! You can make it as fabulous as you want to make it. When it comes to making your workday a little more enjoyable, one of the easiest things you can do is make your desk pretty.

I mean, it’s probably one of the few things at work you have some control over, so make it your own! What kinds of things do you want to be surrounded by all day? Do you want to stare at this super boring gray cubicle wall all day, or would it make you happier if you had pictures of your friends and the people you love all around you? Now, I don’t really know who’d prefer to stare at the boring gray wall, but I know I sure don’t! That’s why I went out and bought myself a couple of really pretty frames and put pictures in them that remind me why I’m working so hard.

Don’t feel like looking at anyone’s face all day? Okay, that’s fine too! How about some motivational prints? Get your butt over to Etsy, order some printables, and fill your cubicle with quotes like “Carpe Diem,” and “Your Dreams Only Work If You Do!”

You can also buy yourself a mug like the one I have that states very clearly, “This Might Be Vodka.” Because some days, I really wish that I did have vodka in there.

In addition to that, I’ve got pretty pink and gold Ban.do file folders, and Lily Pulitzer notebooks all over my desk. It’s my way of rebelling against plain, old, boring office supplies, and it also makes me happy just looking at that stuff! Gold Kate Spade stapler? Yes, please! Why? Who the heck cares why! It makes me happy at work, and that’s good enough of a reason for me.

Go for walks when you need to clear your mind.

Walking is good for you. Sitting in a chair all day is not. Sitting in a chair in a cubicle, straining your eyes from all the fluorescent light, while also trying to concentrate because the lady next to you is singing out loud for the whole office to hear is also not good for you.

So stand up every once in a while and go outside. Take a walk. Look at something that’s not a wall. Listen to no one. I don’t know, just look at any green nature stuff you can find. Look at how beautiful the day is and curse the fact that you’re locked up inside. (For real, though. Why does every perfect beach day have to fall between Monday and Friday? For once, can’t it just be pouring rain during the week and then absolutely gorgeous on the weekend? Is that too much to ask for??

But anyway, you’d be amazed at what a difference those walks can make. We all need them. It doesn’t matter if they’re 20 minute walks, 10 minute walks, or even 3 minute walks on your way to the cafeteria. These few minutes away from all the stress and noise will give you some time to center yourself and they’ll help you get back to work feeling refreshed.

And when you get really pissed off at someone, I ALSO recommend taking a walk. It’s a much more HR-friendly alternative to punching someone in the face. Believe me, I take lots of walks.

Don’t eat lunch at your desk.

You have five hundred things to do today, and between countless interruptions all morning, you’ve only been able to tackle two e-mails. Then, your stomach makes a funny noise. It growls, loud enough that your co-workers all turn around to look at you. What the heck’s going on?! You glance at your watch, and oh…it’s 12:30! It’s lunchtime! Where the hell has the day gone?

At this point, it may be tempting to just run to the cafeteria, pick up whatever sad meal’s being served that day, and bring it back to your desk so you can eat while you continue working. And while that may be what you need to do every once in a while when you’re trying to meet a deadline, please, for the love of God, DO NOT make that a habit.

You do not need to eat lunch at your desk. I’m serious, you SHOULD NOT eat lunch at your desk. There are even policies these days that have been written that say all employees need at least a 30-minute uninterrupted lunch. Why? Well, because you need some time to take a freaking break! You need some time to at least stretch out your legs and you need a few minutes to rest your eyes from looking at a computer screen all morning! Sitting all day at your desk is super bad for you! So take my advice and make your lunch break a little more enjoyable.

Whenever you can, go out for lunch. I don’t care if that means going out and grabbing a nice meal, or walking to the cafeteria, or even heating up your lunch from home and finding a nice place outside to eat it. Find some food, and eat it away from your desk. Having a proper lunch break to look forward to will definitely make your day more enjoyable, and you’ll get back to work feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of your never-ending inbox.

Find ways to make people happier.

Every once in a while, you’re going to have a really shitty day at work. If you’re lucky, the number of really great days will totally outweigh the crappy ones, but regardless, we can try to make the best of them. I’ve found that one of the best ways to make the workday more enjoyable is to try to find ways to make other people happier.

For example, if one of your co-workers really helped you out, recognize them for it. Send them a gold star. Nominate them for employee of the month. Let them know how much you appreciate them, because it’ll mean a lot to them.

And how about some humor? In my office, there’s one girl who every so often sends us e-mails with hilarious comics filled with workplace humor about needing coffee and not wanting to be at work. You know, it makes my day when I get those, because it reminds me that the people I work with are humans. We’re not robots, and we’re allowed to have a sense of humor. So next time you see something funny, share it with your co-workers, and if you know someone’s having a bad day, during your lunch break, go buy them flowers. Or ice cream. Ice cream’s always a good idea. It’ll brighten up that person’s day, and in return, it’ll make your day even better.

Learn to bake.

Nothing boosts office morale like homemade goods. I’m talking brownies, cakes, cookies, etc. There’s really nothing better than when a day is dragging and all of a sudden you get that one e-mail that reads, “birthday cake in the kitchen!” It’s that one moment in the day when it’s acceptable to not be at your desk and talk to your friends. What’s not awesome about that?

We all need that social aspect at work, so one way to make your workday more enjoyable is to learn how to bake. Go home, whip up a healthy batch of cookies made with whole-wheat flour and brown sugar (because if not, everyone in the office is going to end up weighing 200 lbs.) and take those babies to work the next day. It’ll brighten up everyone’s day, and it’ll give you something to look forward to. They’ll love the cookies, because if I’ve learned one thing at work, it’s that people love free food, and if you’re the designated baker in the office and repeatedly make delicious stuff, by default, they’ll love you.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE || Figure out what you love to do every day— what doesn’t feel like work to you. Then figure out how to make money doing that, but don’t worry about making a ton of money right at the start. That will fall into place if you’re really passionate and pour your heart into your everyday life.

-Alexandra Stark

My Urban Family

If your boss doesn’t like you, you might as well pack your bags. Because eventually, you’ll either a. be fired, or b. hate your life so much that you’ll just quit. I’m not lying. That’s how the corporate world works. So if you want your life to be somewhat pleasant, your number one focus at work should be making sure that your boss respects you. They can’t like you if they don’t respect you, and surely, if they respect you, they’ll like you. But before you go out there and think you need to bring your boss coffee every day and get their dry cleaning in order for them to like you, that’s not necessary. You can earn your boss’ respect without being a kiss ass. Don’t believe me? Here’s how you do it.

If you say you’re going to do something, do it.

Your boss has a thousand e-mails to go through. Your boss also has 3 back-to-back meetings, and a million other employee issues to deal with. So you want to know what your boss doesn’t have time for? Following up with you every day to make sure you did your work. If you say you’re going to do something, you need to freaking do it. When your boss assigns you a task or you volunteer for a project, you need to do it, and once it’s done, you need to communicate with your team and let your boss know that it’s been taken care of.

If you do that consistently, eventually, your boss is going to recognize that you get your shit done, and your boss won’t have to send you e-mails asking you for constant updates. You won’t get those annoying “Please advise on the status of xyz project” e-mails. Those are the worst.

So the next time your boss calls you into her office, she should be able to give you five million things to do, you should be able to tell her, “Consider it done,” and she should be able to get back to work, fully trusting that you’re taking care of what she asked for.

Ask lots of questions. Don’t worry about sounding annoying.

It’s a fine line we walk when we start a new job. First of all, we have no freaking idea what we’re doing. We have no idea what the processes are, what to do, and naturally, we need to ask five hundred thousand questions every other minute. At least, I do.

I must have been a very annoying child. I must have been one of those who always asked, “Why?” I don’t know how my mom didn’t put me up for adoption, but I’m sure she wanted to on some days. I’m always asking questions. I always need to know why I’m doing something. I need to know how one thing connects to the other. I need a big picture understanding before I can do even the smallest of tasks. So when I start a new job, or even when I start a new project at work, I ask a whole lot of questions.

So the line we walk on is having a whole lot of questions and being able to ask them without having our bosses think we’re annoying. But you know what? Screw that. You ought to be able to ask as many questions as you want. I mean, you want to understand what you’re doing, don’t you?

So here’s what I think. I think that if you want your boss to respect you, you SHOULD ask all the questions you need answers to. Because at the end of the day, I’m sure your boss would prefer that you ask questions and then do the job right than to not ask questions for fear of coming off as annoying, and then mess the whole damn thing up.

Any good boss will respect that you have questions. Any good boss will actually LIKE that you have questions and that you have a brain capable of asking them. So if your boss gets annoyed with you, the problem most likely lies with them, not you. In that case, don’t take it personal. Take your lunch break, eat some cake, and find someone else who’ll be able to help you out.

Never, ever, ever lie. If your boss can’t trust you, you might as well show yourself out the door.

You can’t lie to your boss. Like, really, you can’t. Here’s a scenario.

Let’s say you and Amanda are working on a project. Your boss calls you in to their office and asks if you sent Amanda the very important file that she needed. Even though you didn’t, you tell them, “Yea, of course I did. I sent it this morning.” Then, just as you finish blabbing this lie out of your mouth, Amanda walks by, and your boss calls her in to join you. Your boss says, “Amanda, Kayla was just telling me that she sent you the very important file! Why haven’t you worked on it yet?” Now you’re sitting there, having stuck your foot in your mouth, waiting to see how quickly you’re going to be called out for being a liar. Amanda’s like, “What very important file? I haven’t gotten any e-mails from Kayla.” Then your boss looks from Amanda to you, just waiting for an explanation.

