What are your best career tips?

**lorraineb** · 03-11-2014, 05:53 PM

Here are a few:

No matter what job you're doing, aim to be the best at the world at it. Your attitude toward your job will often lead or ruin chances at other opportunities.

Enjoy what you do or begin laying the foundation to get out.

Know what is important to you. The job that pays the most is not always the best choice to make.

Don't get tattoos that can't be covered with everyday work clothes, especially not on the face.

**Gailete** · 03-12-2014, 03:17 PM

Keep your private life private. Keep others private lives private. Don't be a gossip. Be as helpful as possible whenever the need arises whether with newbies or the old established employees. Be on time to work from the first day on!!! Be willing to stay those few extra minutes if needed, but do your own work so well that anything more than that isn't happening. Don't sit around talking about how much work there is to do and in the meanwhile not doing the work. That one used to really gripe me as I would see a co-worker working on his supplementary income paper route while neglecting to do the nursing job he was hired for. If you work in the medical field around sick people in any way, avoid smoking and perfume. Even light perfume is nauseating to sick people and smoke smells on a health care worker is a huge turn off to any advice they might give.

If you are in finances, never ever fudge even a penny. Always be honest in your work. Own up to your mistakes as soon as possible. Be honest and if you find no one else is, then it is time to leave that place before you are covered with the same paintbrush 'of those people from so and so company are a bunch of thieves'.

Sorry got so long. I'm getting old with too much work experience under my belt. Oh yes, dress like you have the job one or two rungs higher than what you got hired for.

**snafu** · 03-12-2014, 09:46 PM

I agree with Gailete, grooming needs to be excellent every single day; people make snap decisions based on appearance. It's very important to 'protect' your immediate supervisor, they can't be left to say 'I don't know,' to their superior. I believe it's best to follow the old adage...if you can't think of something nice to say, say nothings at all.

**MonkeyMama** · 03-13-2014, 04:41 AM

Originally posted by Gailete View Post

. If you work in the medical field around sick people in any way, avoid smoking and perfume. Even light perfume is nauseating to sick people and smoke smells on a health care worker is a huge turn off to any advice they might give.

I think this is good advice for any industry.

(I am sensitive to perfume and smoke).

**Gailete** · 03-13-2014, 05:24 AM

(I am sensitive to perfume and smoke).

Me too which is why I brought it up. Last time I was in the ER with a kidney stone the blood work girl had perfume on and it was all I could do not to be tossing my cookies. I did mention it to her and she was surprised as she had 'only used a little bit'. Even a little bit is too much to some of use! It was one of the first lessons we learned in nursing school was to not have odors on us around patients. For some that means if you work full time you might never get to wear perfume or aftershave unless on vacation.

There are many lessons that can be learned on the job, but some if you hear it here and put into practice can avoid the pain and agony of learning them through doing the opposite. Just like don't gossip. From the beginning of your job if you don't gossip, you won't get caught up in the clean up of all the people telling stories about whomever.

Same with being honest with financials, you will gain a reputation for honesty that will stick with you for life. A good reputation is very desirable in all of life but even more so in a place where it is tempting to steal. You might not get caught the first time you do it, but eventually you will and will embarrass yourself and your family and might have to deal with punishment such as jail time. None of that is worth it I'm sure.

**dawnwes** · 10-27-2014, 03:35 AM

I am assuming you meant be the best YOU CAN BE at it.

If you have to be THE BEST all the time, you may very well feel like a failure. There will always someone who can outdo your work or be better at it. That is just a fact. Even if you are the best in the entire world this year, you may not be next year.

Originally posted by lorraineb View Post

Here are a few:

No matter what job you're doing, aim to be the best at the world at it. Your attitude toward your job will often lead or ruin chances at other opportunities.

Enjoy what you do or begin laying the foundation to get out.

Know what is important to you. The job that pays the most is not always the best choice to make.

Don't get tattoos that can't be covered with everyday work clothes, especially not on the face.

**dawnwes** · 10-27-2014, 03:36 AM

Yes, never stop learning.

When I was working, I was always taking a graduate class or two on the side.

