First job rules
Discussion
Suppose you were starting your first job as a school/college/university leaver.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give yourself?
My niece is starting next week and I was trying to think of key advice. Here are a few I came up with:
Work is not a fair place. Get used to it. Injustices are everywhere and nobody is very interested if you don’t like it. You are certainly unlikely to be able to make any difference to it. Get your head down, work hard and go with the flow.
Work is not a fashion parade. Dress conservatively, keep the legs and chest covered. Make sure the make-up is simple and light.
If you have extreme opinions, keep them to yourself. You gave up the right to say what you think about men, immigration and religion etc. when you signed the employment contract.
The people at work or not like your mates from home or college. The people you work with may be nice but they are doing this to pay the mortgage and feed their family, and if things go wrong they will not hesitate to save their own jobs at your expense.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give yourself?
My niece is starting next week and I was trying to think of key advice. Here are a few I came up with:
Work is not a fair place. Get used to it. Injustices are everywhere and nobody is very interested if you don’t like it. You are certainly unlikely to be able to make any difference to it. Get your head down, work hard and go with the flow.
Work is not a fashion parade. Dress conservatively, keep the legs and chest covered. Make sure the make-up is simple and light.
If you have extreme opinions, keep them to yourself. You gave up the right to say what you think about men, immigration and religion etc. when you signed the employment contract.
The people at work or not like your mates from home or college. The people you work with may be nice but they are doing this to pay the mortgage and feed their family, and if things go wrong they will not hesitate to save their own jobs at your expense.
Surely most important is to be a true confidant of people. Don't gossip, and if you can't be nice about someone don't say anything at all (at least for a while)
Some people who you come to trust, ARE in fact gossiping behind your back, so just try not to say anything about someone you wouldn't say to their face.
t faced at office parties, it's not Uni anymore!SystemParanoia said:
Cover your back at ALL times and with EVERYTHING you do!
Leave a paper trail for proof that you're not at fault!
they're all out to get you!
I believe you've picked an apt username Leave a paper trail for proof that you're not at fault!
they're all out to get you!
However, this advice definitely has some truth in it. For important matter, try to use the email or leave some sort of paper evidence.
Work, like life, is a game of relationships.
The easiest way to progress is by working hard and building relationships with the people above you as well as your colleagues.
As above - don't shag about, don't play on your phone, don't get personal emails on work mail (at least for a while and work out what is acceptable), don't go on social media in work time, don't lie or more importantly don't get caught lying, don't dress like a tramp & most importantly of all make absolutely certain that your uncle posts a picture of you on a car related internet forum.
The easiest way to progress is by working hard and building relationships with the people above you as well as your colleagues.
As above - don't shag about, don't play on your phone, don't get personal emails on work mail (at least for a while and work out what is acceptable), don't go on social media in work time, don't lie or more importantly don't get caught lying, don't dress like a tramp & most importantly of all make absolutely certain that your uncle posts a picture of you on a car related internet forum.
Treat everyone you encounter how you would wish to be treated yourself. Even folk you may think you'll never see or have to deal with or work with again. In ten years in my industry it's amazing how job moves, re-orgs, people coming and going, adhoc project teams, and changes you couldn't predict happening, etc has resulted in me bumping in to the same folk again and again - sometimes as peers, rivals, equivalents in other companies, as supervisors or people I've had to manage.
Ok, I am here:
1. Work is not a fair place. Get used to it. Injustices are everywhere and nobody is very interested if you don’t like it. You are certainly unlikely to be able to make any difference to it. Get your head down, work hard and go with the flow.
2. The right attitude is worth a fist full of degrees and is better regarded by a boss with a team to run.
3. Remember that this is not school, college or university. You need to be as professional as possible in your dress, language and behaviour. This is a new and very different world, especially in your first job and in the first year. Your personal and reputation is being established for the rest of your career and stories about you being ruthless, rude, a slapper, childish, untrustworthy, stroppy or unprofessional are not something you want to follow you around.
4. Remember that work is an adult world, even if some people act like children at work. You should not be one of them. This is for real, and business is pretty unforgiving of people who get aggressive, openly angry, abusive, foul mouthed or storm out. There is not going to to be quiet chat and understanding teacher’s arm; you are likely to be dismissed. Keep a lid on the kiddie behaviour.