Now you look like an idiot. You can do the whole, “OMG I’m so sorry, I really thought I had sent it,” but your boss is still going to think you were flat out lying to their face, which you were, and that’s never a good idea.

If you want your boss to respect you, the MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED is your boss’ trust. If your boss can’t trust you, your boss will never let you lead important projects, and your boss will never take an interest in helping you grow in your career. And you know why? Because your boss can’t advocate a liar. Who your boss chooses to help grow says a lot about her character. So if you want that kind of relationship with your boss, be honest. It might not be easy to tell your boss you messed up that excel spreadsheet, but I’m sure they’ll appreciate your honesty as opposed to using a spreadsheet that doesn’t make any sense at an important meeting.

Ask for new opportunities, don’t just wait for them to be given to you.

There are two types of employees. The type that’s okay with doing the bare minimum and collecting a paycheck, and then there’s the type that always wants more. Guess which type your boss respects more?

Ding ding ding! You got it! Your boss will definitely respect you more if you’re hungry and looking for opportunities to help in any capacity you can. Because really, there’s always plenty of work to be done. No doubt about that. So show your boss that you’re ready to take on new opportunities by asking for them. Yes, open your mouth and ask.

Your boss may be a lot of things, but they sure as hell aren’t a mind reader. If you want opportunities to grow and learn new things, you need to let them know. Not only does this usually give you the mental stimulation you’re looking for, but it also lets your boss know that you’re not satisfied simply warming up an office chair. It shows initiative and drive, and leads to your boss respecting you as a valued employee.

Stand up for yourself when you need to. Demand the respect you deserve.

No one’s going to respect you if they don’t have to. Especially if you’re in your twenties. Nope, people are often going to look at you and assume you’re either a. an intern, b. a volunteer, or c. the daughter of a friend your boss plays golf with. AKA: You don’t work here, and if you DO, you only got the job because of your connections. Apparently, the actual idea that you’re mildly intelligent and under 30 is just way too mind-blowing to fathom.

So respect is hard to come by. But if you want your boss, of all people, to respect you, you need to demand that respect, and you need to learn to stand up for yourself. Don’t let other people be condescending to you. Don’t let others talk over you. If you have something important or constructive to say at a meeting, say it.

Don’t be intimidated by your older peers at work. Remember, in work and in life, age is just a number. You could be dumb as a rock at 20, or you could be a freaking genius. You could be a kick-ass employee at 50, or you could be a total slacker. So put your age aside and prove all the haters wrong.

You are capable of great things, and if your boss hired you, then they know that too. So the next time someone makes a remark that makes you feel worthless, have the courage to stand up for yourself, because if you don’t, no one else will.

Showing up to work isn’t enough. You need to be mentally present.

I’ll admit it. I’ve had days at work that have been entirely unproductive. There have been days where I’ve gone to work and I might as well have stayed home in my pajamas because I literally did nothing. Nada. Not a single thing. Looking busy is an art, really. Just scatter a bunch of papers all over your desk, open up two or three excel spreadsheets on the computer, and every once in a while, squint really hard and get your face really close to the computer monitor.

But that’s not what you ought to be doing if you want to earn your boss’ respect. You can’t just show up to work and warm up a chair. That’s not enough. You need to be mentally present, and you need to be fully engaged. Just because you clocked in doesn’t mean you really did anything today, which is why I struggle big time with management that doesn’t allow their employees to work from home on occasion. They think the only way to make sure their employees are working is to have them in the office so they can supervise them. But again, you can physically be in the office with your butt in your cubicle and still do nothing all day.

Your physical location means crap. It’s really about where your mind’s at. So whether you’re working at your desk or at Starbucks or on your couch at home, make sure your brain decides to show up too.

Own up to your mistakes.

I’ve made a whole lot of mistakes at work. But I mean, who hasn’t? When you stare at numbers all day and do the job of three people all the time, as good as you are, you’re bound to mess up at some point. We’re not superhuman, and our bosses know that. That’s also why the first opportunity they have to hire robots, we’ll probably be shit-out-of-luck, on the streets, looking for new jobs. But for now, they don’t have robots, so we’ll have to do, and because we’re human, mistakes will happen.

The important part, and what our bosses are looking for, is that we as employees know how to own up to our mistakes. I’ve tried to do the opposite in the past, and let me tell you, it sucks big time. I’ve tried to pull some fast ones. I’ve messed something up, noticed it, had that “Oh, crap!” moment, and shut my mouth hoping no one noticed. But you know what? More often than not, that stuff always comes back to haunt you. You’ll think you’re in the clear and then three weeks later your boss will pull you aside and ask you how the hell you got your numbers for that report you sent in. Your boss will realize that spreadsheet you turned in makes no sense, and you’ll end up screwing yourself over because rather than fessing up and fixing it when it’s fresh in your mind, you’ll end up spending double the time fixing it weeks later.

Since I’ve learned my lesson the hard way, these days, I’m totally fine with saying, “Damn, yea, I messed that up… my bad… let me fix it and I’ll get it back to you.” That works a whole lot better. I own my mistakes and it’s a much better experience for everyone. There’s no need for the blame game. There’s no need to cover things up. All I need to do is admit that I’m human and not perfect and then work my butt off to fix it. That’s what adults are supposed to do, but let me tell you, having been in the workforce for over 7 years, it’s a very rare thing. But, as rare as it is, it’s definitely a way to show your boss that you’re an honest, mature professional, and that’s the kind of employee that deserves their respect.

Offer solutions instead of just complaining.

Your boss doesn’t want to hear you bitch. Your boss has forty-two thousand better things to do than to have you sit in their office and complain for an hour. Granted, your bitching may be warranted, I get it. That guy from IT really pissed you off. Your computer system never seems to be working. You’re drowning in work and you’re in desperate need of a vacation! These things happen, and yes, it’s occasionally good to let your boss know. But it needs to be done intelligently, or your boss will just think of you as an annoying, whiny complainer, at which point your boss will actually start avoiding you. I’ve seen it happen.

The next time you’re having an issue that you feel your boss ought to know about, ask to schedule a meeting. It doesn’t have to be long, just ask their assistant for 10 minutes of their time. When you do meet with them, let them know what’s going on like a normal adult. Don’t raise your voice, don’t throw a tantrum, and don’t become some totally exasperated freakazoid of an employee, because your boss is not a therapist. Talk to your boss like a professional. Then, follow the first steps of a basic decision-making model for solving problems, like this one that I learned from my favorite college professor:

Define the problem

In order to solve the problem, you need to know what it is. You’d be surprised how many times you find people complaining and complaining and they can’t even tell you what their problem actually is. So tell your boss specifically what’s troubling you, and then get ready to tackle it.

Generate Alternatives

Once you really know what the problem is, show your boss that you’re more than an immature complainer by actually offering different solutions that may be helpful. Let’s say you and your coworker are on the verge of a full-blown fistfight. Tension’s gotten that bad. What are some solutions? How about moving desks? How about moving to a different area of the office? How about moving to a different office entirely? Is switching departments an option that makes sense? What about having a one-on-one sit-down mediated by HR? What about limiting all interaction to e-mails? Every problem has several solutions, so brainstorm with your boss and let them see that you’re really looking to solve the issue, as opposed to just complaining about it.

BE YOURSELF || Motivation comes from choosing to work for a leader who inspires you and is willing to not only teach you but also support you when you make mistakes along the way. It is very difficult to change people’s behavior but you can influence people and adapt how you respond to them. Learning this early on in your career will save you a lot of nerves down the line! Being authentic and still behaving professionally are not mutually exclusive.

-Lisa Mangelsdorf

www.generationy.com

Don’t make enemies unless you absolutely have to.

In the sixth grade, I made my first enemy. She was one of the cool girls at school, and me, well, my only friend was the guy who sat next to me at lunch and loved to pick his nose. It must have been right after Christmas, because I went to school with my new Coach purse, which was like the hottest thing on the market at that time. One tiny detail though: it was a total knock off and I had no idea what Coach even was. So there I was minding my own business when the popular girls actually came up to me and said, “OMG is that a Coach purse?” And then I, not knowing any better, was all like, “Yea, I got it for Christmas! How cute is it?!” I was so excited to be making friends! Turns out those were the shortest friendships I’d ever have. Within 3 minutes of talking, their “leader,” let’s just call her Ashley, thoroughly examined my purse and decided that no, it wasn’t a real Coach purse and no, I wasn’t worth speaking to nor should I ever be spoken to again.

Class A jerk that little –12 year old– was. Anyway, from that point on, the cool girls avoided me like the plague. Once again, I was left to converse with Boogers “R” Us at lunch and Ashley was my enemy. But okay, for the most part, enemies in the sixth grade are pretty harmless. Sure, they’ll tell their friends not to talk to you and spread a few rumors about how you don’t take a shower and smell like horse poop, but other than that, they’re really not going to affect your life long-term. Enemies at work are a whole different story.

