I am afraid that I have a different take on this.
I find most (but not all) of this advice to be quite good with the main qualifier being, "as long as you are technically competent and honest." Perhaps I have a different opinion because I am looking at the list from the standpoint of business owner rather than an employee. And I am especially NOT looking at it from the standpoint of employee who is technically superior to those that I see getting promoted over me. I've been in that situation and, yes, it is horrid. I detested it when an incompetent boob would get a promotion for being nothing more than an ass kisser/self promoter. I wouldn't stay at a place like that for very long.
I will now toss out my take on these items in an attempt at making my opinion clear.
1. Your job description is just the beginning.
If you want to succeed in today’s workplace and make a name for yourself, you’ll have to do a lot more than what you got hired to do. In fact, your job description is just a scratch on the surface of what you should be doing. Always be on the lookout for new projects and collaborations with other groups, and do as much training and development as possible.
First of all, this advice is totally lost to most people (especially the young) in the workplace. The fact of the matter is that if you don't know and believe this already then you probably never will but it is still absolutely true. Some people are totally fine with acquiring a "job" and working that job for the rest of their lives with no eye toward anything else. If this is you and you are okay with that then that is great. Most people aren't like that, though. Most people want to advance themselves and that usually takes the form of a "promotion." As an employer (and when I was a manager back in the corporate world) I want employees who have this mindset. I want people who work for me to always be looking to improve themselves so that they can work more efficiently, be more productive, bring more to the bottom line, etc. If an employee is satisfied doing only what they were hired to do then they are rewarded with staying at that post. If they can't keep up with the minimum I expect of them then they get fired. If they go above and beyond what is expected then they get promoted. It's a pretty simple formula. I will train employees to do more and if they take to it, great. But it's the rare employee who trains himself, takes classes or whatever on his own time...that's golden.
2. Your job is temporary.
As the world changes, so does the workplace. Companies are acquiring or being acquired, merging with other companies, or crumbling. Your team could be eliminated, your position outsourced, or you might lose interest in your job altogether.
This doesn't apply to my business. But it sure as heck applies to an awful lot of them. This is nothing more than cold hard truth. Almost all jobs these days are temporary depending on how you define "temporary"...be that, a year or two or five or ten or whatever. Anyone and everyone who works in the corporate world should never take anything for granted and that especially applies to the permanence (or lack thereof) of any particular job or company. Several decades ago a lot of people would hire on with a company and stay with it all the way to retirement. This pretty much doesn't happen anymore. These days people can expect to work for several different companies over the span of their working years. And yeah, some people do lose interest in their jobs and honestly, there's nothing wrong with that. It happened to me. I got fed up with the corporate world and decided to start my own business doing something that I truly enjoyed doing. I turned down a "career" almost twenty years ago that by now would be fetching me about a half a million or so annually. So I'm not stinking rich. But I live in a place I love and I enjoy my work. Nothing wrong with that.
3. You’re going to need a lot of skills you probably don’t have right now.
A recent Department of Education study shows that companies are having trouble finding and retaining the right talent. Soft (interpersonal) skills have become more important than hard (technical) skills. It’s never been easier to acquire hard skills — and those skills will only get you so far. Companies are looking for leadership, organizational, teamwork, listening, and coaching skills.
Okay, this is mostly BS. Hard skills, what I call technical ability, are pretty much essential unless you are seeking a career in politics or journalism. For just about everyone else you have to know what you are doing. You have to have technical competence. But, that said, it is still absolutely true that you are going to need a lot of skills that you don't have right now. Remember: The author is speaking to people who are just entering the work world.
Example: When I was in high school there were no such things as personal computers. I have had to teach myself everything I know (albeit not to anything approaching an IT level) about computers and the various programs needed to function in business. And that's only been for the last twenty years or so. Who knows what type of skills will be needed in another two or three decades? I don't. This is why a lot of traditional education (outside of the basics of math, reading and writing) is more or less useless...at least for most fields. So other than the truly technical areas (medicine, hard science, engineering, etc.) a college degree is merely an entrance ticket to the work world where your real education begins and, truthfully, never ends. If you aren't growing, you're dying in my opinion.
4. Your reputation is the single greatest asset you have.
Titles might be good for your ego, but in the grand scheme of things what really matters is what you're known for, the projects you’re part of, how much people trust you, whom you know, who knows about you, and the aura you give off to people around you. Sure, what you do is important. But what others think you do can be just as important if not more so. If you build a strong reputation, the money and opportunities will find you.
