The complete career guide to working smart – how to succeed at a great company

Be Careful who you take advice from. People will tell you to do the wrong thing, and watch you fall on your face. Use your common sense and your five senses.

Eighteen years of marriage has taught me many things. One thing is that I did not know as much as I thought I did. When I got married I thought I knew what it was to be in a relationship. Also I thought I knew what type of person I was. I have come to realize that I can be a very selfish person. Listening has been a challenge for me because I would find myself always wanting to get the last word or talk until I got my point across, regardless of his feelings or what he needed to say. Even on the rare occassion he got to say something, I would be thinking about what I was going to say next.
However, through out the years, I began to see how this was affecting my husband, and it starting bothering me. So I began to read more about effective communication and about love languages, because I truly loved my husbands and wanted him to feel valued and appreciated. A lot of what I read, said the same things as this article so I know I am on the right track.

Tammie Smith

Post secondary Education is possible. I put off attending grad school because I thought, I was just too busy with ‘life’. I did not know there was so much support to help get me through a MBA program. Financial aid, career counselors and flexible class schedules help make it tangible – POSSIBLE!!

I like the idea of surrounding yourself with people that are smarter and better than you. In today’s cutthroat market, it can backfire when subordinates try to usurp you, but in general, it is a good practice because it allows you to delegate and shine at your core competencies.

I chose my major based on the likings of business, technology and computers. Never knew I would end up choosing it, as life has taken me into twists and turns, I have learned that its best I do something that provides happiness. Happiness for me is completing projects & challenges while being in a business setting, around computers and making a good pay. The money isn’t the joy, its just a bonus. The real joy comes from accomplishing the tasks of being a father, husband, student, business partner, musician,. caretaker, lover and friend. Yes with all that I have going on I am a very busy man, but determination allows me to succeed and not give up. Puts me in the driver seat of success, and tells me that the world is much bigger than a block in this small city. Sky’s the limit in my world. I have been through many struggles including an arrest that was meant for a person who is in jail now. Yes they let me go , because the guy who committed a terrible crime showed his ugly face again and was matched up to the system. Its an ugly world, but we can’t let life’s changes take us for a loop, we have to keep pushing it to the max until the wheels fall off. Love Life & Happiness, What’s life worth if your not happy, fight for it!! Ray E.

I believe that it we as individuals determine how much we can achieve and how successful we will be.  I challenge myself to continue to get out of my comfort zone and have more opportunties therefore i chose to continue  my education which will help reward both myself and my family.

This was a great article. I have learned to work smart in the past few years. Everything i do at my current job i analyze to learn how i can do it better. My boss has been my tutor for the past 4 years, teaching me almost everything she knows about accounting and this is why i decided to go to school to earn my degree in accounting, to also have the education as well as the knowledge. I agree very much with the comment Eric made in regards to the college you attend. I don’t believe you have to go to a well known fancy college to be good at your field. Experience and the type of focus and importance you put into your job is worth more than a name. These great article will help me continue bettering my work ethics. 

The article was very informative. Most of jobs I have worked as administrative asistant with many staffing agency. I understand more now why they are so detailed when looking for clients who would fit certain job positions. It is hard and you need the skills and knowledge to complete the requirements of the assignments in order to complete the job correctly. The economy is hard right now and getting feed back from your job or manager really matters so that you can possibly get at advance in a great company. I really enjoyed reading the information

Having a degree has helped me greatly in my current job, it’s nice when people come to you for help on things that I see as ”no big deal”. My dream was to move to a bigger better company than where I’m currently at or even a higher position; sad thing is that, only a couple of months of graduating it seems like I’ll still be stuck in the same position. Being a single parent, working full time and taking care of a family I need all the stability that I can, and for the time being this company seems to be the only one that can pay enough to just cover expenses. 
I smiled when you talked about how nice it would be to have enough money to just be able to leave your current company and start over somewhere else or even start a business, I have thought of that SO many times! Unfortunately, with the economy being like it is all I can do is keep on pushing forward, better myself, and look for new opportunities… well that or win the lottery (just kidding).
Lately I’ve involved myself in Sales Seminars (I work in sales), and just motivational seminars that have proved to be helpful and have given me insight on my actions/reactions as well as the actions/reactions of others, it definitely  helps knowing how and why people react the way they do and even helps to find certain patterns in their reactions, this is extremely helpful when predicting what your boss wants/expects from you.
The article was informative and very beneficial a “must save for future reference” definitely!
@d4b0771ae3381c6150f0c0d2769d3f3d:disqus 

Selecting a career path because you love it workin in that field makes a difference in how committed and determined you are in completing your tasks. If you made a career choice based on salary well you will be less driven and devoted to the job because it is just a check.