Unless you absolutely have to, try to not make enemies in the workplace because if you do, your life’s going to be pretty damn miserable. You see, the corporate world is really small. It’s possible that your enemy today could be your boss tomorrow, or maybe they’ll wind up sitting on the panel for that big interview you get down the road for your dream job. You never know where you might see that person again, and in the workplace, having enemies could cause real problems down the road. So go to work, do your job, and try not to start any drama. That’s really the best advice I can give you.

kill anyone. You’re going to want to sometimes, but don’t.

If someone at work could read my mind, I’d probably end up in jail. Because dude, there are days when I absolutely think about strangling people at work about 15 times. Strangling them, driving them out to a forest far away, and leaving them there, tied to a tree. It’s really tempting sometimes. Regardless of how wonderful you think your workplace is, eventually something’s going to happen that’s going to cause you to want to kill someone.

Maybe it’ll be your boss, maybe it’ll be a coworker, maybe someone from another department, or maybe even the freaking mailman. I don’t know who exactly but eventually, someone’s going to piss you off big time, and at that moment, you’re going to think of five different ways you can kill them. But don’t kill them. It’s not worth it. I’ve heard that jail isn’t fun, so rather than getting locked away forever, take the high road, always. And if you can’t do that, just walk away. At least if you’re far enough away from that person, you can’t punch them in the face.

Learn from your terrible bosses.

I’ve had terrible bosses. I mean, I could write a whole separate book just on my experiences with them. But as bad as they’ve been in the past, I really kind of have to thank them, in a sense, because they taught me exactly what NOT to do in a management role. It’s tough to go to work every day when your boss totally sucks. I mean, who wants to go to work and be constantly screamed at and made to feel inferior? Not me, that’s for sure. Who wants to work for a boss that forces you to work until 7pm every day and makes you come in on Saturdays? Nope, I’m not about that life. But if you can’t just get up and leave, you might as well make the best of it, and in this case, it’s learning what not to do.

I’ve sat in meetings with my terrible bosses, and I’ve observed their behavior. I’ve paid attention to how they talk to and treat their staff. And you know what? I’ve taken notes. Real notes on a notepad. Instead of writing notes about whatever subject we were discussing, my notes have included things like: Why on Earth is she talking to us like this? Why can’t she look us straight in the face? Why does everyone around me look depressed? Where is she getting her stats from? Why can’t she share with us the information she got from that meeting she went to? Why weren’t any of us included? Why hasn’t she asked us for our opinions? Those are the kinds of notes I’ve taken anytime I’ve been at a meeting led by one of my previous terrible bosses. Because you know what? It’s likely that your terrible boss will keep their job. Sometimes, it really takes an act of God for people in management positions to get the boot. So if getting rid of them isn’t a possibility, at least you can make the best of it by knowing that they are helping you in some way. They’re giving you the perfect model of everything that’s wrong with management, meaning that when the day comes for you to lead others, all you have to do is be the opposite of them, and you’ll be off to a good start.

Remember- anything you put in writing STAYS in writing. FOREVER.

You’re sitting at your desk, minding your own business, and bam! You’ve got a new e-mail. So you open it, and it’s from that guy you hate who sits across the hall, and he’s being a total a-hole. So your blood begins to boil and you can feel fumes coming out of your ears and you can’t believe he wrote an e-mail saying that you don’t know what you’re doing and he copied your boss. WTF?! So what’s your first instinct? I’ll tell you what your first instinct is. It’s to hit that reply button and tell him to go F himself.

All you really want to do is write back and say that he’s stupid and arrogant and that you absolutely hate his face. How the hell did he ever get a job here? So you start typing and every other word is an expletive because that’s how you’re feeling right now. And yea, you have every reason to, because he’s being a total jerk. But no matter how freaking angry you get, you can’t ever express your thoughts like that via e-mail, because anything you put in writing STAYS in writing, forever.

If you walked up to his desk and told him to go F himself in person, unless there were witnesses, he’d have a hard time proving it, and he’d have a hard time having you written up by HR. But you know what would happen if you sent a nasty e-mail about his complete and utter stupidity? He’d immediately print the e-mail, save it to his desktop, e-mail it to his personal e-mail account at home for backup, and then march down to your boss or HR and show them what you wrote. At that point, unless you want to try to argue that aliens hijacked your e-mail, it’d be pretty hard to deny that you said those things. In a professional setting, that’s totally unacceptable, and yea, it’s grounds for being written up. So don’t leave a paper trail. If you absolutely need to tell someone off, doing it in person is so much better if you want to keep your job.

Understand that some people will hate you for no reason. Don’t let them bother you one bit.

Sometimes, no matter how nice you are to someone, they’ll still hate you. It’s one of those mysteries of the universe I guess. So when that happens, understand that it’s usually not about you at all. Instead, it’s about the many issues that person has in their life. Who knows? Maybe you remind them of someone who used to bully them in high school. Maybe your killer fashion sense irritates them to no end because deep inside they always wanted to be a fashion designer and you remind them of the fact that they gave up on their dreams. Is there any way for you to know that? No. So is there anything you can do about it? No. Don’t let it bother you one bit.

One of the saddest things I’ve learned working in the corporate world all this time is that way too many people are totally unhappy with their lives. You can see it all over their faces, and it reflects in the way they interact with others. I go to work sometimes and with certain people, my one mission for the day is to get them to laugh. Heck, I’ll take a teeny tiny smile. But usually, I’m severely disappointed because I can’t even get that person to look at me. I used to take it personally. I used to think I was doing something that was pissing them off. Maybe I was the problem. But after years of self-reflection and pure observation of the humans I’ve worked with, I’ve realized it’s not about me. It’s about them. It’s about their dissatisfaction with their lives, their inability to connect with others, and in some cases, the bipolar disorders they haven’t properly dealt with.

So don’t take it personally. People will hate you. You’ll hear from a friend of a friend that so and so can’t stand you. Now, if you deliberately sabotaged their presentation or went up to that person and spilled coffee all over their desk on purpose, then yea, there’s a reason why they hate you. In that case, you need to try to be a nicer person. That’s all on you. But if you know that you’ve never done anything to cause them to hate you, you should just shrug your shoulders and get on with your life, because if someone hates you for absolutely no reason, there isn’t a thing you can do to change their mind.

Accept the fact that you can’t please everyone.

To a certain extent, I’ve always been the kind of person who wanted to please everyone. In school, I was always at the top of my class, and teachers loved me. That was the goal, right? To have your teachers love you, your parents love you, and to have friends who thought you were pretty damn cool. I wish I could say that the corporate world was that simple, that it was easy to please everyone and impossible to hurt other people’s feelings. But that’s not how it is.

In the workplace, there are way too many different opinions floating around everywhere you look. There are too many interested parties. You’ve got co-workers, managers, directors, assistant vice presidents, assistants to the assistant vice presidents, tons of different people with different ways of thinking. Some of them will like your ideas, and some of them will think you’re the stupidest person to ever step foot in the office. Some of them will think you’ve got potential, and some of them would be happy to fire you right on the spot. Some of them might love that project you put together, and some of them will think it was a disaster.

At the end of the day, you’ll always have mixed reviews, that much I can promise you. But you want to know what’s most important? You want to know who you really have to please at work? Two people, my friends… #1: you, and #2: your immediate boss. Yep, that’s it, you and your boss. If you’re happy with your work, and you can go to sleep at night knowing you’ve given it your all, then that should be enough. And if your boss sees that and sees your potential, you’ll be just fine regardless of how much smack the rest of the office talks about you.

Here’s a prime example of this: At work, you’re expected to answer fifty thousand e-mails in a day, especially since it’s our prime way of communicating these days. God forbid we actually have to pick up the phone and call someone! But anyway, we’re taught that answering e-mails in a timely manner is a good thing. I’ll never forget this one time I was sitting down minding my own business when someone I work with actually said, “This person I just e-mailed replied in less than a minute. He must not have anything to do.” At that point, I just threw in the towel. You see, you can’t please everyone! If you don’t answer e-mails, you’re a sucky employee, and oh, if for some crazy reason you answer them TOO QUICKLY, people assume you’ve got nothing to do. That’s the kind of BS that awaits you in the corporate world, my friend. Best of luck to you!

Don’t take everything personally.

There have been times when I’ve been a complete emotional mess at work. Someone once told me I was slightly off my game at a meeting I’d attended, and I went back to my desk crying. Not like little tears streaming down my face in silence. Nope, not like that. Instead, sobs upon sobs of just total defeat and failure. Yea, not one of my prouder moments, but hey, that’s how we learn. So yes, I have a tendency of letting my emotions get the best of me, and it’s something I’ve had to work on throughout my career.

I’ll blame it on my Type A personality. I’ll blame it on the fact that I sailed through my schooling with mostly As, maybe a few A minuses, with the exception of that one F I got in PE in 6th grade because I couldn’t serve a volleyball to save my life. Freaking volleyball! To this day, I’m still emotionally scarred from that serving test. But yea, I never got in trouble in school. I’d turn in an assignment and if it was returned to me with anything but an A, I was pretty damn shocked. I was good at what I did. I was good at being a student.

