10 Steps to a Successful Career

Whether you’re starting a new job at McDonald’s, starting your first internship, beginning a new job after just graduating, or if you’re more established in your career, these steps will help you to advance in whatever endeavor you strive for.

1. Always carry yourself in a professional manner. Even if it’s the end of your shift and your feet hurt and the person replacing you is late and you get a customer from hell, it’s always best to remain professional. Yeah, I know it seems so much easier to give that jerky customer a good verbal lashing, but you never know who is watching you. Treat every circumstance as an opportunity to grow.

2. Dress for the job you want and not for the job you have. Sure asymmetrical tops and skinny jeans look fab on you or you feel you look your best in baggy jeans and a fitted, but save those for hanging out with friends and more casual settings. People judge you based on what you wear and what you look like. Don’t let people think they have you all made out before you even open your mouth.

Now you don’t have to go running to Bergdorf’s to buy a whole new career wardrobe if your budget doesn’t allow it, but something as simple as a well-tailored suit jacket can make a difference. Case in point:

I started my career as a banker when I was 20 years old. I was nervous that my financial advice would not be taken seriously since about 90f my clients were at least fifteen years older than me. I found that not only my confidence but also what I wore had a HUGE impact on how my clients perceived me. One day not too long ago, I had on a fitted button-down blouse and a pair of dress trousers from Express. I wasn’t dressed inappropriately, but remember, dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. I approached a potential client to start new business with me. My tone was very professional and firm. He asked me if I was a teller! Not that there’s anything wrong with being a teller, but I wasn’t one! The next day I wore a suit and again approached potential clients for new business. I was asked by numerous clients if I was the branch manager! I wear a suit everyday now.

(Building a great career wardrobe is time consuming and can be frustrating if you’re not sure what you look best in. Certain colors, shapes, and textures will work great on you…but you’d have to spend time (and most likely waste money) figuring out what they are. It’s been proven that people who are well-dressed and styled (yes, makeup does play in here as well) appear more confident and are often times thought of first for promotions. If you’re in the NYC area and are interested in utilizing my expertise to build a wardrobe for any profession or for activities outside of work, definitely message me or email me at danielle@myurbanglamour.com)

3. Don’t take things personally. So you’ve clocked in more than your eight hours and you’re working ever so diligently as if you’ve heard a rumor that there’s going to be a downsize…in your department. You’re feeling good about yourself…that’s when your boss looks over your work and criticizes almost everything you’ve done. Even the way you’ve dotted your I’s…or so it seems. Don’t get upset! Be professional. Ask your boss what he/she thinks you could have done differently and/or specific reasons why you took your approach and why you think its right. Remember, you never know who’s watching you!

4. Get to work on time. Life happens and can cause you to be late, but don’t let it happen often. Being late means being unprepared and being unprepared means being unprofessional.

5. Don’t let anyone see you cry. Some of us are more sensitive than others. This can be seen as an endearing quality in a romantic relationship, but often in the workplace crying reads as not being stable enough to perform. And what does someone who is deemed not stable enough to perform get viewed as? Yep, unprofessional.

There are several tricks to avoid Niagara Falls from inundating your face. One I’ve read is to pinch the fold of skin between your thumb and index finger. I’m pretty sure you can find many other tricks online through a Google search. But if you absolutely must cry, excuse yourself to a secluded area and let it pour. Chronic criers should always be prepared with eye drops, moisturizer, and a replenishing application of makeup if needed.

6. Take your lunch break/vacation time. Of course you want to be seen as a team player, but making a habit of working through your lunch break can actually do more harm than help. First, you’re in your working environment for a good portion of the day/night. You need a breather and you need to eat. Second, especially for those that are support staff, your boss will get so used to you working through your lunch break that when you do actually take one it’ll appear to be a big deal!

7. Only use company equipment for business use. It’s easy to browse your myspace or your personal email if your job consists of you sitting in front of a computer, but I strongly suggest you read your company’s policy on this. Some companies allow limited personal use of the internet, but don’t get carried away. There are actual people out there who’ve been fired from positions because of excessive internet use on the job. Many companies monitor internet use so if you work for say Ernst & Young, it’ll be hard to prove that browsing through match.com is related to your job. Same thing goes for emails. I once got called into the manager’s office at a job I had a few years ago and had an email a friend sent me read out loud to me…down to the “colorful language” my friend used and that is explicitly against company policy.

Also, printer paper, staplers, tape, and other office supplies no matter how small or inexpensive you deem them to be are under no circumstances to be stuffed into your overnight bag and brought home.

8. Build a rapport with your co-workers and of course your boss. There are many rewarding outcomes to this, but the main reason for this is people are mostly promoted for who they know and not necessarily for the work they do. I’ll say this again. People are mostly promoted for who they know and not necessarily for the work they do. So for you hard-working types who bury yourself underneath your work and cannot recite at least five things you know about your coworkers other than the obvious, you may be harming your chances for moving up. The higher-ups tend to promote people they can relate to and how will they relate to you if the most you’ve ever said to them was “I’ll have that report on your desk by noon”? Show up to company events like the holiday party keeping in mind that even though alcohol is served during most company parties, you should still consider yourself “at work”. You wouldn’t down 5 cocktails in fifteen minutes at your work desk, would you? And if that’s perfectly normal behavior for your office’s culture, you might make some extra cash on the side by promoting that on the internet…lol. I’m joking. But speaking of your office’s culture, know it. You don’t want to be the Road Runner while everyone else is Mr. Snuffleupagus.

The converse is also true, folks. Over-socializing is harmful. You can be seen as an annoyance and a disruption to the work environment. The key to this is balance.

Oh, and by building a rapport, I most certainly do not mean by gossiping about the administrative assistant from Marketing who mysteriously was promoted after being seen late at night with the boss. Don’t go there.

9. Always give two-weeks notice before leaving a job. So you’re ready to jump ship and you’d love nothing more than to bash the office computers with baseball bats a la Office Space (you seriously need to rent that movie!) but remember, you never know who is watching you. You always want to leave on good terms because you’ll always have a good source for a reference. A letter of resignation is strongly suggested. Look up different styles for writing a good letter of resignation because:

Dear Boss,

You are the biggest a$$ I’ve ever met and I hope you burn in h#$!

Sincerely,

Bridgette from Accounting

won’t cut it!!!

10. It doesn’t hurt to take refresher courses to better yourself in your field. Technology changes quicker than trends in fashion, so being current will help you a great deal. Plus, you can use your new found knowledge as collateral for getting a raise!

10a. Know your worth and don’t be afraid to ask for a raise! Women especially are underpaid for the positions they hold and are overwhelmed as to how to ask for more money. Do your research! Salary.com is a good guide.

Now, these are only basic steps. Situations may differ depending on the industry you work in. If you have a specific question and would like some advice, message me and I’ll try to answer your question as best I can!

Resources: (whether you’re looking for a job or looking to progress with your current company, these books are excellent guides)

Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois P. Frankel
Cover Letters That’ll Knock ‘Em Dead! by Martin John Yate
Resumes for Dummies by Joyce Lain Kennedy
Job Interviews for Dummies by Joyce Lain Kennedy
Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make 1,000 a Minute by Jack Chapman