Except for the "aura" bullsh*t this is also good advice, in my opinion. If I have to choose between two people to work with, both having more or less equivalent technical ability, and one is honest and trustworthy and the other one is a dickhead...I'm not going with the dick. But that's me. Perhaps there is a real demand for highly skilled, dishonest and untrustworthy dickheads out there. And yeah, titles are frequently stupid.
In my business I am working pretty much directly for my customers. It is essential that my reputation be golden. When I was in the corporate world, though, I took the same approach: My boss was my customer and it was a big part of my job to satisfy that customer, to make my boss successful. Generally, my boss's success was my success. If my boss didn't do well I wouldn't do well (whether it was my fault or not...hey, hard truth). At any rate, I damn sure didn't want a reputation as being anything other than competent, hard working and honest. If you don't have all of those qualities then you are missing the boat. The author says, "Sure, what you do is important," and it is, the technical stuff is essential. But so are the other things. It needs to be a complete picture.
5. Your personal life is now public.
The 15 seconds it takes you to tweet about how much you hate your boss or to post a pic of you passed out with a drink in your hand could ruin your career forever. Even the littlest things — how you behave, dress, your online presence, body language, and whom you associate with can help build your brand or tear it to the ground.
This is new but it's still true. Remember who the audience of this article is: Young idiots. We've all been there, we were all once young, naive and/or stupid. I cannot imagine what kind of trouble I would have gotten myself in with social media when I was in my twenties or teens. The fact is when you SAY something bad about someone well, that's bad. But it needn't be forever. People forget a lot of what they hear and time can erase a lot of bad stuff that comes out of our mouthes. BUT...the written word is pretty much forever. Pictures, even worse because, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. All the author is doing here is telling young idiots to not ruin their reputations forever by posting stupid BS to Facebook and Twitter. It's good advice because young people are stupid and don't think about the ramifications of these things.
And for that matter, it IS important how you dress. Sure, there are places where you can be very successful with sh*tty clothing, multiple piercings and tattoos and questionable personal hygiene. But my business would not be one of them. The young and stupid would be well advised to know that those issues limit their possibilities in the work world and therefore, like it or not, they come with a price.
6. You need to build a positive presence in new media.
There are plenty of benefits to new media and the convergence between your personal and private lives. Your online social networks enable you to connect with people who have interests similar to yours. Your online presence can help you build your reputation, and the educational opportunities available online can help you dig deeper into the things you’re passionate about and want to become an expert in.
This sounds like bullsh*t but, really, it's kind of not. What the author is advising (and remember who he is talking to) is that a young person develop a healthy social life both in and out of work, both online and in real life. There's nothing wrong with that. And if you find yourself suddenly laid off it could be invaluable in getting another job quickly. Or learning of another opportunity that could be to your advantage.
In my business I do this with my customers...I have an online presence and yes, that includes Facebook. It's what gets me new customers. And if you know anything about business you will know that keeping customers is pretty easy...just be competent and honest...acquiring customers is expensive. So, if there is an easy (and cheap) way to get new customers then that's a good thing. And again, in a corporate environment the relationship between boss and employee, supervisor and worker...whatever...isn't really much different than the relationship between service/product provider and customer. There's nothing wrong with promoting yourself (or your business) if the product is a quality one. If you are promoting crap (or misrepresenting yourself as better than you are) then no amount of networking will help, though.
7. You’ll need to work with people from different generations.
There are now four distinct generations in the workforce: Gen Z (interns), Gen Y (employees), Gen X (managers), and Baby Boomers (executives). Each of these generations was raised in a different period of time, has a different view of the workplace, and communicates differently. By learning how to manage relationships with those in other generations, you will be more successful.
Again, I see this as good advice given the author's target audience. Most young people are not only stupid and naive but they are also mind-numbingly self-centered and obtuse. They think that everyone is just like them and has the exact same worldview. It seems stupid to have to point this out but a staggering number of young people really don't know this. Now granted...as I mentioned above...most young people are incapable of learning anything the easy way so the author's advice here will almost certainly fall on deaf ears but for the fraction of a percent that can be instructed I would say it's worth it to let them know this extremely self evident truth.
I am more than happy to share my knowledge and point of view with a young person. I only wish that more than one or two were receptive to it.
8. Your boss’s career comes first.
If your manager is unsuccessful, his frustrations will undoubtedly rub off on you, and the chances you’ll ever get a promotion are pretty slim. But if you support your manager’s career, make his life easier, and earn his trust, he’ll take you with him as he climbs the corporate ladder — even if that means going to another company.
I mentioned this earlier and yeah, it's true. As a business owner it translates to: "The customer is always right." If I adopted the opposite view I would very quickly go out of business. See: Amy's Baking Company.