5. Don’t be a clock watcher. Don’t cut the commute to work too tight for time, arrive early so you are ready to start work in good time. Be prepared to stay behind to help someone.
6. Volunteer. One of the greatest assets is an employee who doesn’t need to be asked. Bosses love it as it makes their life easier and you want to be the bosses trusted safe hands.
7. Taking stuff from work is stealing. That includes sticky tape, post-it notes, pens etc. It also includes false expense and overtime claims. It doesn’t matter what other people do, when you get caught they will all deny it and you won’t be able to prove it. It matters not as you will be out the door without a reference, if you are lucky and the old bill are not called. Stealing from your employer ends up with a stiffer sentence and if it is significant (like false expense claims or lost of £££) you will be having a holiday in HMP.
8. Try to get on with everyone; don’t get sucked into cliques and ‘camps’. Having friends and allies at work is useful but friction can lead to someone leaving or being forced out and where will that leave you without your buddies?
9. Keep abreast of what is happening with your company. Visit the company web site, read the press releases and any important reports being published. It may not be entirely relevant to the job you have now but one eye should be on the next move.
10. If you have extreme opinions, keep them to yourself. You gave up the right to say what you think about men, politics, immigration and religion etc. when you signed the employment contract.
11. If you are offered training, take it, even if it means some time away from home or extra work at home. Work is a skills and experience based thing and the more you have, the more valuable you become. Check out what training is on offer and how you get on the course. Skills in short supply or which are really useful in the day job or for the next job are favourite.
12. The people at work are not like your mates from home or college. The people you work with may be nice but they are doing this to pay the mortgage and feed their family, and if things go wrong they will not hesitate to save their own jobs at your expense. Their loyalty to you extends only to the point where they have to take the blame, or lose their job or bonus.
13. Make sure you have the audit trail for all important decisions: the email or minutes from a meeting. When someone asks you for something that doesn’t feel right make sure you can prove it was them not you. You will find their memory fades when they are in trouble.
14. If your employer is an overseas company, learn a bit of the language. Enough at least to be polite to visiting staff.
15. If you have a personal problem which might affect your work, tell the boss earlier rather than later. Most modern bosses will be cool and will try to help.
16. Work is a business and people will sometimes be short or even rude to you over work issues. That does not mean they don’t like you as a person, so don’t take it personally and get stroppy or upset. Recognise the pressures they may be under and move on.
17. Mind your language. Swearing might be OK at college, at home or on Facebook but at work it is unprofessional and can lead you to disciplinary action. Beware slang that you and your friends may see as normal but which could be offensive. Just because older and more experienced staff get away with it does not mean you will.
18. Don’t spend your time moaning and criticising the company, no matter how bad they are. However poor they are, they pay your wages so keep a tight lip especially with people you don’t know well.
19. Work is not a fashion parade. Dress conservatively; keep the legs and chest covered. Make sure the make-up is simple and light. Looking like you are going for a night out or are Katie Price’s stunt double will frighten the boss and make enemies of all the frumpy women. You don’t need any more enemies.
20. The IT dept. can see your emails and what you are doing on the net, and so can the boss if it is in your contract. Don’t use your work email for anything very personal or your lap top/PC for watching porn or doing stuff you wouldn’t want the IT nerd and your boss to know. Same goes for the company mobile phone.
21. Don’t tell anyone at work anything which could seriously damage your job/career if it got out. Don’t be sexually explicit and don’t tell stories about the dodgy friends or family you have.
22. Don’t do anything illegal or grossly wrong and don’t get pressured into helping others do it or turning a blind eye. Getting the sack for dishonesty or gross misconduct is a sure fire way to spend time on the dole. If you see something going on which would get you the sack, tell the boss or the boss’s boss.
23. Don’t get drunk, either during the lunchtime or after work with colleagues.
24. Don’t gossip. There is a level of gossip that is useful in terms of knowing what is going on work wise but personal gossip can lead you to some nasty places. No boss likes having to sort out staff fighting over what was said about X on Facebook or in an overheard conversation. The more personal it is, the more trouble it will bring.
