Son joining corporate world

[pb4uski]

Make sure to treat people with respect, especially the administrative staff and security staff. They run the place and are great people to know.

+1 People will watch how you treat these people that help make the place sun smoothly.... if you treat them civily it will be noticed... please and thank you go a long ways.

Short story.... we were interviewing for a staff accountant position... we always included our administrative assistant as part of the interview process. We had a candidate that we were leaning towards but the admin asst was not at all keen on (not sure why).... anyway, we decided to pass in favor of another candidate. About a half a year later I'm watching the 11pm news and they have an item where the candidate the admin asst wasn't keen on had been arrested and charged with embezzlement. Bullet dodged!

 

[jollystomper]

Make sure to treat people with respect, especially the administrative staff and security staff. They run the place and are great people to know.

+1. I would add the maintenance staff as well. You would be surprised at how word gets around.

He will encounter disagreements. It is the nature of the corporate world. Never make the disagreements personal, and continue to treat the other person with respect (if if they do not treat you as such) - people are watching more than you think.

Avoid at all costs office "gossip". If he is in a group that starts talking negatively about someone who is not around, PARTICULARLY if it is of a personal nature, say nothing, and/or try to steer the conversation to other things, or try to politely come up with something else you need to do to remove yourself from the group. If it is a person you have worked with, try to come up with something nice to say about them.

Avoid older workers who are constantly cynical; seek out the ones who have a positive (not necessarily rah-rah) outlook, and who spend more time encouraging and learning, and not complaining without a plan.

As smart as one thinks they are, do not be a know-it-all attitude. DO not be afraid to ask questions, and have an attitude that you can learn something from everyone.

 

[timbervest]

He needs to make himself indispensable to the organization. Learn how to "manage up" in working with superiors. Demonstrate his value to the organization and earn respect. Balance buying into the corporate culture while still being able to get the work done. Take responsibility for his work product and own his mistakes. Be quick to praise the accomplishments of others and give credit to the team. Treat administrators and lower levels with respect. Work hard and don't get involved in drama. Show initiative and always make sure there are four or five other people around that are more likely to get fired than him.

 

[DFDubb]

It's interesting how many people have advocated the go in early and stay late mantra. That is such a uniquely American and antiquated way of thinking. Fortunately for your son, that nonsense is dying off and/or retiring out of the corporate world with the younger generation. What a complete load of **** that is and there is no reason for it. We can get our work done in an 8 hour day just fine and you managers that are recommending the go in early stay late should really take a moment and reflect on what you're saying and how you view your employees and their families that you're advocating them to ignore in order to "get ahead".

 

[Redbugdave]

I don't have much to add, but thoroughly enjoyed the answers and remarks.

Just try to fit in, make work friends, dress the part, be yourself and don't back stab. Keep your real life apart from your work life and you will be happier in the long run. Learning and doing new things is what turns work into fun. So, encourage your coworkers and bosses to show you new ways of doing things. Ask questions for your own knowledge and not just for show. Access yourself, (self awareness), to make sure you are not getting in a rut. Go home and see your parents and real friends regularly to keep you grounded.

And this turned out to be more than I expected...

 

[Nick12]

Interesting take. Corporate world is not for the faint of heart. Doing the impossible possible, coming under budget, getting buy in from your teams, dealing successfully with HR matters and thinking out of the box and implementing changes takes balls and nerve. Some executives at Megacorp didn't even put in a full days work but knew how to make things happen to increase the company bottom line and for them to move up the brutal food chain. For the executive to know everything that goes on that's not reality. The TV show " Undercover Boss".

 

[Masquernom]

There was a survey where they asked middle managers if other managers in their company had promoted friends in place of more deserving employees. A very high percentage of managers said other managers did that routinely.

When the same managers were asked if they did that themselves, they almost always said no.


My last manager once complained to me that whenever he had a job opening, his phone never stopped ringing. Other managers calling him to promote one of their friends for the position.

 

[kgtest]

To avoid layoffs due to corporate takeovers he wants to be his bosses most valuable employee. He will do that by turning in his work early with the best possible quality, get to work on time or early and stay late if needed, volunteer to take some undesirable work from the boss, and not talk smack about one or anything.

Good advice, I wish I could follow. As the grind grows, I've found I talk more smack, take on less pet projects, and with small kids its really tough to stay late and come in early with daycare etc...



SO YES, do this as much as possible while childless, as you cannot compete with the childless as you age. I never say no to anything but some times I say yes with exceptions


Experience affords flexibility and opportunity. Tell him never be scared to learn a new skill, and don't let human fear become a factor, be brave...its a rough cut-throat world lol.

 

[kgtest]

There was a survey where they asked middle managers if other managers in their company had promoted friends in place of more deserving employees. A very high percentage of managers said other managers did that routinely.

When the same managers were asked if they did that themselves, they almost always said no.


My last manager once complained to me that whenever he had a job opening, his phone never stopped ringing. Other managers calling him to promote one of their friends for the position.

+1 THIS! It is not what you know, it's WHO you know, and who likes you that is now or could someday be in a position of power that would help you. I learned this super early in life, but the power comes with responsibility, like hiring and firing people, and being fired upon yourself.

 

[bigcmagor]

Make sure to treat people with respect, especially the administrative staff and security staff. They run the place and are great people to know.

This is the best advice I've read in the thread. I once walked out of the restroom near our reception area and overheard a new hire (who was there for an orientation meeting) being short and disrespectful to our receptionist. He was told that his hiring was a mistake, the offer rescinded and to leave.