But at work, no matter how good a student you’ve been your whole life, like I’ve said before, you’re going to have bosses and other people who don’t like you. And even if they do like you, there may still be a time where you mess up on something, and your boss will feel the need to give you constructive criticism. When that happens, you need to take it like an adult, take it as a learning experience, and do not take it personally. Just because you messed up on a project, doesn’t mean that your boss hates you. In fact, if your boss is willing to give you constructive feedback, it often means that they actually give a crap about you and your success. So if you can learn to separate yourself from your ideas, it’ll help you down the road, and the next time someone criticizes your work, you won’t see it as a personal attack and wind up in your cubicle with mascara running down your face. That’s not a good look for anyone. It definitely wasn’t for me

ADD VALUE || When starting a new job, take the time to learn about the company, your group, the roles within your group, and how your role fits in (and can stand out). Everyone makes mistakes, including you! Acknowledge your mistakes, learn from them, and move on. Be humble, but also do not be afraid to speak up. Do your best to add value to every project, meeting, etc. that you’re involved in. Take your lunch break, a.k.a. a mental break— it does wonders for you and your work.

-Dani Senne

Have something to look forward to outside of work.

Going to work every day can be a total drag. I mean, you wake up, drive to work, sit in an office for 8 hours, then drive home. Then you sleep, and you wake up the next day and do it all over again. For some people, that really is their life. Throw an occasional office birthday party in there, but yea, that’s as exciting as some people’s lives are. But doesn’t that sound sad? If you ask me, yea, pretty damn sad. So when it comes to staying sane and surviving your day job, the best advice I can give is to make sure you have something to look forward to outside of work.

There has to be something— some kind of activity or something you’re really passionate about outside of work. Something that allows you to forget about work for even just an hour, something you can think about when you’re trapped in a boring meeting at work, something that gets you excited about the rest of your day. Maybe you’re an artist (unlike me… I can’t even draw stick people) and look forward to painting at the end of the day. Or maybe you volunteer a couple times a week for a cause you really love. Whether it’s painting or yoga or digital design, try to find some kind of interest that has nothing to do with your day job.

Because even if you’re one of the lucky ones who loves their job, there will still be a few days out of the year that are absolutely stressful and crazy and miserable. On those days, you’re really going to want something to distract you from work. Something that reminds you that work is a just a PART of your life, not the whole thing. Because you don’t want to be that guy that dies at work covered in papers in his cubicle and no one finds him until after a whole week’s gone by. You don’t want to be him. Instead, you want to be the person who gives 100% of himself while at work, but who also has a life completely outside of it. Someone who has friends and loved ones, someone who has interests and passions and, heck, even hidden talents that not everyone knows about. That’s what makes you interesting, and actually, it makes you a much better-rounded person. If you’re happy outside of work, you’re much more likely to be happy at work, and if you’re happier at work, you’re more productive and a much better employee.

Exercise.

There are so many studies out there that show how exercise is linked to happiness. I know this, because on the days when I absolutely want nothing to do with the gym, my husband throws those studies in my face, nicely, but still in my face. Exercising has been said to help relieve stress, and increase work performance, both of which are favorable outcomes when you’re trying to stay sane at work.

Let me tell you, one of my previous jobs was extremely stressful. So stressful that there were days I’d go home crying, and just the thought of going back into work caused me severe anxiety. Then I started going to the gym during lunch. I was fortunate because there was a gym in my same building, just one floor above me. I’d pack some gym clothes in the morning, and during lunch, I’d head up there for a quick 20-30 minute session. I’d do some rowing, I’d do some light weights, crunches, push ups, and then I’d stretch. I’d jump in the shower to rinse off really quick, put my work clothes back on, then I’d head back into the office. And you know what I realized? Those thirty minutes really helped me cool down from whatever stress I was dealing with earlier in the day. I would go back to work feeling calmer.

Releasing those endorphins really made a difference in the rest of my day. Whenever I was angry at someone or irritated by something, I’d work out all my frustration at the gym, and return to my desk a not-so-pissed-off human. So even if you can’t hit the gym during lunch, try to get some exercise in after work. It doesn’t have to be for an hour. I don’t love working out, so these days all I can commit to is 15 minutes. But you know what? That’s still better than nothing! Give it a shot. Go the gym, try kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, go for a run, whatever’s going to make you happiest (short of staying home and doing nothing). Once you do, assess how you’re feeling about that nasty e-mail you got earlier in the day. I bet you five bucks you’re going to be a little less stressed about it. And if you don’t, well, come find me in Miami and I’ll buy you a coffee.

Don’t be afraid to say no.

Of course we want our bosses to like us. We want our bosses to think of us as the best at everything, so we often make the mistake of saying yes to anything and everything that’s thrown our way. Outside of work, too. Your friends invite you out, and you feel like you HAVE to go. Your parents are throwing a fancy dinner for some people you’ve never met, and again, you feel like you HAVE to be there. At the end of any given week, you can have 15 different work assignments to complete and 5 other social commitments, and you know what that means? It means there’s no way you’re going to be able to accomplish all of it without having a meltdown of some sort.

You’re not superhuman. I repeat, you are not superhuman. You can’t do everything, and that’s really okay. The number one rule for staying sane as an adult is to not be afraid to say no. In life, and at work, one of the greatest strengths you can possess is the ability to know what you’re truly capable of accomplishing in any given length of time, and being able to say no when you’re at your max capacity.

Prioritize your work.

There’s one question that I’m consistently asked every single time I interview for a new job. The interviewer will always turn to me and ask, “How good are you at multitasking?” All employers are trying to do more with less. They’re trying to get more work done without having to employ a whole lot of people, which means that anyone who’s doing a job these days is most likely doing the job of 2 or 3 people. Because of that, we’re always going to have seven hundred different things to do, and our bosses are going to expect that they all get done. The key to managing your workload, and not just jumping out of a window, is prioritizing your work.

When you have tons going on and you don’t really know where to start, the best thing you can do is to ask your manager to help you prioritize your work. Tell her, “Hey, listen, I’ve got 10 different requests on my desk, fifty other e-mails to read, Ted from Accounting asked me to help him with a project” and then ask, “What’s priority? Is there anything you need me to resolve immediately?” This lets your boss know what’s really on your plate (because more often than not your boss has no clue how much work you really have) and it also tells your boss that you’re not just blowing it off. You want to get it done, but you know it won’t all get done today, so it gives your boss the opportunity to tell you what’s most important. Before you begin your day, think about it. If you can only accomplish three things today, what do those three things need to be? Start working on those, and if you finish, keep moving down through the rest of your to-do list.

Invest in a coffee maker.

I didn’t appreciate coffee until I started college. It wasn’t until I had 3 or 4 research papers to write every week that I began to frequent Starbucks more than my own kitchen. There’s something about coffee that makes me want to work harder, you know? Something about it that says, “You’re a serious businessperson and serious business people always drink coffee in the morning.” Fine, maybe I’m being a little ridiculous, but at this point in my life, I cannot function between 8 and 9am without some coffee. Nope, not at all, I’ve tried. I’ve told myself that I can’t be dependent on coffee to get my work done, I’ve tried weaning myself off of it. And on those terrible days when I’ve tried this, everyone around me has suffered! Because I’m just not a pleasant person without coffee. The mornings suck and I have no energy to do the things I need to do.

So I’ve given up. I’ll forever need my coffee to handle all the craziness going on in my life. The first step is acceptance, right? Yea, I’ve totally accepted that. So I buy cute coffee mugs for work and every day I fill them up. And you know what? My coffee helps me stay sane. It helps give me that extra boost of energy that I need to be productive, and for now, I’m absolutely fine and happy with my coffee intake. Maybe later on in life when I don’t have so much going on, maybe then I can try to quit.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. If it won’t matter 5 years from now, let it go.

If you want to stay sane in the corporate world, the number one thing you need to do is learn not to sweat the small stuff. Whenever I’m absolutely pissed off at work, I ask myself whether or not whatever it is that I’m going through will matter five years from now. If it does, then it’s worth getting upset about. But if it won’t matter in five years, like a nasty e-mail from a client or coworker, I try to let it go. It’s funny because whenever stuff like that happens to us at work, we get so caught up in our emotions that it feels like the worst thing that’s ever happened to us. We fixate on every single thing that goes wrong, and we spend so much mind power focusing on it. Later, when weeks or months have gone by, you can’t even remember what had you so upset. You want to know why? Because it really didn’t affect your life long-term. So if it’s not going to affect your life, don’t give it so much importance.

You want to hear some good news? I’ve messed up projects, I’ve stumbled on presentations, I’ve had bosses that absolutely hated me. I’ve fallen on my way into the office and ripped my pants. I’ve had awkward elevator conversations, I’ve accidentally made comments that offended people. I’ve forwarded e-mails to people who were never supposed to see those e-mails. I’ve had fights with co-workers. I’ve had my fair share of conversations with HR. I’ve had senior level executives write letters to management stating that my shoes were too high and I was breaking the employee dress code. I’ve been written up. There’ve been days where I’ve left the office absolutely exhausted and in tears, and I’ve cried in front of my bosses several times.

I’ve been through a lot at work. But you know what? I’m doing okay. I’m actually doing better than okay. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that everything is temporary. You might be going through a miserable time at work because your boss is a huge jerk, but eventually, that won’t be the case. Eventually, you’ll find a new job or you’ll get a new boss, but things won’t stay the same forever. When all of these not so great experiences were happening, in the moment I thought they were the worst things that could happen, and I’d feel sorry for myself. I’d think, “Gosh, my life is one giant failure.” But that’s not the case. You live and you learn and most of the things that we think are terrible don’t really end up affecting us long-term. You’ll be okay, I promise. Just don’t sweat the small stuff. It isn’t worth the energy.

