13 things you should know before entering the corporate world
Working in the corporate world has taught me a lot of things, sometimes in the hard way yet I still feel grateful for what life has brought to me so far.
1. There is nothing called “FRIENDS” in office
You can find potential business partners at the companies but they are not your friends, they will be with you as long as the “friendship is beneficial” and they will leave or even betray you if the “friendship is no longer favorable”.
No matter how close you are to other colleagues, keep your own personal life, dreams, future plans,… yourself and do not share with anyone at the workplace. You never know what how far those information would go and what kind of things they would with your “secrets”
It’s like people wear so many masks at work. You have to be careful.
But there is one exception: you can make friends, even best friends, after leaving that company
2. Work is just work, there is more to do in your life
Try to manage your tasks, leave at 6 pm or 5 pm (depends on the office’s hours). You might think that there are still a lot pending stuff so that you should stay a bit longer. Or maybe to impress the boss, working overtime, perhaps, a good idea. Or to be better at the job and be recognized by the company, working for more hours can give a help.
But NO, those thoughts are all wrong.
In fact, you can finish all the tasks within the working hours by wisely managing time and by saying no to waste – of – time and nonsense things. The most important thing is performance, result and these terms are not defined by how many hours are put in but by how much effort and how much “grey matter” are put in the work and how much value your works create, NOT by how many hours it takes to do it.
Spend after – work time to recharge, to learn something new and to take care of family, friends or your loved one.
3. “Support” is a sensitive word
Always know what is your main responsibility in the job and put it as your first priority.
Why?
Because people will take it for granted if you always say YES to all the “little things” they ask you for help. And you are not recognized for what you have done for others. Gradually, they will consider that it is “your responsibility” and automatically, you have to do more with the same pay or same recognition.
4. Once you take the task, do it extremely
If you do not agree with the current pay, you can either have a conversation with the Human Resources or the Managers for a raise or leave if you are not satisfied with what the company offers, no complaining.
If you cannot leave because of some personal situation, continue to fulfill all the work professionally. As long as you still work for the company and get pay from them, you still need to complete it with the best possible results.
5. No personal feelings or emotion at work
If you like or do not like someone, in person, keep that feeling yourself. The mission is to cooperate with the team, including those you like and those you dislike, and to deliver the most outstanding outcomes.
If you are heartbroken, running out of money or encounter any other not-related-to-work issue, try to not let them affect the job. If you feel like you cannot, then take some days off and make sure when you come back, you have to work. No one cares why you are sad, they just care if you can or cannot deliver the job.
6. You cannot please everyone
There are “eyes” and “ears” everywhere. Whatever you do, people always have something bad to say about . You just need to do what please you first as long as you harm no one.
7. Networking wisely
Do not accept every invitation or go to every party, choose wisely which person you should meet, which kind of event you should attend and how to build your own network, internally and externally.
Learn and practice how to brand yourself because you never know what kind of opportunity you can get from the network you have built.
8. Always control your emotion, do not “overacting”
Words have blades. If you feel angry, hatred or super excited, just let yourself know. When you feel like you want to shout at somebody, take a deep breath and think twice about any words you want to use.
Keep a neutral attitude in the office. You can master it by practicing. If you can smile or keep a neutral face in every single circumstance, no one can know what you actually think, you can go very far.
9. Be kind to people
There are coworkers that are good to you and there are people that are not good to you but no matter how bad some people treat you, just spread your kindness and your smile because good things are gonna happen. And do respect your superiors, your inferiors and your peers.
10. Always find a way to enjoy your works
On average, you spend 7 hours sleeping and 8 hours at your office place, nearly half your awaken – time. So working is an important part of your life, learn how to enjoy and make fun out of what you are doing.
There are times you might feel stressed or lost, keep believing that it is just temporary, all great things are waiting for you ahead. And always feel grateful because you have a job while there are tons of people out there.
11. If you cannot see a future in the company
When you did your best but still feel lost, then leave.
Do not be scared that you cannot do anything else if you throw yourself into the world. There are a handful of opportunities out there, you just have to be brave enough to try and turn them into your own successful story.
It might be because you stay at the same place, work the same job for too long, or it might be because people around you keep saying for a long time that you are not good enough. Do not worry, there are a lot of places that need someone like you. You will find yourself a “valuable asset” somewhere else.
12. If you are a sales, treat your customer honestly
Being a salesperson is always challenging but also interesting because you can meet a lot of great clients. Whatever you offer your customers, put yourself in customers’ shoes, think as if you are the one who pays – how you can utilize your money and how you can make the most out of certain resources.
When it comes to sales, always work with all your heart, put your enthusiasm and passion in the jobs, you will never know what you can get one day.
13. Never underestimate your own value and ability
Last but not least, you are not allowed to underestimate yourself. People have the right to say anything to you, but you are not entitled to do so with yourself.
You will be what you think. If you cannot find out yet, by keep looking and never lose your faith, one day you will.