The most profound point in this article is the claim that “working smart is a step on the path to finding satisfaction in your work.” I have been challenged by many mentors to find a future career in which “You do not have to work a day in your life.” This comment suggests that if every person can align their talents, purpose or calling with the work they do everyday, the concept of ”work” will lose its negative connotations. Along the same lines, individuals who find purpose in their work exemplify how “working smart” becomes second nature. When our passions and interests coincide with what we are doing throughout the day, we inevitably perform the best. So, my challenge would be that working smart boils down to discovering the true value to the work we do. It may seem empty or purposeless, but this is a result of our attitude towards work. Maybe the claim is also reversible: “finding satisfaction in work is a step on the path to working smart.” Either way, satisfaction and “working smart” appear to be inextricable. Every job will not match up perfectly with our life’s calling; but it benefits us to remember that each position is essential to getting us where we want to be. With this perspective as a driving factor behind our work, the only outcome will be “working smart.”

The stakes are high: One thing that I and my classmates have talked about was that now a days jobs sometimes choose a person with years of experience rather than with the person with the degree with no experience. Rather than having to take the training time and money to teach someone with no experience. They figure its better with someone with experience because you can just throw them in there and begin the work! So it kind of makes you wonder is it even worth it in this society?

I chose to do teacher leadership as my major because I wanted to further my knowledge in education as a leader in some capacity but not necessarily as an administrator.  This major will enable me to become more of a school leader through my various roles and activities in my school and district.  The major obstacles I have to face in graduating with this degree is to explain to my colleagues what it is and what it encompasses because it is fairly new.  Most educators extend their knowledge in a subject area or clarified position such as in special education, guidance counseling, or administration.  This degree is somewhat between teacher and administration in which I feel can equip me with the knowledge to become a department chair at my school or a program specialist in my district board of education.  I am a special education teacher but wanted to study outside those realms to identify how to make effective change in all school settings through research and analysis.  Other obstacle that I face are just to live as a working adult with a family while going to school in which I have to manage my time wisely to accomplish all goals both professionally and personally.  Going to school is a high achievement for me on a personal level since I have lost both parents at age 14 and had to carry on the high standards that my mother in particular had set for me through her example and encouragement.  I ultimately am trying to instill those same values of motivation in my students despite any challenges in life they may face.  I feel educating students on different levels of life such as curriculum and motivation can empower them to realize their own potential especially in high school as they transition to adulthood with so many uncertainties.

Every day we learn things to prepare us for life.  Going back to school has been an opportunity for me to learn new skills to apply to my work experience.  Companies want the best and the brightest working for them and there are plenty of people with degrees.  It’s about finding a way to stand out in a positive way and to work hard.  

“You can graduate from Harvard, Princeton, or Yale and still suck at your job.” I once heard someone say that if you have a degree that is all fine and dandy, but if you don’t know how to do your job, and complete simple tasks, the degree means nothing. I have learned that in order to succeed you need to love what you do, when you love what you do you will try your best to work smart, and soon it won’t be work anymore but a pass time. 

  Working smart really is the best way to to succeed in a company and I truly wish that I have seen this blog before. I’ve learned from personal experience from my first job as an Internet site promoter that being a weak link can jeopardize the integrity of the company at which rate can render you out of a job.

  In my case, I was extremely inexperienced with the format of the company and started out slow. After a few scoldings from my boss I had picked up the pace but then stopped showing up for my shifts and ultimately got let off. The company I worked for was contracted by an even bigger company and I couldn’t help but blame myself for contributing to the climactic end of the company a week later after I had gotten fired. In the end, I pledged to smartly work for my proceeding jobs as I hope many of you may do.

Working smart is not as easy as it sounds but trying hard will improve such skills. From my personal experience, everyday is a new day regardless of the mistakes made before and is never to late to become the best you can. Using these 20 ways to improve at your job or at least trying will benefit the company and the person who is working hard.

I think that when you want to become something or be good at some things is possible as long as you try hard, put effort and be the best possible everyday.

I am also a parent and student and it is tough.  I’ve managed to also work a couple of full-time co-ops and internships along the way because I also know the stakes are high.  Just like at school, excuses in a corporate environment is not the way to go.  I knew that no matter how tired I was, or what my responsibilities were at home, I still had to perform at my highest level.  I know that when my son reaches college age and I find myself looking for the right words to say to him to keep him motivated to do his best, I will not have to look far for the words to say.  Isn’t that what it’s all about?

“You can graduate from Harvard, Princeton, or Yale and still suck at your job.”  I think this is very true, but at the same time I think it takes passion, honesty, and determination to get ahead at work.