Human Resources is just that- a RESOURCE. Use them.

When you typically think about human resources, you often think about either being interviewed, or getting fired. But in reality, there’s so much more to HR than we even know. Now that we’ve been hired, we tend to try to stay away from that department, because the thought of having to interact with HR would mean that we’re either in a whole lot of trouble, or like I said before, getting fired. But the human resources team is exactly what it claims to be – a resource, so you should really know how to use them. In most large companies, HR can provide you with tons of information about your benefits, your retirement plan, and they can sometimes even give you info on employee discounts. If your HR department is any good, they can also provide you with development opportunities and tools that you can use to become a better employee. So come on, HR isn’t always all that scary.

Above anything, members of HR teams are supposed to be employee advocates. Yea, sure, if you break the rules, they’re probably going to be the ones to sit you down and let you know that you have to go find a new job, but if you’re a good employee and you do what you’re told, they’re supposed to be there to help you. Of course, the only way that they can help you is if you ask for it. A lot of times, employees who are dealing with a difficult boss or a pain-in-the-butt coworker are often scared of going to HR with their problems. They’re either scared of their bosses finding out and then retaliating, or they’re scared to be seen as a “problem” employee. Neither of these should be the case. You should feel comfortable enough to approach your HR team with any kind of problem that’s making it difficult for you to do your job. If your boss is being an a-hole, if you’re having a hard time communicating with a coworker, and especially if you’re experiencing harassment of any sort, you should be able to march down to HR, and ask them for help, because that’s their job. That’s what they’re getting paid to do. So make them work, guys!

Your human resources department is a tool that you should feel comfortable utilizing. Need a good venting session? They’re there to listen and give you advice. Believe me, whatever it is you’re going through, I’m sure it’s not the first time they’ve had to deal with it, and it won’t be the last. So maybe, if you approach your issues like a reasonable human being, they’ll feel inclined to give you some good advice and steer you in the right direction. And if they don’t, then they suck, and you should honestly look for a new job, because an organization is only as good as its HR team. They’re the ones who create policies and enforce them, but if they’re not doing that right and they’re not holding people accountable for being nasty, then that organization’s bound to fail sooner or later. Jump ship while you can.

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES || You won’t get it right 100% of the time and that’s okay. You’re going to make some mistakes. You’re human. Learn how to fail fast. Never make the same mistake twice. Learn to problem solve and proactively offer solutions. Don’t make excuses. Test more, fail fast, and leave those who don’t behind as you soar. Do that and you will be an innovative, disruptive, and bold employee who is a true asset to any company.

-Kate Cook

Small Paper Things

ADAPT FAST || I think the most important business lesson I learned is that it is never what you expect it to be, and you need to find a way to adjust and enjoy your work time anyway, otherwise you will find yourself completely overwhelmed and disheartened. Working life isn’t always fun, but it gives us the tools to make the rest of our lives fun.

-Jessica Odgers

Acorns and Lemonade

Understand that there’s stuff to be learned from ANY job you have.

My very first job that didn’t include working for my dad was an on-campus job as a college admissions tour guide. I’d walk around the entire school showing prospective students and their families what our college had to offer. All of this in 90 degree Miami weather, for $7 an hour. Needless to say, there were days that I hated my job. But you know what? I learned a whole lot from that job. I picked up awesome communication skills and I learned how to interact with people. I got over my fear of public speaking, and I also learned that giving tours in 4-inch heels is not a good idea. So yea, despite how crappy my entry-level job was, I still learned stuff.

In one of my previous jobs, a whole lot of my time was spent walking from building to building, asking executives to sign papers. So many freaking papers! I was basically a mail carrier. At first, I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. Like, I went to college to deliver papers to people? Where the hell did I go wrong in life? I thought that job was a total waste. But you know what? I learned a ton from that job too. I learned the value of face-time with executives. I’d deliver their papers and in doing so, they got to know me and we built really great working relationships. So as much of a total waste as I thought this job was, I’m really grateful for it, because it definitely taught me some valuable skills.

You see, when I look back, even the crappiest of jobs that I’ve held have taught me something, and even the crappiest of jobs have helped me grow as a professional. You want to know what the norm is these days? Here’s what your life will probably look like. You’ll have gone to college for 4+ years, and then you’ll graduate. You’ll celebrate this accomplishment as much as you can. Then, if you haven’t already found a job pre-graduation, you’ll start applying all over the place. You’ll apply for management jobs because you’ll think yourself qualified. Again, you’ve been studying this crap for the past 4 years of your life, you know your stuff. But you’ll likely face rejection after rejection until, finally, you’ll take a job as a secretary somewhere because that’s the only job you can get that takes you out of the whole restaurant waiter/waitress scene. Luckily you have that Bachelor’s degree though, because these days, if you didn’t have that degree, you wouldn’t have even been hired as that secretary.

These days, as intelligent and fully capable as you are to really work and provide value to a company, more often than not, you’re going to start your career at the lowest end possible. You’re going to start as an admin or you’re going to work in the mailroom, but unless you venture out on your own, you’ve got to start somewhere. So you’ll start out as a signature-getter, like I did, and for a while you’ll think your job is a total waste of time. You’ll think you’re wasting your life away because you’re not doing anything significant and therefore not learning, not growing. But the minute you start thinking that, slap yourself in the face for me and snap out of it because I’m telling you, you can learn something from even the crappiest of jobs, you just have to be open to it. So when you find yourself thinking that your job sucks, after you’ve slapped yourself, ask yourself, “What can I possibly take away from this?” Are you learning to use new computer software? Are you learning a new skill? Are you learning how to multitask like crazy? Are you learning how to not be socially awkward around senior management? Are you learning how to be the fastest filer in the continental US? By now, can you recite the alphabet backwards? If you’re walking around your workplace and delivering mail, have you found the quickest routes to get where you’re going? Have you learned the names of all the important executives? Have you learned how to be really nice to people on the phone even when they’re screaming at you? Have you totally become a customer service rock star? There has to be something! You’re learning SOMETHING! So focus on those things, and make sure you put them on your resume. No job is absolutely worthless, and having any kind of job always looks better on a resume than unemployment (AKA: just chilling watching Netflix).

Ask for constructive feedback.

If you’re looking to grow in your career, one of the best things you can do is to ask for constructive feedback. Our bosses are usually under the assumption that their employees will know when they’re doing a good job. They’ll know it because their boss isn’t screaming at them. Those are the two options. Either you do a bad job and get yelled at or you do a good job and don’t get reprimanded in any way. Therefore, the absence of being yelled at is our indicator that we’re doing a good job. But I say that isn’t enough. Every time that I’ve entered a new job and my bosses have asked me what they can do as a manager to help me, I’ve always been very straight up with them and I’ve told them that I need a lot of constructive feedback. I need to know when I’m messing up, obviously, but I also need to know when I’m doing something good. And when I am messing up, I need to know what I can do or could have done to make it better.

Does it suck sometimes? Yea. I’ve been a straight A student all my life, I’m used to being the best of the best. So do I like hearing that I’m not performing to the best of my abilities? No, I freaking hate it. But I’m also thankful when my bosses are honest with me because it means that I can do something to fix my performance, therefore growing as a professional. Now, if your boss just yells at you all the time and doesn’t provide you with details regarding what you did and how you can make it better, that’s not constructive. No, that’s something entirely different. That’s what a boss does when he couldn’t care less about your growth. But when a boss does see your potential and does want to see you advance in your career, believe me, she’s going to want to do everything she can to make you better. Even if it means telling you stuff that’s not easy to hear. Take all the feedback you can get, and roll with it. No matter how painful it may be to your ego sometimes, it’s really a blessing.

Join a committee and meet new people.

If you want to grow in your career, you need to know people. That’s how you open the doors of opportunity, and that’s how you show other people how awesome you are. One of the best ways to do that is to join a committee or volunteer for a multi-departmental project. If you work in a big company like I do, then you know that your own little department is just a tiny piece of the puzzle, so what better way to meet new people than to join a committee comprised of employees from lots of other departments?

Joining a committee can be fun. It can give you a break from your regular work, and allow you to focus on a particular interest of yours. For example, a few years ago, I served on my company’s employee advisory board, and that gave me the chance to nerd out over HR topics that I found really interesting. But hey, it was an hour a month that I got to feel like I was part of something bigger than myself, something that affected all employees, not just my particular department. It also gave me the opportunity to meet people that I would have never met otherwise, and that was cool, because every once in a while I’ll bump into one of them at a meeting or in the hallways and they’ll remember me from that committee and we have that shared experience in common. Who knows? They might sit on a panel interview one day for a job I’m applying for, and maybe they’ll remember me from that taskforce and that’ll work in my favor.

Find people who you respect and admire and reach out to them for guidance.

I’ve got a challenge for you. Once you’ve acclimated to your new job a bit, try to find a few people in your workspace that you respect and admire. Can’t think of anyone? Sure, sometimes it’s a little hard, but there’s got to be someone. Someone has to have certain characteristics that you respect or maybe it’s just someone who’s super smart. Once you find that person, reach out to them and ask them to help you. Ask them to give you some work advice. Ask them for some mentorship. What’s wrong with that? You think it’s super awkward? Maybe it’s a little awkward at first. For me, pretty much everything is super awkward because I’m a super awkward human being, but that’s an entirely different story. Point is, you might be afraid to seek some guidance. You might think that everybody sucks and no one would be willing to help you. But you’d be surprised. Every once in a while, you’ll find someone who’s willing to give back. Every once in a while, you’ll find an executive or a coworker who’s kind of a nice person and would love to do whatever they can to give you some good advice.

