Congratulations! You’ve been hired. Hopefully, you are ambitious, naive, nervous, and eager to make a name for yourself. Chances are you accepted the offer because the compensation package was adequate to cover your rent. Think about becoming the future CEO. Why not have a dream, have the fire in your belly to be number 1?
Presumably, you researched the company before you applied. You wore your best outfit to the interview, you impressed the interviewer by looking them in the eye and convinced them of your work ethic and ambitions. Now, what do you do?
- Emulate the culture of the firm in dress and language, but always find a way to stand out a little bit. If everyone dresses conservatively, you should too, but wear colorful socks or pin a brooch on your black jacket. The opposite is also true; if everyone dresses informally, wear a blazer over your khakis.
- Dress sharp, look sharp, be sharp. IBM made its fortune with its people dressed in dark suits, white shirts, and neckties. Some things never go out of fashion, always have a dark suit/outfit in your closet.
- Work hard, be helpful, be considerate. As you walk down the office corridor, bend down and pick up the scrap paper that missed the waste basket. People will notice.
- After six months start looking at job posting that gets circulated around the office.
- Push for more responsibility, not for more pay. That will later when you do a good job.
- Regard your company as the place you want to work forever. You probably won’t stay forever, but you don’t have the time to be staring out the window.
- Be friendly with all around you. Attend all corporate functions.
- Never, ever, get drunk or rowdy at any corporate occasion casual or otherwise. People have long memories that have sharp edges if ever unsheathed.
- Play the corporate game, but always be your own person.
- Sit in the front row at any corporate affair where officers address the employees.
- Watch out for the blue crabs among your fellow workers. They will hold you down in the bucket by trying to embarrass you for your ambition. Remember blue crabs like being the bucket, their numbers make them feel good about their mediocrity.
- Being or getting into sales is the quickest way up the corporate ladder.
- Always be the optimist, even if you’re unsure about yourself. You can do it. If in doubt, take a Dale Carnegie course in the evenings.
- Feel you’re lacking some technical knowledge? Take a class or go for another degree. Many times your employer will defray the costs. Too tired to do extracurricular work? Go find a blue crab bucket; there’s always room for one more
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