Originally posted by riya013

Never Stop Learning. The world is constantly changing, and everybody is looking for new ways of doing business.If you have decided that your current skills are good enough, you have also decided that your current job is good enough.

But if you want a career in the future, you should add regular updates to your skills and knowledge.

**dawnwes** · 10-27-2014, 03:38 AM

Do what you LOVE.

For me, that is working in a helping profession. I knew it would never make me a millionaire, but that wasn't my goal, my goal was to go to work every day and love what I did.

(I am speaking in the past tense since I am staying home right now, but I do plan to go back at some point.)

**ua_guy** · 10-27-2014, 07:07 AM

I'm 9 years post-college and have been working ever since.

Here's a few things I've learned and a few goals of which I try to be continually aware of:

1. Not everybody gets to/can do what they "love" for a living. Work isn't always enjoyable (if it was, wages would be a lot less). If that's not possible, find something that's a good fit for your personality and skills. Even if you don't always like what you do, you should be able to be find some satisfaction and meaning in doing your best work.

2. Remove as much emotional involvement in transactions, discussions, disputes, etc at work as you can. It's good to be passionate, but keep things as professional as possible. Remember, some of those people you will be working with for a very long time; and; there's a possibility you could be working for your peers someday, or vice versa. Burning a bridge sometimes feels good, but it's rarely beneficial in the long run. ALso, it's never a contest to see why can have and spread the most "dirt" on others. In boring workplaces, for the love of God, find something else to talk about than people's personal lives.

3. Find a mentor. You'll probably develop relationships with career-experienced people in your workplace that are very good at what they do. Find a meaningful way to latch on to the good ones and listen to their advice, establish a relationship where you can run ideas by them.

4. Reject the "everyone else is stupid" mentality that I see so much with young, new hires. You're young. You're a recent graduate. You know a lot. People put in different levels of effort and they bring different skills, and some of them have been at "this" a lot longer than you. You're going to run into people you think are absolutely dumb, and some of them might be. But try to see them for what they're worth versus the value they're not adding. Age/experience can be a really valuable asset in the workplace. Try to see it for what it is.

5. Let your income lead your lifestyle, not the other way around. Be slow to spend raises, bonuses, be slow to take on additional debt as your income level rises. You'll be eager to live in nicer places, drive nicer cars, have nicer things, and more of them. The years ahead are a financial trap--you're doing yourself a solid one by being on here in the first place!

And, as mentioned, never do anything in a workplace that would land your name in headlines on the front page of any news publication for a negative reason. You never lie, cheat, steal, or dip your pen in company ink (that applies to office dating as well).

Good luck!

**97guns** · 10-27-2014, 07:32 AM

pay yourself first, make sure you save because without savings there is no future

**bigdaddybus** · 10-27-2014, 01:14 PM

Build lasting relationships. I don't think I valued that enough in my 20's, in my 30's it was key to large income growth.

**moneysma** · 10-27-2014, 01:14 PM

I agree with everyone about always keep learning. Not only is technology constantly changing, creating ways to make things more streamlined and efficient, but there is always going to be someone else trying to take you down. The only way to stay on top is to keep learning and making yourself the best you can be.

**97guns** · 10-28-2014, 04:42 AM

Originally posted by wes2000

Very simply, be the hardest worker there. Learn your job, learn the job above you, and always be the one everyone wants to go to when they need help. Outwork everyone and you will out promote everyone.

this has been the mindset i had throughout my working career but unfortunately being the hardest worker does not always get the promotion, i witnessed lots of politics within corporate america that was just plain disgusting

**JoeP** · 10-28-2014, 09:11 AM

Don't be too full of yourself.

I knew one guy who did software testing, and earned an MBA. Suddenly he started padding his resume with all kinds of "managerial accomplishments" which were not legitimate. For example, he asserted himself as a supervisor who led and had people working for him, when in fact we were peers and were all doing the same thing. It was these lies that opened doors/interviews that would not have been opened had he been honest.

Did he have the ability? Possibly, but I see lies as a method of getting promotion to be a dishonest move. My advice is to not do this.

What are your best career tips?