25. If you get unwanted sexual attention, politely nip it in the bud if you are really not interested. Avoiding it escalating is the best thing as technically sexual harassment is discriminatory and will lead the perpetrator and the company to court. It won’t do much for your reputation either. There will be reporting procedures if it doesn’t stop; follow them.
26. Don’t talk endlessly about your boy/girl friend, wedding plan, kids or dog.
27. Change your Facebook settings so that only friends see your posts, or create a work Facebook page if you want to continue to tell people how wrecked you got, how much sex you are having or how much you hate your job without the people at work seeing it. In fact never talk negatively about your employer, boss or colleagues on the internet because someone somewhere will see it.
28. Whether or not your employer allows use of your personal mobile phone at work, or access to web sites such as Facebook or Ebay, don’t use it. As a newcomer people will be watching you, so being seen texting the partner about what you are having for tea or spending work time on your personal things will be noticed.
29. Work is full of bullies and sometimes you can’t simply avoid them. If someone starts to bully you, for example by dumping their work on you, being overly critical or just plain nasty you should not simply hope it will go away. If you tell them you don’t like the way they are treating you and it doesn’t stop, then keep notes of incidents (including times, dates, witnesses)preferably at home not work and report it.
30. Look for ways to improve things; better, faster, cheaper. Think it through before suggesting change and get all the evidence you need to support your idea first. Beware, ideas are currency, so don’t go telling all your workmates unless you have to, for example if you need to check out if the idea will work.
31. Beware flirting. It can be fun but that sort of reputation is rarely useful unless you want a part in a movie. The days when you can flash your breasts/legs/pecs at people to get your own way are not over, they just get everyone into trouble and make vindictive people jealous.
1. Work is not a fair place. Get used to it. Injustices are everywhere and nobody is very interested if you don’t like it. You are certainly unlikely to be able to make any difference to it. Get your head down, work hard and go with the flow.
2. The right attitude is worth a fist full of degrees and is better regarded by a boss with a team to run.
3. Remember that this is not school, college or university. You need to be as professional as possible in your dress, language and behaviour. This is a new and very different world, especially in your first job and in the first year. Your personal and reputation is being established for the rest of your career and stories about you being ruthless, rude, a slapper, childish, untrustworthy, stroppy or unprofessional are not something you want to follow you around.
4. Remember that work is an adult world, even if some people act like children at work. You should not be one of them. This is for real, and business is pretty unforgiving of people who get aggressive, openly angry, abusive, foul mouthed or storm out. There is not going to to be quiet chat and understanding teacher’s arm; you are likely to be dismissed. Keep a lid on the kiddie behaviour.
5. Don’t be a clock watcher. Don’t cut the commute to work too tight for time, arrive early so you are ready to start work in good time. Be prepared to stay behind to help someone.
6. Volunteer. One of the greatest assets is an employee who doesn’t need to be asked. Bosses love it as it makes their life easier and you want to be the bosses trusted safe hands.
7. Taking stuff from work is stealing. That includes sticky tape, post-it notes, pens etc. It also includes false expense and overtime claims. It doesn’t matter what other people do, when you get caught they will all deny it and you won’t be able to prove it. It matters not as you will be out the door without a reference, if you are lucky and the old bill are not called. Stealing from your employer ends up with a stiffer sentence and if it is significant (like false expense claims or lost of £££) you will be having a holiday in HMP.
8. Try to get on with everyone; don’t get sucked into cliques and ‘camps’. Having friends and allies at work is useful but friction can lead to someone leaving or being forced out and where will that leave you without your buddies?
9. Keep abreast of what is happening with your company. Visit the company web site, read the press releases and any important reports being published. It may not be entirely relevant to the job you have now but one eye should be on the next move.
10. If you have extreme opinions, keep them to yourself. You gave up the right to say what you think about men, politics, immigration and religion etc. when you signed the employment contract.
11. If you are offered training, take it, even if it means some time away from home or extra work at home. Work is a skills and experience based thing and the more you have, the more valuable you become. Check out what training is on offer and how you get on the course. Skills in short supply or which are really useful in the day job or for the next job are favourite.
