Corporate Career Survival Guide
- Alli Kelly
- Apr 11, 2021
- 4 min read
In my last semester of college, I took some time for introspection to understand what was the most important aspect for my first real job. Was it money? A healthy work/life balance? A quick commute? It boiled down to money, since I had worked three, sometimes four jobs to pay my way through college and I was tired of struggling. With that said, I chose to go into the corporate world knowing I would get a prettier paycheck. What school didn’t prepare me for was the way the corporate world operates.
Over the last five and a half years I’ve learned many important lessons, mostly associated with pain and frustration, that I think are worth sharing. That way if you’re experiencing something similar, you know you’re not alone.
Image unknown via pinterest
Take responsibility for your career - Regardless of the career paths, development programs, and conversations you have with your boss about getting promoted, you need to show up and do the work. If you want to see your career aspirations come to fruition, you have to make them happen. It’s important to utilize those programs and contacts, but at the end of the day this is your path and no one will ever care as much as you do.
Stay true to yourself - A few years ago I interviewed for an internal role that I truly thought I had in the bag. I had the right experience, good relationships, and a hungry drive to sink my teeth into that position. I didn’t get the job and when I asked my boss why, she simply noted, “the Manager thinks you lack humility.” As an empath and someone who is painfully self-aware, I was stunned. This statement haunted me for months and sadly changed the way I conducted myself at work. I found myself floundering and not performing at my usual level. One day it hit me that this person clearly didn’t know the real me. I got my head back in the game and started acting like myself again. From that moment, I promised myself to never change my standards and work ethics, just because one person had a different opinion of me, and this attitude has benefited me greatly.
It’s okay to disagree with your superiors - This is something that took me a long time to truly understand and is not widely common in the most workplaces. I used to think if I didn’t agree with my manager’s opinions, that I missed a point. I didn’t. I am a different person with different experiences and a different outlook on life. And in reality that makes me valuable. What happens to a company with employees who all think the same? They tend to struggle and are not living up to the current standards and trends. Diverse opinions are unmistakably necessary to fuel innovation and creativity. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
It’s okay to outgrow your company - One of the most appalling statements I ever heard at my place of work is that anyone who leaves our company is a “reject”. What an awful thing to say about an individual. Not every company is the perfect fit for every person and vice versa. It is startling to me to think that because someone wants to grow and take on a new challenge, that makes them “not worthy” or “not good enough”. Don’t let leaving your company make you feel like a failure if it’s no longer a good fit for you. You shouldn’t feel guilty to continue on your own path.
Know what makes you tick - Back to the topic of priorities:
Do you care more about the work you’re doing or the boss you have?
Do you care about coming to work to get paid, or to cultivate friendships and find fulfillment?
Do you care about receiving recognition for your work or is your own satisfaction enough for you?
For example, when my fiancé was looking for a new role, he knew he needed the right leadership. It was important to him to have a manager that would help develop and support him because he was a newbie in the corporate world. When I made my last switch, it was really about the position. I had an amazing superior who supported me in every aspect but I knew that even great leadership was not cutting it if I wasn’t in love with the day to day routine.
A lot of us have been taught that the key to success at work is having the right degree and the right skills. Yes, there will be prerequisites for your job, but what will make you successful is having a good understanding of the key points mentioned above. Corporations are run by people after all, and people will always contribute their own thoughts, feelings and experiences. It’s important to stay true to who you are, but you also have to know how to play the game.
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