Several times a year I speak to High School Students about “How to keep a job” from an employer’s perspective.
The students I speak to are preparing for a co-operative work term and for many, it is their first experience joining the workforce. I am always struck by how similar they are from year to year, and how I am always inspired by speaking to them. As I am preparing for my next session in a few weeks, I wondered about what other advice I might be able to share with them. Things I have learned, are more than just how to “keep a job.” Lessons are broader in scope but nonetheless, skills, attitudes, and behavior they could use immediately.
Don’t let anyone intimidate you. Through high school, college, or university and at the beginning of your career it is easy to be intimidated because you will be outside or establishing your comfort zone. As much as possible try not to allow anyone to make you feel invisible or that you don’t belong.
Don’t worry about being good enough. If there is something you want to try, try it, and do not worry that you will not be good at it the first time, few people ever are. This lesson transcends any of your activities, academically, professionally, privately, and especially in sports. Do things because they make you feel good regardless of what other people may say or think.
In relationships, know that everyone is always nervous the first time they ask someone new for a date or conversation; don’t let that stop you. They might say yes, or they might laugh in your face, but take the chance. If they react poorly, that’s okay because at least you tried, and if they say yes, then you have accomplished something most of us struggle with at one time or another.
Make decisions, the right decision is best, but even the wrong decision is better than abdicating a decision. Remember though it is “ready, aim, shoot,” too often in my life I have been guilty of shooting from the hip without taking whatever time was available, whether two seconds or two days, to look at the facts available, review the alternatives and then make the best decision possible. You are going to make mistakes and do things wrong, but trying is always good.,
After acting or deciding, take the time to ask yourself, what did I do right, what did I do wrong, and what would I do differently next time. This step should seem to be self-evident, but at least in my experience, very few people take the time to do this. As a Project Management Professional (PMP) graduate, this might be the most important learning tool and can make use of.
Know when it is time to move on. You will find throughout your career and life, you will want something more than other people; however, if an organization or another individual isn’t interested then no matter how badly you want something, it isn’t going to happen. Learn to recognize when it is time to move on. Don’t feel bad if it takes you time to do this, I still struggle with it as well.
Appreciate and notice those people around you that care about you. Family, helpful co-workers, and friends are important, and taking the time to acknowledge and thank them is worth the time and effort.
Spend at least fifteen minutes a day developing your skills. This may seem insignificant to most people; however, given life’s demands and pressures, it can be surprisingly difficult to do.
There is never a perfect time to do anything. You will never have all the facts to make the perfect decision and you will never be fully trained., As Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, when you need to.” When faced with a task, get started as soon as you can and work hard to improve incrementally.
Always do your best. In school, if C is your best, then live with that, but when you accept “good enough” instead of the best you could have done, you should have a problem with that.
Be aware of what you do not know or cannot see. Everyone has blind spots. Everyone has biases. Both will cloud your judgment and hinder your ability to make good decisions.
It is okay to be a little selfish. As a person who has not done this, I have realized it is important to take care of yourself instead of always volunteering for extra shifts and doing more than everyone else. Balance is important.
Volunteer to go first. Whether academically or professionally, trying to stand out and going first is a great way to stand out.
Notice what is happening around you. Really see the people around you and what they are doing. See and listen, you will become aware of so much more than most people ever see, and as a result, your world will become much richer and more colorful. Your ability to be empathetic will increase as you become aware of the struggles and victories of those people you encounter. Understanding their perspectives will allow you to build relationships that are much stronger than if you do not.
Always be learning. Take courses to develop your skills. Reading, podcasts, and YouTube videos all can help. I have taken the Dale Carnegie Course and it changed my life. Similarly, the PMP certification had similar effects. The more skills you have the better able you are to handle life’s shipwrecks. To paraphrase Alexander Dumas who wrote The Count of Monte Cristo, “One moment you will bask in the sunshine, the next be wrecked on the rocks,” your ability to overcome life’s adversities will be enhanced by the skills and knowledge you acquire.
Do the things of which you are afraid. For example, practice becoming better at public speaking, I read once 50% of Americans would rather die than do public speaking, whether 100% true or not, many people shrink from public speaking, but if you can embrace it, enjoy it, and become good at it, it will open so many opportunities you will hardly be able to believe it.
Take your sick days. In the past twenty-three years, I have not had a sick day … I am dumb, there are many times I should have called in sick and taken better care of myself. My pride and misplaced sense of responsibility resulted in my health suffering and the health of those people around me. Like most things do not abuse your sick days, but your health and well-being must be nurtured and protected.
Say, thank you more than you think you do. Do this sincerely, and make person-centered compliments to those around you. Additionally, try to make at least three people every day feel better about themselves. The impact of these small gestures will surprise you.
Become aware of the social issues in your community. Your community is more than just your friends and family. Helping to eliminate social inequalities is all of our responsibilities. One in four people will experience a mental health episode this year while one in seven people in your community is experiencing food insecurity. Our communities need education and understanding of the opiate crisis and the trauma that creates addiction. The lack of affordable and safe housing has created many of these issues and our lack of perspective has allowed stigma, bias, myths, and misconceptions to thrive, and help illuminate these problems as well as their solutions.
Vote. It is said that tyranny thrives when good people do nothing. Your vote matters, learn about the issues and encourage your friends to vote.
Avoid trenching in. Few things in our world are black and white and there are never just two sides to every situation, usually, there are dozens of perspectives, and we all would do well to view issues from more than just our perspective.
Have I made mistakes? Certainly, my share and far more. Have I always done every one of these? No, I have not. I am perfect. That is laughable, I am one of the most flawed people you are likely to be. Do I have regrets? Yes. Why should you listen to me?
I think the reason you should listen is because of all these things. I have never spent much time on regret, but I do try to learn from what I have done, and the twenty-second point should be “Share your experiences, try to make a difference, and help other people to learn as well as to avoid the mistakes that you have made.”
Good luck,
Paul