12. The people at work are not like your mates from home or college. The people you work with may be nice but they are doing this to pay the mortgage and feed their family, and if things go wrong they will not hesitate to save their own jobs at your expense. Their loyalty to you extends only to the point where they have to take the blame, or lose their job or bonus.
13. Make sure you have the audit trail for all important decisions: the email or minutes from a meeting. When someone asks you for something that doesn’t feel right make sure you can prove it was them not you. You will find their memory fades when they are in trouble.
14. If your employer is an overseas company, learn a bit of the language. Enough at least to be polite to visiting staff.
15. If you have a personal problem which might affect your work, tell the boss earlier rather than later. Most modern bosses will be cool and will try to help.
16. Work is a business and people will sometimes be short or even rude to you over work issues. That does not mean they don’t like you as a person, so don’t take it personally and get stroppy or upset. Recognise the pressures they may be under and move on.
17. Mind your language. Swearing might be OK at college, at home or on Facebook but at work it is unprofessional and can lead you to disciplinary action. Beware slang that you and your friends may see as normal but which could be offensive. Just because older and more experienced staff get away with it does not mean you will.
18. Don’t spend your time moaning and criticising the company, no matter how bad they are. However poor they are, they pay your wages so keep a tight lip especially with people you don’t know well.
19. Work is not a fashion parade. Dress conservatively; keep the legs and chest covered. Make sure the make-up is simple and light. Looking like you are going for a night out or are Katie Price’s stunt double will frighten the boss and make enemies of all the frumpy women. You don’t need any more enemies.
20. The IT dept. can see your emails and what you are doing on the net, and so can the boss if it is in your contract. Don’t use your work email for anything very personal or your lap top/PC for watching porn or doing stuff you wouldn’t want the IT nerd and your boss to know. Same goes for the company mobile phone.
21. Don’t tell anyone at work anything which could seriously damage your job/career if it got out. Don’t be sexually explicit and don’t tell stories about the dodgy friends or family you have.
22. Don’t do anything illegal or grossly wrong and don’t get pressured into helping others do it or turning a blind eye. Getting the sack for dishonesty or gross misconduct is a sure fire way to spend time on the dole. If you see something going on which would get you the sack, tell the boss or the boss’s boss.
23. Don’t get drunk, either during the lunchtime or after work with colleagues.
24. Don’t gossip. There is a level of gossip that is useful in terms of knowing what is going on work wise but personal gossip can lead you to some nasty places. No boss likes having to sort out staff fighting over what was said about X on Facebook or in an overheard conversation. The more personal it is, the more trouble it will bring.
25. If you get unwanted sexual attention, politely nip it in the bud if you are really not interested. Avoiding it escalating is the best thing as technically sexual harassment is discriminatory and will lead the perpetrator and the company to court. It won’t do much for your reputation either. There will be reporting procedures if it doesn’t stop; follow them.
26. Don’t talk endlessly about your boy/girl friend, wedding plan, kids or dog.
27. Change your Facebook settings so that only friends see your posts, or create a work Facebook page if you want to continue to tell people how wrecked you got, how much sex you are having or how much you hate your job without the people at work seeing it. In fact never talk negatively about your employer, boss or colleagues on the internet because someone somewhere will see it.
28. Whether or not your employer allows use of your personal mobile phone at work, or access to web sites such as Facebook or Ebay, don’t use it. As a newcomer people will be watching you, so being seen texting the partner about what you are having for tea or spending work time on your personal things will be noticed.
29. Work is full of bullies and sometimes you can’t simply avoid them. If someone starts to bully you, for example by dumping their work on you, being overly critical or just plain nasty you should not simply hope it will go away. If you tell them you don’t like the way they are treating you and it doesn’t stop, then keep notes of incidents (including times, dates, witnesses)preferably at home not work and report it.
30. Look for ways to improve things; better, faster, cheaper. Think it through before suggesting change and get all the evidence you need to support your idea first. Beware, ideas are currency, so don’t go telling all your workmates unless you have to, for example if you need to check out if the idea will work.
31. Beware flirting. It can be fun but that sort of reputation is rarely useful unless you want a part in a movie. The days when you can flash your breasts/legs/pecs at people to get your own way are not over, they just get everyone into trouble and make vindictive people jealous.
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