That’s how you grow as a professional. You learn to pinpoint the best people out there in your field and you study their behavior. You learn from their mistakes. You learn from their stories. If you’re lucky, at some point in your career you’ll have that, and that’s exactly why I started blogging in the first place. In 2012, I started by blog, Gen Y Girl, and I had no idea what I was doing. I’m not super tech-savvy, I don’t know HTML coding, so never in a million years did I think I’d ever have my own website. But I was experiencing so much at work and I had so many stories to tell, and I figured that I could help others by sharing all the craziness that was happening to me at work. That was the beginning of my millennial career and lifestyle blog which is a huge part of my life now. To this day, my favorite part of blogging is when I receive e-mails from readers telling me that what I wrote made an impact in their careers.

A few weeks ago, actually, something really weird happened to me. I got an e-mail from one of my readers, and she told me that she’d like to give me a call because she’d like to pick my brain a bit about work. At first, I was like, what the heck does she want to talk to me for? I’m maybe a few years older than her, but who the heck am I? I’m just your average twentysomething trying to make something of my life. It’s not like I’m some celebrity over here. But I told her it was okay, and she called me, and it was actually one of the best conversations that I’ve had in a really long time. She was in her senior year of college, and she was totally kicking butt in school. But she asked me questions about my career and about blogging, and you could tell that she was so curious to find out as much information as she could that would somehow benefit her in her future. I admired the fact that she took the initiative to contact me in the first place, and it was so obvious that she’s a hungry go-getter who’ll have tons of success in her life.

So as scary and awkward as you think it may be, don’t be afraid to reach out to others for help and guidance. None of us achieve total success on our own. Even the most successful people have had help along the way, so the sooner you can get that help, the better off you’ll be. Don’t let your ego stop you from professional growth. Don’t let your ego tell you that you know it all, because you don’t. And if for some weird reason you DO know everything, what the heck? Don’t keep all of that stuff to yourself! Give me a call and share the wealth, man.

Share your knowledge with others.

They say that one of the best ways to really master a skill is to teach other people how to do it. Likewise, if you’re looking to become an expert in your field, the best thing you can do is share your knowledge with others. It may seem counterintuitive, though. The selfish part of you wants to keep all your brainpower to yourself. But the more you share with others, the more proficient you become in whatever it is that you’re sharing, and you also establish yourself as a subject matter expert, which is a really attractive thing to put on your resume.

Despite all that, I’ve found that it’s really common in Corporate America for people to not want to share their knowledge. People are scared to teach others how to perform tasks that they know how to do because they’re scared that they’ll be replaced. They’re scared of losing their jobs. But dude, if I’m so easily replaceable, then hell, replace me. Fire me if you think that’s the only value I bring to the table. Someone who’s confident in their abilities and confident in their worth isn’t scared to share their knowledge with others. Instead, they know the truth. They know that the entire department thrives when everyone’s a whole lot more knowledgeable. So don’t be a knowledge-hoarder. Knowledge-hoarders really suck. Instead, teach other people whenever you have an opportunity to do so, and eventually, you’ll be seen as that go-to person. The one who always knows how to do stuff. The one who always has the answers. And you know what that ultimately makes you in the end? Someone totally fit for a leadership position. Doesn’t sound so bad now, huh?

Embrace diversity.

One of my favorite things about being on that committee I mentioned earlier was the fact that I got to listen to thoughts and ideas that were really different from my own. I know we tend to think that our thoughts are usually the best thoughts, but there’s something to be said about a group of people, in a room, of all ages, races, and backgrounds. There’s so much value in a thoughtful exchange amongst individuals, and it’s something that I think we don’t get enough of. Take school, for example. We grow up in a school system where we’re pretty much in the same age category as everyone around us. So our thoughts are similar, our values are similar, and our experiences, in general, are also similar. But that’s not how the corporate world is. When we enter the workforce, we’re hit with a really hard reality— that the people who we’re going to have to work with are a whole lot different from us. For me, it was the age. I started working at a job where everyone was at least 25 years older than me. I felt like a baby fetus, and it was really hard figuring out how to interact with others. But the more I got to know my co-workers, the more I realized that we could learn from one another, and that’s exactly what ended up happening.

You’re going to come across people who are very different from you. You’ll be working closely with all sorts of people. Republicans, Democrats, vegans, vegetarians, people from this country, people not from this country, people who like kids, people who don’t like kids, people who went to college, people who never opened up a book after high school, rich people, poor people, poor people who married rich people. You get it? Lots of different people. But the beauty of that is that you get to take in so many different thoughts. So many different perspectives and ideas. The fact that you won’t always agree on everything isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Instead, it’s a real blessing, because being exposed to different thoughts will cause you to think. It’ll cause you to question things, to question your own beliefs, and that’s exactly how you grow not only as a professional, but as a person, too.

Don’t be afraid to voice a different opinion.

The corporate world can be a scary place sometimes. If I told you otherwise, I’d be a huge liar. So here I am, telling you the truth, and the truth is that it’s going to take a lot of courage to grow as a professional in Corporate America. See, most people want us to fit some cookie -cutter mold. They want us to just go to work, follow the rules, not question anything, all the while agreeing with everything the executives think or say or do. They want us to be “yes” men. They want us to go with the flow, and the minute we even think about going against the current, it’s really easy to get labeled as the problem child, the troublemaker. But you know what? I have a brain. I know, it’s shocking, right? So yes, I’m going to use it. And if, by using my brain to question things and offer different opinions and solutions, people in turn perceive me as a troublemaker, so be it. I can live with that.

Picture this. You’re at a meeting and your department’s trying to decide which of two processes to implement, Option A or Option B. You have a valid concern about Option A, but Option A is the process that the Senior VP of the department recommended. So your entire department is at the meeting and your boss calls for a vote. He asks that everyone in favor of Option A raise his or her hand. You know what tends to happen? People tend to go with the majority. In psychology, this is called “groupthink,” defined by Wikipedia as a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. A few hands go up in favor of Option A, and everyone else’s hands quickly follow suit. Why? Because it’s easier. It’s easier to side with the majority.

But is that really constructive? Does that make an organization better? Does that make YOU better as an employee? No, no it doesn’t, so don’t be afraid to voice a different opinion. That’s what separates us from robots, for crying out loud! Part of growing as a professional means having the courage to voice your thoughts eloquently, even if they’re unpopular or different from everyone else’s. Don’t let others bully you into staying quiet. You’ll regret it later on in life and you’ll kick yourself in the butt for not voicing your ideas and concerns.

Know that you don’t need to be an a-hole to be taken seriously.

People at work like to play this stupid game sometimes. It’s a game where the goal is to prove to everyone else how important they are, and you want to know how most people think they win? They think they win by being a giant a-hole. So you know what they do? They scream, and yell, and they embarrass people, all to prove that they’ve got authority of some sort. They belittle others, make condescending remarks, and are just giant a-holes in general. No other way to say it. They suck.

Too many people have the misconception that in order to be taken seriously at work, you have to be mean and nasty. They feel that they have to put others down to establish their authority, but when you really stop to think about it, isn’t that what bullies do? So, like, they’re so important that they have to BULLY other people into taking them seriously? There’s definitely something very wrong with that picture.

I wish it wasn’t the case, but when I actually find someone in a leadership position who isn’t a huge jerk, it’s such a breath of fresh air, because these days, a nice person of power and position is the exception, not the rule. I just don’t get it though, because the nice people, those are the people I have the most respect for. I mean, really, really think about it. If you have to lead by intimidation and fear and by being a total bitch, what the heck does that say about you? It says that you’re just another mean nasty person with an inflated ego and it also means that you have no business working with people.

Want to know a secret? You can be intelligent and smart and a valued member of a team and also be nice. I promise you, that’s a thing. It exists, and it’s an option. Nice and smart are not mutually exclusive terms, although based on people’s actions, you’d think that almost everyone missed that memo. So as you grow as a professional, remember that, because we don’t need another a-hole Vice president. We already have plenty of those.

BE PROFESSIONAL || 1. Be kind to everyone. You will have to work with them and at any point may need them to want to help you. 2. Leave your personal problems at the door, stressing while at work causes errors and it is a perfect time to take control of what you can control: your job. 3. Create solid relationships with co-workers so there is free-flowing advice between you and them. 4. Always document work; keep a paper trail (e-mails) of all communication in case someone drops the ball and management can see exactly where there was an issue. This includes writing an e-mail when you get off the phone saying “per our phone conversation…”

-Ally Fiesta

HydroSupraLicked

Understand when and how you’re most productive.

If you want to be a kick-ass employee and if you’re looking to have a kick-ass career, you need to have a really good understanding of your own productivity. What does that mean, exactly? Well, it means knowing when you’re most productive and what kinds of things motivate you the most. In a nutshell, it means studying your own behavior and knowing how and when you perform the best. I’ve done a whole lot of thinking about this, and it’s helped me tremendously, not only in my career, but in my personal life, too.

