By To commemorate my career journey with a new organization, I thought it would be fitting to have a career chat and share some professional advice you can take with you on your daily walk.
Now, building a career for yourself is a complex process that isn’t without its trials or challenges, particularly if you’ve taken the 9-5 route. Every organization has its rules and protocols to follow. Remember, you owe it to yourself to maximize your work experience.
HOW YOU SHOW UP IS IMPORTANT.
I can’t stress this enough. Starting a new job or even being promoted to a new position comes with feelings of uncertainty. Will coworkers like you? Can you effectively handle the job? These questions manifest in poor ways. You are there because you were chosen out of hundreds of other candidates to be there. Own it! Walk in it with confidence and make a commitment to yourself to give 100%. As long as you do your best, no one can come for you.
INVEST IN YOUR WARDROBE.
To be honest, I’m still working on this part and building my wardrobe piece by piece. Think about it. You will be spending 8 full hours per day working in an office. Comfort is necessary to your experience. But, so is confidence. When you feel better on the outside, it shows. Clothing is an investment. Carefully select pieces of good quality material. I can’t tell you how many times I wasted money on ‘impulse shopping’ only to give the clothes away months later. So avoid that if you can. Also, incorporate a mix of pieces into your wardrobe. Suits, dresses, casual slacks, blazers, and blouses are all staples of the workplace wardrobe.
MAKE FINANCE YOUR NEW HOBBY.
Raise your hand if you are living check to check (blank stare). In my early 20s, I did not care about savings, credit scores, 401k, investments, etc. Big mistake. Big. Huge! I cringe when I think of all the money I blew through and how a solid savings account could have saved me (see the pun? lol) during those times I had to transition to another job. The wonderful thing about current times, is the amount of free (and paid) support given on the web. If you are looking to get out of debt, try reading Dave Ramsey’s books or taking his wildly successful online course. If you are a newbie who is clueless about stocks but curious to get your feet wet, try using the Robinhood or Acorns app. Overall, it’s time for you to RESPECT THE DOLLAS. Why? More and more people are finding themselves paying interest on things they don’t even have anymore. That money could be used to travel, stack up for emergencies, share with someone in need, or invest in lucrative opportunities.
Do you know where your dollars go every month? Where can you save? How can you look into extra streams of income like a side hustle? Ask yourself these important questions and be intentional about your actions.
FIND WAYS TO GET BETTER ….EVERY DAY
Oftentimes, you’ll hear coworkers complain about their lack of pay or advancement within the company. Or you could be the very person I’m talking about. Either way, those that are successful don’t wait around for opportunities. They get proactive and ask questions like, “Does the company pay for continuing education?” or “There’s a new conference and I’d like to go to learn about XYZ.” Companies have budgets for this sort of thing. You can also find free programs online to enroll in for certificates in certain niche departments. Let your superiors see that you take your position in the company seriously and are committed to being an asset to the team. Keep a career log ‘aka’ journal of what you’ve been up to.
YOU ARE ALWAYS BEING WATCHED. SO CONDUCT YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY.
I’ll say this with startling clarity. Office drama exists. Petty co-workers exist. Cliques exist. Mean bosses exist. It’s all part of the experience of interacting with diverse sets of people. The thing is, you will spend more time with those you work with than you will at home. A very, very stark concept but nevertheless, it is a fact.
Now, here’s the deal. I subscribed to this particular mantra: I can only control myself. You owe it to yourself to be the best person you can be. This is not to say that you won’t have cranky days. But overall, regardless of how someone else chooses to act, check yourself. Be respectful, helpful, good natured, and overall professional. Set your bullshit detector on HIGH and steer clear of the drama. Adopt a neutral position but if it comes to it, let your opinion be known with zero apologies. Make friends, but understand the difference between a working friends and best friends.
When it comes to attitude, check your behaviors and words. Be willing to be a team player and exercise your strengths where they are needed. There’s a difference between taking one for the team and being used. Learn to notice the difference.
HEALTH IS A LIFESTYLE.
This is still a struggle for me and so many others. I wasn’t a big fan of coffee until I began working for long periods of time. However, I found myself reaching for a few cups of liquid ‘wake up’ in order to stay alert. Not good people! My other struggle involved sleep. As a self-professed night owl, I could literally stay up at all hours of the night. This is not good when you have a 5:30 AM call time. Say it with me:
SLEEP IS A MUST!
Someone mentioned how much stress we take our bodies through when we neglect to sleep, exercise, eat healthy or practice mindfulness. When you take your body through a process, the struggle is real! We like to put our health last and end up paying a mighty hefty price (literally) for it. We (and by we, I mean ‘I’) can be so stubborn when it comes to committing to a healthy lifestyle. But at some point you have to ask, what are the costs of NOT being in tune with your body?
DO NOT GIVE IN TO COMPLACENCY.
I remember the message on my fortune cookie had the words, “Do not get too comfortable.” I taped it on the front of my computer screen at my last place of employment. It served as a reminder to me that I should always expect the unexpected and most importantly find ways to get better every day. The hard truth is, things like layoffs or better opportunities, relocation, and life setbacks happen. It’s better to be prepared for them than to have these things lay you flat on your back.
So, how do you avoid being complacent in your career?
Keep your LinkedIn profile active and current. Make networking a part of your monthly to-do list. Send colleagues in other positions thoughtful notes or gifts. Stay in the loop on news in your industry.
Share Your Thoughts.
What do you think?