 

[GNXGuy]

There is a reason Illinois is the number one State folks are exiting.

I know I'm one of them

 

[CoolRich59]

Thanks for your heartfelt condolences. Where I worked, people that behaved like that were not side lined, they were promoted. If you really never experienced this, I'm envious.

This was my experience as well.

I worked for a couple of Chicago's largest megacorps, so there's a chance the son is going to work for my former employer. If so, travelover's advice is spot on.

EDIT: That's not to say there's no some great advice here and I did many of these things early in my career. What I came to belatedly realize, however, was that at a certain point office politics, not ability, determined who moved up and who got side-lined.

 

[freedomatlast]

In addition to gaining a broad base of knowledge and expertise, be the only guy in the organization who knows how to do one particular thing that is essential to the organization. Be the "go to" guy for all the hard stuff.

 

[CoolRich59]

Make sure to treat people with respect, especially the administrative staff and security staff. They run the place and are great people to know.

Wholeheartedly agree with this. I always made a point to do this because it's the way I was raised.

When my megacorp transferred me across country to another office, I was very moved to have a couple of these folks come say goodbye with tears in their eyes.

 

[SumDay]

Tell him to enjoy every minute of Chicago. It's a great place for the young ones. One of our kids lives there and should be an ambassador for the city. They absolutely love it.

 

[Ronstar]

Buy a warm coat- he’ll need it all winter and parts of the spring and fall.

 

[sengsational]

My kids joined the corporate world and I didn't give them any advice on the topic beyond what to do with their 401k contributions.


The reason I didn't offer any advice was because my kids know me well enough, and I'm not that good at hiding my true beliefs, and so at least an undercurrent of travelover's ideas that I share would come through.


But throughout the years, they've heard me and I'm sure internalized that I think it's a game. You can concentrate on it, play it with a lot of thought, and get ahead in the corporate pecking order. That certainly doesn't mean your life will be better or that you will be happier.


My advice to most people is "don't become your job". There are rare exceptions, but not many in the corporate world. A job is something you do, it is not who you are.

 

[street]

My kids joined the corporate world and I didn't give them any advice on the topic beyond what to do with their 401k contributions.


The reason I didn't offer any advice was because my kids know me well enough, and I'm not that good at hiding my true beliefs, and so at least an undercurrent of travelover's ideas that I share would come through.


But throughout the years, they've heard me and I'm sure internalized that I think it's a game. You can concentrate on it, play it with a lot of thought, and get ahead in the corporate pecking order. That certainly doesn't mean your life will be better or that you will be happier.


My advice to most people is "don't become your job". There are rare exceptions, but not many in the corporate world. A job is something you do, it is not who you are.

I like that and it is something every young person starting out should hear.

 

[rayinpenn]

Saw your post again and it got me to thinking ...
Save enough and become skilled enough so that when you reach 45+ if your company and you part ways you are fine.

It is something we Americans don’t do enough of - thinking long term.

 

[DrRoy]

To avoid layoffs due to corporate takeovers he wants to be his bosses most valuable employee. He will do that by turning in his work early with the best possible quality, get to work on time or early and stay late if needed, volunteer to take some undesirable work from the boss, and not talk smack about one or anything.

That was my plan while working. My job was in technical support of customers, and I always made sure to have the largest number of customers assigned to me, worth the most in sales versus anyone else in the group. I never got cut until I did it myself.

 

[pullin]

This one's just simple and practical -- I told my (adult) kids this.

If you can, always have a clean shirt (and maybe even pair of pants) in your office. The day of the big presentation is the day you'll spill spaghetti on yourself at lunch.

Learned this the hard way.

 

[travelover]

......... and so at least an undercurrent of travelover's ideas that I share would come through............

I was posting somewhat tongue in cheek, though as subsequent posters concurred, there is an element of truth to my cynicism. My main point is to not be a Pollyanna. Coming from a family not exposed to corporate culture, I assumed higher moral behavior of those in authority. What an education.

 

[Nick12]

Sad to say in the corporate world that even some professionals have no respect for other peers lunches. At Megacorp, the admin staff even had to post signs on the kitchen fridge. " Don't take other people's food". So hands off my lunch.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Sad to say in the corporate world that even some professionals have no respect for other peers lunches. At Megacorp, the admin staff even had to post signs on the kitchen fridge. " Don't take other people's food". So hands off my lunch.

I have often opined : " In life , there is no free lunch " . You just proved me to be wrong .

On a more serious note , to the OP, the youngster should always be ready to change and ready move on. I was at a megacorp about 19 years and then a megacity about 18 years. Should of moved on from megacorp about 10 years sooner. Jobs can get stale, and then the employee gets stale too.

 

[sengsational]

I have often opined : " In life , there is no free lunch " . You just proved me to be wrong .

On a more serious note , to the OP, the youngster should always be ready to change and ready move on. I was at a megacorp about 19 years and then a megacity about 18 years. Should of moved on from megacorp about 10 years sooner. Jobs can get stale, and then the employee gets stale too.

Although I didn't "give them advice", they (my kids) did hear some of my SOP with respect to work, and one I told them about was that I updated my resume every time they did an HR review. There was always a task assigned to the employee to get all the forms populated (self assessment) so a look back over the period to see how well you met your objectives. What better time to record those accomplishments? I did their forms and my resume concurrently. I didn't do this until later in my career, but never hid the fact that I was working on my resume at performance review time. I just said that I had no plans to leave, but if I don't write this stuff down, I'll never remember it.