For example, I know that I’m not a morning person. If you try to give me a complicated task before 9 am, I’m likely going to look at you and laugh. I’ll put it on my desk, and I’ll get to it later. In the mornings, I like to get into the office around 8, go grab something to eat, and usually, I’m ready to start working at about 8:30. From 8:30-9, I read e-mails. I look for fires, things that are hot, usually e-mails from clients or vendors screaming about something or another. I tackle those. That half hour gives me some time to get organized, and I make my to-do list for the day. You see, I’ve learned that I’m super productive when I make to-do lists. There’s something about highlighting an item off that list once I’ve finished it that brings me a huge (and very strange) amount of satisfaction. It makes me feel like I’ve actually accomplished something, and since I’m super competitive, all my efforts go into finishing that entire list of tasks. Whatever, I’m weird, but I get stuff done!

So things like that are important to know. What hours are you most productive? For me, between 10 am-1 pm, I’m at my peak performance level. That’s when I like to take care of the big stuff. Things that are a little complicated, things that require a little more brainpower. The fact that I know this about myself makes it so much easier to take care of my workload. I know how to use my energy to my advantage, and as a result, I’m far more productive. Now it’s your turn. Ask yourself these questions. When do you work the best? When do you find yourself most focused? When are you just absolutely useless? It’s okay, we all have a time like that. For me, it’s usually between 3 and 4pm. I’m dead, my brain’s exhausted, and all I can manage to do on most days is stare at my computer and pretend to be busy. So ask yourself those questions, and if you don’t know the answers, study yourself for a bit. Keep a journal at work and record your feelings for a week or two. What was the highlight of your day? What was the worst part? Were you feeling motivated today? If you were, what made you feel that way? Did you feel like doing absolutely nothing? Why the heck not? Did you get enough sleep? Did someone say something to piss you off? Whether you like it or not, a lot of these factors play a role in your productivity. The better you know yourself and the better you recognize your optimal working conditions, the better you can make adjustments, take advantage of those things and then use them to get shit done.

Recognize your weaknesses and actively work on them.

I suck at a lot of things. I’m not great at verbalizing instructions, I can’t draw to save my life, and I also tend to overshare in conversations. I take criticism a little too personally (although I’ve gotten better), I can’t help but cry when I get really, really angry, and I also still use my fingers to count. Thank God for calculators, that’s all I have to say. So no, I’m not awesome at everything, and I’m very much aware of my weaknesses. As you grow as a professional, that’s one of the best things you can do— identify your weaknesses, and then work on them. You’ll be surprised at how many people completely miss the boat on this one.

You know, it’s easy to point out the things that you’re awesome at. It’s easy to identify your talents and your strengths, but it takes a little more effort to accept that there are things that you’re not good at. It’s not always easy to hear it. But if you’re smart, you’ll take it. You’ll do some deep reflection and learn to recognize your weaknesses, because until you recognize that they truly are weaknesses, there’s nothing you can do to work on them. Step one is always acceptance.

Once you’ve identified the areas you need to work on, you can then take steps to improve upon them. Say for example, you’re not very good at talking to people on the phone. If that’s the case, you can do a bit of research online and try to find some best practices for phone etiquette. You can also consistently challenge yourself to actually pick up the damn phone. Rather than letting the phone go to voicemail, you can challenge yourself to answer it, and put into place some of the tactics you’ve learned. You can then assess yourself and continue practicing. Same thing goes for public speaking. If that’s one of your weaknesses, you can volunteer whenever possible to practice that skill. That’s the only way you’ll get better. So figure out what you suck at, and work on those things. You’ll be surprised by how much progress you can make when you put your mind to it.

Keep a portfolio of all your important projects/accomplishments.

Something I learned really early on in my career is that at work, people tend to remember the times you messed up far more easily than they remember the times you kicked ass. For that reason, I keep a folder of all the times I’ve done really well on the job. I’m used to getting nasty, ungrateful emails most days, but every once in a while, I’ll get a really nice one, thanking me for doing a good job. Whenever that happens, I drag that email into a folder I have saved on my desktop so that if for any reason there’s ever a question about my job performance, I have proof that I don’t totally suck. Plus, it’s a total feel-good folder for days when I’m off my game. We all have those days where nothing goes right, everything goes wrong, and we leave work feeling like complete losers. On those days, before I start feeling sorry for myself, I open up that folder and I remember that I’m capable of doing much better.

I also keep a folder of all my important projects and accomplishments because if you’re looking to grow in your career, at some point or another, people are going to want to know whether or not you’re qualified. You’ll be up for a promotion, and people will ask you why you think you deserve it. You’ll be at a new job interview and your interviewers will want to know why they should hire you. In those moments, it’s easy to blank out. Let’s see… why should you hire me? Well, because I’m nice? Yea, having a portfolio of your best work saves you from awkward blank-out situations like that, and it also tells people that you take yourself and your job seriously.

So maybe you’ve written great content. Maybe you’ve created a new budget spreadsheet that everyone at your job now uses. Maybe that last report you gave your boss left him super impressed. Maybe the bake sale flyer you designed was a total hit. Whatever it is that you do, I’m sure you can think of a few projects you’re proud of. So gram them, stick them in a folder, and keep up the good work.

Have an updated resume available at all times.

You never know when a good opportunity will come your way. That’s what makes life exciting, you know? When it comes to your career, you never know when a new job opportunity will become available, so if you want to increase your chances of landing a great new gig, you need to have an updated resume available at all times. You might think that’s common sense, but it’s really not. It’s easy to get comfortable at a job and kind of just forget about it. Over the past few years, I’ve had several people ask me to help them with their resumes. They had all spotted a new job they wanted to apply for, and they quickly realized their resumes were ten years old. At that point, it’s usually a mission to update it. It’s definitely a lot harder to update a resume with 10 years of past working experience than it is to add a year or two of information. Trust me, doing it little by little will save you a lot of headaches.

Not only that, though. Having your resume ready and updated makes it a whole lot easier if you’re out at a networking event and someone says, “Hey, I think I have a job that’d be perfect for you. Send me your resume.” If you’ve got one handy, it’s just a simple e-mail to that person. If you don’t, it could take you a few days to get back to them, and by that point, who knows if they’ll even remember you. You’ve got to take full advantage of opportunities like that, so always be prepared. Otherwise, you’ll end up kicking yourself in the butt later.

Understand that success is never going to be handed to you.

I’ve given you a whole bunch of my thoughts on managing your career, but if I had to pick just one that was most important, it’d be this: success is never, ever, EVER going to be handed to you. You can’t just win the lotto, in terms of success. Even overnight sensations ultimately flop without hard work. If you want to be successful in life, and in your career, you have to work for it, and no, it’s not always easy. But a lot of people these days don’t want to work so hard. They don’t want to put in the effort that it takes to be successful, or they don’t even know how to get there in the first place.

In terms of managing your career, you have to do exactly that— manage it. You have to grab your career by the horns, figure out what you want, and then go for it. You’re not going to wake up one day, go to work, and be presented with a promotion. If that happens to you, please call me, because I’d love to work wherever you work. Really, please call me. But no, it usually takes a whole lot more than that. It requires effort and sacrifice and it also means having the courage to ask for the things you want. If you want a promotion, first you have to show your bosses that you’re very much capable of taking on more work, but then you’ve got to make it known that you’re going after that promotion. People aren’t mind readers, so if you’re expecting someone to just read your mind and offer you that new job or give you a bit more money, you’re going to be sad and frustrated for a long time. So do yourself a favor and actively manage your career. Give your job and your life everything that you have in you, and that’s how you’ll achieve success.

NETWORK! || Make connections! You probably already have businesses you’re loyal to and acquaintances you call on in times of need (think: photographer, hairdresser, lawyer, real estate agent, Portuguese speaker, priest). Now, get RE-acquainted in the context of your new position and place of employment. I’m not talking makin’ it rain with your business cards. You might not even have business cards. Just, as organically as possible, make yourself known. No connection is too small, in my opinion. Being someone who “knows people” is a fantastic asset and a really easy way to get noticed. The idea of professional networking can seem daunting and intimidating, especially for the introverted. But think of how many people you ALREADY interact with on a regular basis. I promise you, each and every one of those people, if given the right context, could be invaluable to you professionally.

-Beth Berger

Finding Delight

STAND OUT || When you’re just starting out in your career, work harder than you think you should have to. The workplace is competitive today, and there is always going to be someone willing to work harder and take on more projects. Be that person, and you’ll make a great impression on any employer!

-Erin Mellon

Very Erin

Understand that your first job won’t always be your dream job, and that’s perfectly okay.

Remember how I mentioned earlier that you should try to find people who you respect and admire? When you do actually find them, one of the best things you can ask them is how they started their careers. I love asking this question, because most of the time you’ll be really surprised when you hear their answers. Most people start off at the most unexpected of jobs, and after lots of years of hard work and figuring out what the heck they want to do, they land the jobs they’re at now. I think it’s really important to realize this. Most people don’t just graduate college and land their dream jobs. If they do, they totally got lucky in life, and maybe you should go hang out with them so some of their luck rubs off on you. But in all seriousness, your career path is really that, a path. It’s not necessarily always a career ladder. It’s not always a straight line up towards the penthouse office. A career path is more often like being thrown in the middle of a freaking cornfield. You’ll go left and right, up and down, maybe up again, two feet to the left and then you’ll move in a diagonal. Yes, your career path will often resemble a lame line dance, but that’s okay! I mean, we’re going to be in the workforce for a really long time, so how boring would it be if we didn’t mix it up a bit? Am I right?

