Fresh out of varsity? Nail your first job

It is not about you.

It is not about your new pencil skirt or your designer high heels and handbag (be it real or fake.)

The greatest thing you will ever learn is to to work your butt off and get paid in return.

Dear junior, welcome to the working world.

You’re probably a millenial. You were born somewhere between the 1980’s and the early 2000’s. Communication is important to you. At school, you were encouraged to question things and to voice your opinion. You were made aware of your rights. Repeatedly. Parenting methods changed. A mentor approach was replaced with a cheerleader approach.

And you were taught that it was okay to pout.

We have a lot of work to do.

Eight things you need to realise NOW:

1. Work and achievement precedes being acknowledged.
2. Never reply to a task with reasons why you can’t do what you were asked to do.
3. Listen twice as carefully.
4. Speak half as much.
5. Criticism is not always a bad thing. It is an opportunity for improvement.
6. Everyone likes a humble employee.
7. Self confidence will get you there. Arrogance will not.
8. Take accountability for mistakes you have made. This shows that you have character.

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Get out of your safe place and go get ’em.