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HEELS : JULIA KENNEDY / FOLIO ID / TRUNK ARCHIVE
Work Mistakes to Avoid in 2017
The office — if you ’ re even in an office — can be a confusing place these days . A few life lessons here . By Bess Levin
ou ’ ve probably heard these workplace adages : Don ’ t leave before your boss or curse at the office , and definitely don ’ t get drunk at the holiday party . We ’ re not saying those rules don ’ t apply anymore — let ’ s be real , it ’ s never kosher to knock down multiple cosmos in the same room as the person who determines your salary — but things have changed . You ’ re more likely to hear people drop an F-bomb while on the clock ( research shows it can actually bring employees closer ), and a younger workforce is blurring hierarchical lines . So how should you behave now ? Heed this advice !
Don ’ t wait to do great work . Stuck at a job you don ’ t love ? Yep , been there . Young people now are more likely to be underemployed than past generations . But the biggest mistake you can make is to act like you ’ re above the menial tasks you ’ re given , says Deborah Rivera , founder of The Succession Group , an executive search consulting firm . “ I ’ ve seen employees who aren ’ t even trying to excel ,” she says . “ They think , When I start my real job , I ’ ll do well . But no one will recommend you if you don ’ t take your current one seriously . Find value in every task — and do it better than everyone else .”
Don ’ t talk sh * t on the record . “ A client asked me for some recommendations for an ad agency ,” says Jackie K ., 45 , a communications director in Westport , Connecticut . “ So I reached out to a great agency and wrote about my client ’ s existing publicity campaign , ‘ My client needs you ; you ’ ve probably seen their hideous ads around the city .’ When the agency said yes and I forwarded their contact info to the client , that little tidbit was forwarded as well ! The client called my boss to complain . Thankfully , my boss was nice about it — he reminded me to be careful — but I learned a valuable lesson . Nowadays everyone does work on their phone , where it can be harder to see an entire email thread . If you ’ re not sure , don ’ t forward . Just start a new chain to be safe !”
Don ’ t hook up on the clock . Dating a coworker ? Totally happens these days . But be warned : “ Because the work environment is less formal and folks work weird hours , there have been increasing reports about people literally having sex at work ,” says Roy Cohen , career counselor , executive coach , and author of The Wall Street Professional ’ s Survival Guide . “ When you ’ re working , you ’ re being paid to work .” Plus : Hello , boundaries !
Don ’ t ignore the pecking order .
“ I was working at a huge media company , and an opportunity came up to switch into a department I knew I ’ d be a lot happier in ,” says Nora C ., 29 , an editor in Brooklyn . “ I had no idea how to go about it , so I took several meetings behind my boss ’ s back to try to make it happen . Of course , she found out and was upset . Things ended up working out — she let me split time between the two departments . People my age are always looking for professional growth and purpose , but you have to be up front , no matter how awkward it may be .”
Don ’ t pretend to be someone you ’ re not .
“ A few weeks into my first job , my boss offered to take me out to lunch ,” says Lauren P ., 30 , a marketing director in Columbus , Ohio . “ I ’ d been told he was a history buff , so when he asked about my interests , my desperate-to-get-ahead self blurted out , ‘ I love U . S . history !’ My boss was eager to dive into the subject . But when he asked about my favorite books , it became clear I knew nothing about the topic . It ’ s so easy to stalk your boss on social media to find out his or her interests , but now I know : If I want to make a real connection , it ’ s best to be myself .”
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