A Number of General Observations of the Working World

A Number of General Observations of the Working World
or
​A List of Things You Must Know Before Entering the Workforce as a Young Kid/Adult or Something Else
​Part 5
31-40

31. GO! GO! GO!
Don’t spread yourself thin.
The world will keep spinning regardless if you’re working 24/7 or an hour a day.
Seriously, if you don’t take a break you will perish.
You will burn yourself out.
A burn out can be replaced, relatively quickly.
Take a break, live a little.
Better than being a wage slave unless you want to be that.
 
32. Step up
If you can go the extra mile or apply yourself more to your work, DO IT!
It will make you stand out and help you on your way.
 Be careful though as this can come back and bite you in the ass.
Spend too long on a project or cooking a recipe and you have an angry customer, but if it’s a piece of art that has a price tag to match it should find equilibrium.
 
33. Hedge your bets
Be prepared for any and every situation.
Not the zombie apocalypse but for work situations.
These are vital for you to succeed in life.
Cover all your bases.
Be prepared.
Back ups, contingencies, drafts, other concepts, briefs will help you if you need to change direction.
And don’t forget research!
Many examples show up constantly on social media and traditional media for not being PC or feminist or racist or historically insensitive etc.
If you have the perfect idea and execution, will it stand up to a backlash?
Has anything been overlooked?
Then check again for any negative connotations, before and after production.
Yes it might cost a little extra but would you rather be hunted and trolled over a statement that leads to boycotts, or fly under the radar?
Think about it.
 If you don’t want any troubles, ask for help from some one more senior or on the same level as you for guidance.
 
34. Be early, every time
Seriously.
Be early.
At least fifteen minutes.
To all interviews and jobs.
Main reason is because it makes you look punctual and hireable.
This is a good thing.
If you are early then you have time to compose yourself before the interview that determines whether you work at said place.
Relax, breathe and think about what you're going to say.
Relearn your CV back to front as all questions are based on that. Also make sure you have everything you need to support your CV with you like a portfolio, demo reel, track, headshot or supporting material that is valuable for getting the job.
For a job on the other hand, being early means so much more to the company than staying late.
The earlier you work the earlier you can leave (usually).
Also being early makes sure that you’ll be on time regardless if you have to get into a uniform or collect gear needed for a job.
 
35. If late, apologise
This is a must.
Whether it is by a minute or five minutes too or even if you won't be able to get to the interview or job on time, apologise, and if you have it, a good and valid reason.
This makes you look good because instead of looking like an idiot appearing late, you took time to acknowledge that you would be late and it also gives your interviewers or boss time to prepare.
 But try not to be late.
Seriously, you should only be late ONCE!
 If you are late more than once you will receive papers of termination as things can change in an instant.
Always expect the unexpected.
 
36. Dead men tell no tails
NEVER EVER LIE TO YOUR BOSS!
Once a lie is told then you have to live with it for the rest of your working life with that company’s boss.
Lies can screw you over but if you lie more than once, leave the company.
Faking till you make it is fine but lying about money, missing product or damaging equipment can lead to litigation even jail time.
 You can white lie to your co-workers or boast and bullshit, but keep that to a minimum if you can, As banter is a way of life.
 
37. Learn to get along
Team work are the two words you will hear constantly in your career.
Many places will make you a team member or put you in a team.
What you might not know, or forget, is that you are a cog in the machine.
The machine can run without you but with you it runs perfectly and on time.
Years ago at a job interview that started with a group screen, we were asked; what animal would be if you could choose.
Many chose lions and other individual majestic leader of the pack based beasts for the reasons of being the biggest and the baddest thing on the plain while taking care of business then having others to take care of them.
 I however had a dilemma of wanting to be either a wolf or a killer whale.
My reasons were being in a pack, taking down big mammals on land or sea and share the spoils.
I got that job.
Three months later I was leading a pack.
 
38. Don’t be afraid of solitude
As much as you are a team member, you are an individual they're either doing the same job or something similar to someone else who works wherever you end up.
Without you in that position, the team would be stretched thin and unable to manage.
The more people in your department means the easier and faster the day is done.
Yeah some are slow but at least you are not stressing as a team member is not there and you have to double your workload.
However this can be a bad thing as it could be propping up someone who is not reaching their goals of the company.
Have a friendly word with them to see if there is a problem or issues and if it keeps on continuing, then try and find them something better suited for their pace.
Also the higher you go the more will be expected of you. You will not only have to do your job but able to do the person’s job underneath you too.
 
39. Go back to school
I have gone through many career changes as have many of my friends while some have had the same job for over ten years.
I wasn't lucky in some while my friends fell into theirs after trying and not liking before finding something to stick with.
I have studied five separate careers over 13 years with different jobs in between.
For every change it felt as though it pushed closer and closer to my current career path as well as providing me the wisdom from all the other skills and talents I've gathered on my way.
Seriously don't block out that you have one set career path, nothing is certain.
 
40. Be prepared for rejection
There only so many jobs out there in the field you are in.
If you've just graduated school, college, uni or whatever, you are the arch rival of your class, year, form, fellow graduates etc and not only that, every other uni, college, school or whatever is also competing against you.
You have to stand out in order to get above the crush of bodies who are applying to the same job you are.
Don’t be disheartened by this though as you will make it through to an interview, you just have to be smart enough to be seen and heard first if not, be the one who stands out the most.