In this day and age, the one main reason why our generation does not achieve much is that we lack one of the most important things: experience. Unlike the millennials who have a decade of experience in the industry and have the required knowledge, they saw the various trends that occur in their respective industry and hence they well equipped in carrying and handling business.
Millennials are very well educated and equipped to handle unwanted situations and emergencies. Also, the experience is the main reason why most millennials have exceptionally good leadership skills.
The above reason does not hold back the current generation to achieve accomplishments. Certain skills need to acquired from experience and not just from studying.
Lessons They Didn’t Teach You in School:
1. Be emotionally intelligent:
Being emotionally intelligent is a skill that you acquire by constantly keeping in touch with people and considering their feelings and aspirations. There are no classes on being emotionally intelligent.
Things, like learning the atmosphere of the room and reading its nature and also recognizing someone else’s emotions and feelings, is the key to making the workplace less awkward.
If the situation is a little too awkward then it might come off as unprofessional. To avoid this situation, communicate clearly and try to prove what you have in your mind. This should be done most appropriately.
2. Be personable and not personal:
Being friendly and being too personal are both different things. It is necessary to be friendly with others to achieve a good and happy work life, but it is not necessary to hang out with them all the time, just so that they could know what is going in your life. Do not give away your life details to anyone unless you want to talk about it in public.
Giving away details about your personal life makes the third person feel that you are vulnerable and that you are not able to keep secrets by yourself. This will create problems in your work life in the future.
A good method always creates a border or a line between your personal and professional life. Try to recognize this border. This way you know what to say and what not to say to others at work. Also, topics relating to gender discrimination, religion and politics consider taboo to discuss at the workplace midst people of varying notions and beliefs.
3. Learn to manage your way up:
If you are an ambitious individual, and you wish to climb up the social ladder, then it is necessary to learn how to manage your way up. Try to keep a healthy and satisfactory relationship with your boss and supervisors.
Try to learn what the higher ups expect from you and try to deliver and contribute to their needs. This is necessary for keeping up a praiseworthy and satisfactory performance in the office. Try to learn what your manager wants both personally and professionally.
Find ways that could make his/her jobs easier and suggest ways in which you could have a chance to express your own goals. The main reason for this is, to get incentives and bonuses from the company, you have to keep track of your accomplishments and needs and try to present them in front of your manager whenever you get a chance.
For example, you could present these achievements at the yearend interview and at the same time, you could apply either for a bonus or a promotion.
4. Plan ahead:
It is important to plan and keep track of your goals and needs. This is necessary so that you won’t be easily side-tracked by any obstacles or distractions.
Try to always keep your goal at the back of your mind. This will help you to move towards your aim step by step. Also, another factor is don’t just simply rush into things. This is a big mistake since you want to achieve your goal systematically.
Moreover, suddenly rushing into things would create chaos and confusion within yourself and can also cause chaos at your workplace. Try to communicate with your supervisor and express to them what your needs are.
Always keep in mind that you are always responsible for your future and you should be specific when it comes to your needs. This is essential as this will determine how well you can achieve your goal. Try to work with passion and determination so that you could achieve your needs and reach the top of the corporate ladder.
5. Try to be authentic:
Know that you are unique as it is and do not follow the norms that others follow. Add a sense of your identity in your work so that it is easily recognizable amidst others. This will help you create an identity within the organization as an individual.
Try to find out how you can be different from the generic go getters and the hard workers and how your supervisors can recognize you. Maybe you are a friendly person or you’re exceptionally meticulous in your job. Try to find out what the reason is, and try to use it to your advantage.
6. Handle failure with grace and optimism:
As a working individual, we must understand that failure is an inevitable part of one’s working lifestyle. How you handle a failure decides how mature you are in your behavior and mannerisms. You should try to understand what the reason for the failure was and should try to move on from it.
Taking notice of both the good times and the bad times shows that how well you handle yourself in any unwanted and uncomfortable situations. If you lost a chance for promotion, then do not take yourself a week off just to recuperate, call the person who got the job and congratulate them.