When making career decisions, don’t make them for anyone other than yourself.

Growing up, I’m sure your parents had specific dreams and goals in mind for you. I’m sure they may have wanted you to be a lawyer, or a doctor, or take over their family business. That’s typical of them, and not necessarily in a bad way. Our families always want the best for us, and sometimes, they think they know more about our own happiness than we do ourselves. So they try to influence our career decisions, and they’re often disappointed when we veer off their pre-approved course. But that’s okay, they’ll get over it, because they’re family and that’s what families do. We get mad and then we move on, most of the time that is. Regardless, our careers are a huge part of who we are as people, and because it’s such an important part of us, you should only be making career decisions for yourself. You have to make decisions that’ll make you happy, because sure, your dad may want you to be a lawyer, but if you do that and you hate it, who’s going to have to deal with those feelings every single day? You, or your dad? Trust me, it’s not worth it.

I mean, it’s good to consult with others about your career goals. It’s good to get feedback from the people who love you the most. But when it comes to actually deciding what you’re going to do with your life, you need to look deep inside of yourself and understand what kinds of things are going to make you the happiest. You’re not always going to love going to work. Some days will be absolutely terrible. But if you choose a career path based on an understanding of yourself and based on an understanding of the things that you enjoy doing, you’ll likely find that the good days outweigh the bad. Earlier in this book, I mentioned that we can’t please everyone. That same concept applies here. Your mom may want you to be a forensic scientist, but if you can’t grasp and/or hate organic chemistry, what makes you think that you’ll enjoy doing that for the rest of your life? You won’t, so don’t sentence yourself to a life of career frustration just to please someone else. You’re the one who has to live with your career choices, so make sure you make those choices for yourself.

Don’t take jobs just for the money.

There’s a reason why a whole bunch of people decide to study law and medicine. Hopefully, that reason is because they love those things and hope to make a difference in this world. But I can bet you my left hand that there are a few people who pick these careers because their ultimate goal is to make lots of money. Would some of them prefer to be teachers? Maybe. Would some of them prefer to work at a non-profit? Again, maybe. But they don’t, because they’re chasing after money, and you know what happens when all you do is chase money? You end up regretting it later on in life.

When it comes to finding a job, you shouldn’t just be thinking about the money, because there’s a whole lot more to life than your salary. Sure, you need to make enough money to support yourself and pay your bills, but you don’t need to be making $100,000 a year to do that. Regardless of your salary, if you learn to live within your means, you ought to be fine, and instead of chasing jobs that you hate just for the money, you’ll instead be able to follow your passions and do the kinds of jobs that you actually like.

Besides, young people like us are changing the definition of success anyway. It used to be that the more money you made at a job, the more you were seen to be successful. These days, we’re asking ourselves more and more, “What does being successful actually look like?” The answer has changed drastically. These days, success looks different to everyone, and while sure, there are still some people who define success based on the amount of cash in their bank accounts, a growing majority of young people have a new definition of success. To them, success means having the freedom to do a job that they love, while still being able to pay their rent. To them, success means being able to work from home, and having flexible hours if they do have to go into the office. Success means being able to balance their home lives and their work lives and being able to produce results at work, while still being able to spend time with their families. So no, success isn’t entirely dependent on your salary anymore. Instead, when looking for a job, you should be figuring out what matters most to you. What do you value the most? Is it your salary? Is it vacation days? Flexibility to work odd hours? The ability to work from home? A job that provides you with tons of growth opportunities? There are a lot more factors to a job than just the salary, so don’t make the mistake of chasing after jobs just for that one reason.

If you hate your job, don’t just quit right away.

Over the past few years, I’ve thought about quitting each of my jobs about thirty thousand times. I’ve thought about marching into my boss’ office and telling her, “Peace out, I’m out of here, everybody sucks and I’m so over it.” We all think about doing this at some point or another, but if you’re smart, that’s not exactly what you should do. If you absolutely hate your job, you shouldn’t quit right away. Unless you’re being harassed in any way, there are other options. Instead of just walking out the door with no new job in sight, once you recognize that you hate your job and you’re ready to leave, spend some time sending out your resume while you’re still employed.

It’s a whole lot easier to find a new job when you already have one. It means that you can go after good jobs that really interest you, as opposed to having to settle for anything out of pure desperation. It also makes you more marketable. When you’re interviewing and your resume shows that you’re currently employed, it doesn’t raise questions about whether or not you were fired, and it also shows your potential employer that they need you more than you need them. You’re also in a better position to negotiate. So what do you think? You think you can stick with your crappy job a little longer until you find something new? Or do you think you’ll take the chance of leaving your job while hoping and praying that you can land a new gig soon? If it were me, I’d stick with the crappy job, because I can’t afford to be in a position where I’m stuck with no work. I don’t like Ramen Noodles, and the stress of having to find something new right away would kill me. Suck it up a little longer and focus on finding something that’s a good fit. You’ve dealt with your crappy job this long, what’s another month or two?

Leave jobs gracefully, without burning bridges.

When changing jobs, the number one thing you need to remember is that you don’t want to burn bridges. No matter how crappy your job is, you don’t want to leave on bad terms, because you never know if you’ll want or need to come back one day. Let’s say that you did the smart thing and you found yourself a new job while you’re still employed. At that point, you don’t just run out of there and never come back, not if you want to leave on good terms. Instead, you ask your boss for a quick meeting and you tell him that while you appreciate everything he’s done for you, you’ve decided to take a new job elsewhere. At that point, you also give your two weeks notice, letting your boss know that you’re not just making a run for it. During those two weeks, you’ll help get things in order, tie up loose ends, and even train your replacement. Doing so might not be the most fun thing to do, but it tells your employer that you’re a considerate human being who’s a respectable employee that they’ll miss. Leaving a job gracefully is extremely important if you’ll need career references in the future. If you make a mess leaving a job, you likely won’t want future employers contacting your former boss, and those references are important. So do your future self a favor, and leave on the best note possible. The corporate world is small, and you never know who you’ll bump into down the road.

Remember- it’s never too late to change careers.

Changing careers isn’t just for people in their twenties, remember that. As you navigate through the corporate life, know that it’s possible for you to wake up and decide that you want to do something else. Okay, so you’ve been at your job for 7 years, so what? What does that have to do with the rest of your life? Don’t be scared to jump ship. Don’t be scared to start something new. Remember, it’s about your happiness here, and it’s about finding a job that allows you to tap into your passions. It’s about living a life that you’re proud of. It’s about making a difference, and whether you discover that right out of college or 15 years into your career, you owe it to yourself to go after that.

Way too many people stay at jobs they hate because they figure it’s too late to start something new. Repeat after me. It’s never too late. The corporate world would be a better place if people were happier. It would be a better place if people genuinely enjoyed what they do for a living and felt content with their career decisions. But fear gets in the way most of the time, because like I mentioned earlier, most of us don’t land our dream jobs on day one. We land an okay job if we’re lucky, and rather than continuing to search for a better fit, we settle. People settle for jobs that don’t bring joy to their lives and as a result, they’re miserable. So don’t be one of those people. Don’t let fear hold you back. Throughout your career, take chances and when opportunities arise, jump at them. Sure, it’s a little scary to start new things, but do you know what’s even scarier? Settling for a job that sucks your soul and leaves you an empty shell. Change can be good, and it’s never too late for it.

RESPECT YOURSELF || No job is worth you stressing so much that you cry every morning and loathe your boss for being their sounding board day in and day out.

-Lindsay Flynn

www.theflynnigans.com

A whole bunch of people need to be thanked, because without them, this book wouldn’t have been possible. First of all, to my husband Joe, thanks for putting up with nights of me ignoring you while I wrote my manuscript. You’re kind of the best, and I owe you a Star Wars movie marathon. Love you tons.

To Paul, thank you for agreeing to be a part of this crazy adventure, for believing in my message, and for being an excellent example for twentysomethings everywhere. You rock.

To my parents, thanks for always pushing me to go after my goals. Mom, thanks for listening to me complain about work for way too many hours and for always being on my side. Dad, thanks for showing me what it looks like to work hard for everything you have, and most importantly, thanks for teaching me the ladder story.

To all of my family and friends, thank you for your love and support. Thanks for totally liking my Facebook status when I announced that I was writing this book, and thanks for always being there for me.

I also have to thank all of my bosses and co-workers, even the ones I haven’t liked very much. Everything I’ve learned about the workplace I’ve learned from the experiences I’ve had, good and bad, so without them, I wouldn’t know much about anything.

To Hugo and the Mango team, thank you for this amazing opportunity. You guys are amazingly talented, and it’s a privilege to have been able to work with you on this.

Last but definitely not least, I want to thank all of my readers over at www.lostgenygirl.com. I started blogging over 4 years ago, and I never in a million years thought that I’d have more than 3 readers. Thank you all so much for caring about what I have to say, and for letting me rant about random stuff. You guys are awesome.

Kayla Buell is a twenty-something millennial living in Miami, FL with her husband. She’s most notably known as the voice behind the blog: Lost Gen-Y Girl. When she’s not working on her blog or at her corporate job, you can find her with a glass of wine enjoying some Netflix or a good book.