When I was in the corporate world I tried to make my boss look good. Now, he could still look bad but if he did, that wasn't because of me. Not that this always works. Every once in a while you end up with a boss that doesn't care how hard you work or how technically proficient you are. But that's just a bad boss (or a bad company to work for) and you just need to go elsewhere. I've done it. I've had bosses who used me, used my hard work and talent to further themselves at my expense. Not wanting to be a doormat for someone else's career I always left a situation like that. Never once regretted it.
But again, I see this point as common sense and self evident to all but the hopelessly obtuse. You may not like to see it written down but that doesn't make it any less true.
9. The one with the most connections wins.
We have moved from an information economy to a social one. It’s less about what you know (you can find out just about anything within seconds with a simple Google search), and more about whether you can work with other people to solve problems.
Okay, this is utter nonsense because it flies in the face of one of life's great truth's: Money talks and bullsh*t walks. If you don't have game then all the connections in the world are useless. In fact, they are worse than useless because you will very quickly gain a reputation for being a dumbass.
So, yeah, this article is not without its filler. I have no idea why the author thought he needed to include this very obviously stupid bullet point.
10. Remember the rule of one.
When it comes to getting a job, starting a business, finding someone to marry, or just about anything else, all it takes is one person to change your life for the better. People may be saying no all around you. But as long as one person says yes, you're on your way.
Umm...this, too, is pretty stupid and I don't think I need to elaborate on its worthlessness.
11. You are the future.
By 2025, 75% of the global workforce will be Gen Y. That means that even though you may be early in your career, in the not too distant future you’ll be at the forefront. Right now, you have to position yourself to take one of these major leadership roles when the workforce shifts and older generations retire.
Okay, well, this plus the previous two points completes the trifecta of worthless filler and utter nonsense. Yeah, you're the future. Unless you get hit by a bus or die of a drug overdose. Geez, who cares? The last thing the author needs to do here is give a young person any reason at all to feel good about themselves for any reason other than that which is earned. At this point I would be telling the twenty something to stop wasting my time and go get a job...then we'll talk some more. But that's me.
12. Entrepreneurship is for everyone, not just business owners.
A lot of people define "entrepreneurship" as starting a business, but in recent years the meaning has broadened to include someone who’s accountable, who’s willing to take risks, and who sells him- or herself. If you want to get ahead, start looking at your company’s management as a venture capital firm. Be persistent, sell your ideas to them, and come up with innovative solutions no one else has thought of.
Not content with three stupid bullet points, the author tees up another stupid comment and whacks it down the fairway.
If you are truly an entrepreneur then get out of the corporate world and start your own business with your own damn money on the line. That's risk taking. For a young person (the target audience) being "persistent" and selling your "ideas" to management is a great way to be permanently labeled as a fool. The target audience would be WAY better advised to learn all they can from their betters while maintaining an attitude of humility and respect. If you truly are that much smarter than your boss or his boss then the best thing you can do is leave and start your own business. That's actually been done a lot and is one of the things that used to make America great.
13. Hours are out, accomplishments are in.
If you want to keep your job and move up, stop thinking that you have to put in a ridiculous numbers of hours per week. Instead, realize your value, deliver on it, measure your successes, and then promote yourself.
Well, this is true but it's also pretty horrible advice to give a young person. The last thing you need to tell a young adult is that they don't need to work hard. And that's more or less what he's saying. What he means, or at least what he should be saying is that whenever possible you should work smarter rather than harder. In other words, avoid thrashing around and flailing about because it can give the impression that you are an incompetent idiot.
And yeah, as an employer, I would much rather see the job completed on time and under budget than some guy putting in tons of hours for little output. That's the guy I'm firing. But that's me.
14. Your career is in your hands, not your employer’s.
No matter what they say, companies are looking out for themselves. And while you should definitely try to make your company successful, you need to make sure that you’re getting something out of the deal, too. If you aren't learning and growing, you aren't benefiting anymore, and that's an issue that you will have to resolve. Don't rely on anything or anyone: Be accountable for your own career, and take charge of your own life.
Well, I said this before, too. If your boss is taking advantage of you and you let him do it then you deserve it. Another self evident truth that, sadly, has to be spelled out for some people.
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Okay, so that's my take on all of this stuff. Some ridiculous nonsense but mostly these are basic truths about the real world for the rare young, stupid and naive person who is able to process the stuff. 99% of the target audience will not get a damn thing out of this article. It was true when I was a kid, it's true now and it will be true tomorrow. There's not much new or revolutionary about these points because there really is nothing new under the sun and those who don't know history are forever condemned to repeat its mistakes and yada, yada, yada.
So...not trying to piss anyone off or pick a fight or anything like that. I just see things differently.