Success is not always about getting everything that you want at the right place and the right time, it’s also a process in how you treat your failures and errors. Success involves failing and has its ups and downs.
7. Do not wait for someone to give you chances:
One thing that should learn from experience does not wait for your chance. Try to catch whatever chance you get and do not wait for someone to suggest your name. Your work should be a testimony of what you are and try to be recognized for your hard work and not the contrary case.
Just take in mind that most people are busy with their own lives and careers and they are not always in the state to concentrate on your work career. Do not try to depend too much on others.
Also, when you reach then try to show a credit to others who have helped you and also try to show others that you have reached the position on your own and that you have tried to your full potential. Don’t wait for chances coming your way, instead try to work hard and acquire the chance that you deserve.
8. Do not let your personal opinion come into your way:
If you have ever tried to turn down a job just because you did not like the team members, then keep in mind that you are not the only one that can do the job There are lots of people who have the same or even more skills than you and are more efficient in your job.
So, when a chance gives you do not weigh it just based on your personal preference. Try to be a trailblazer and don’ be afraid of taking opportunities even if it is outside your comfort zone.
9. Do not feel ashamed of your current job:
Even if you feel discouraged by your current job, try to know that this is just a stop on the road. You should be happy in the job you are given and work with sincerity. You might even get a better job just because of your sincerity. Even if you have a simple job such as stuffing envelopes and getting copies of documents, try to remember that everybody started from the bottom. Also, try to prove to others that you are full of potential and that you are open to any kind of opportunity.
10. Exude a positive attitude:
Always keep smiling wherever and whenever you are, be it in your professional or personal life. Try to take challenges with a positive attitude. Also, accept failure with optimism. You don’t necessarily have to face failure to become professionally independent.
Try to take control of your career as soon as possible. A good outlook on things is necessary. Professionals always admire someone who has the correct amount of positivity and optimism.
11. Try to career transferrable skills:
Transferrable skills are skills that not teach to you in school. These skills acquired through years and years of experience and hard work. Most seasoned professionals have these skills and hence, they stand out from the rest of the crowd.
These skills travel with you from one job to another. These are the skills that you should always try to upgrade. Try to excel in these skills and you will consider as an invaluable part of the team. For example, time management, hard work, leadership, organizational skills, optimism are all values that you should always carry within you. These values are the foundation of one’s career.
12. Always be honest:
Though this is obvious advice, being honest helps a lot in one’s career and how it will shape in the future. Try to be honest about your mistakes and own up for it. Even though it will cause short term pain and discomfort, the after effects are manageable.
If you shifted the blame of your mistakes to others, then it will cause serious consequences and can create a feeling of distrust. Also, do not make stuff up and try to steal credits for something that you did not do.
This is both ethically and professionally wrong. Nobody wants to hire a dishonest professional in an organization. Try to be as honest as possible as a single lie can have the potential to destroy one’s hard earned trust and his long career.
13. Respect everybody:
Try to be respectful to everyone, including your juniors and also people working under you. Try to understand the fact everyone has the ability and knowledge that you don’t have and try to understand that aspect. Being respectful and humble means that you are not considered small.
Also, do not look down on others, you never know how things will take a turn and who you will be working under one day. Either it might be your subordinate or your peer employee. Treat everyone equally with the utmost respect and as an employee of the company. Also, whenever you get the time, try to teach others the need for respect in an organization.
14. Do not make a money centered decision:
Do not try to choose careers based just on pay and money. Try to find a career that suits you and tailored for your abilities and talents. Always keep in mind that money is a by-product of your job.
If you do a job that genuinely interests you and you enjoying it in doing it, then it’s worth the money that you receive. Also, taking interest in what you like and choosing it as a career helps you to constantly improve yourself and motivates you to search for new horizons.
In the end, what matters the most is choosing a career that you like, work hard, be honest and try to place others above you. Most importantly, work ethically and try not to overthink too much.