I have worked in many different positions from customer service to serving at a restaurant, and I always seem to find that it is those that need the money and appreciate the opportunity to earn it that do the best and seem to work the hardest.

As a college student that supports herself I feel that I go above and beyond at both of my jobs because I know that working is the only chance I have at completing college.

Working smart is a necessary worry of a “sucky job.” While the first job you take on may not be the ideal or dream job, it will be a starting point from which to spring off of. It will not only make things easier for you the worker but also for coworkers. I learned this working at a on campus catering service at Georgetown, as a part of the Students of Georgetown, Inc., the world’s largest entirely student run company. It had everything a college student would hate : a sporadic schedule changing every week, early morning hours that would seem ungodly after an all nighter in the library, weekend shifts, one person shifts and the worst part – RESPONSIBILITY (gasp). Yet, this job helped me to learn time management, how to evaluate the situation, problem solve and make necessary connections. It embodied “working smart.” Following this experience, I hope that I too hire someone that is smarter and works smarter than I do because should there be a choice, it should be to hire someone with a passion because they will be there in the miserable hours and put in effort rather than a person who lacks the passion and / or motivated by money who will more likely than not be satisfied with the bare minimum. As a Corp Caterer, I learned about Personalized Perfection and most importantly how to work smart. 

The Stakes Are HIgh:  With only a high school diploma and working in few small minimum wage jobs I understand that in our world today it is tough to build on or even start a successful career.  With that in mind I have entered college pursuing a dream job of mine.  With a degree in my future I know I will be saving myself a spot working my dream job. 

i as well take my education seriously because yes now a days it is very difficult to get a go without a higher education. I want to show a good example to my children so when it is their turn in life they will hopefully fallow my steps in pursuing an education.

We fall down constantly, that is apart of life but what makes us greater than others is the ability to get back up and climb higher then before.

Your thoughts become actions. This statement is very true. The advice that you get and everything you take in from others will start to stick with you and you will begin to use this information when you are working. You must be mindful of the people you are taking advice from. Everyone should have a mentor in the field they are going into, someone that is looking out for their best interest and someone with a strong work ethic.

It always pays to come to work charged up and combat ready. In the medical field the day can quickly go from being hum drum normal to super charged with the unexpected.

The last point mentioned in the above article (about having a degree from a fancy school and still being bad at your job) really hit home for me. I’ve always set my standards and goals pretty high; in fact, on my current education path I will have a doctorate in education by the time I am 23 years old.

When I was considering schools to begin my college education right out of high school I was accepted to a private school in Billings, Montana claiming to be the top private school this side of the Mississippi River and offering me scholarship upon scholarship to attend. I seriously considered it, and even began registering for fall semester classes when I realized that staying at home for a couple of years and attending a community college would be much more affordable, and practical. I learned that no matter what school you attend, your first two years will be general studies for any degree. So, where you go to school doesn’t really matter to any business as long as you’re good at what you do in the long run.

A few weeks ago I also had a discussion with a parent of a student that I tutor about how in his business they call anyone with a doctorate “unemployed”. Hearing this kind of surprised me because I was always led to believe that more is better than less, especially in education. However, the way that this man explained it to me really made sense. He said that when a person holds a doctorate they often have too narrow of a skill set to be useful to an employer.

It really doesn’t matter where a person goes to school, or what kind of degree they hold when they’re done if they are not good at the twenty things listed in this article that a good boss or company generally look for. As long as you follow the rules and are honest about your abilities and strengths most employers will take that over a fancy degree from a fancy school any day of the week.

I agree with the fact that maybe we could be graduating from a great school but not knowing how to actually work our knowledge will put us on the spot to get fired rapidly. That is why we need to understand how to manage our skills in order to succeed in any job opportunity that we might get. 

Working smart is a concept that sounds like basic, common sense. No worker with great amibition will ever say they don’t want to do their job well in the most efficient way possible. Yet its something that is certainly not taught in school, and I understand why many would say its something you’re born with or not. Some people do pick up on it faster. But I wouldn’t think it to be so heavily weighed with genetics as much as it is a way of training your mind. I see it as similar to learning a language. You learn how to make new connections and develop different frameworks for doing the same things you have been doing a particular way all your life. It’s something I will work on the rest of my life, because fluency is something constantly practiced. 

I definitely agree that knowing what your boss wants is extremely important to career success. Sometimes what they say does not align with what they actually want and expect from his or her employees. Accountability is another huge concern in the office. If you make a decision and it turns out to be incorrect it looks much better to just admit that you have made a mistake and learn from it rather than risk being caught in a lie just to attempt to save face. Life is a learning experience and some of those learning opportunities come out of mistakes that are made. 

The stakes ARE high. Individuals have to distinguish themselves, whether it is in school or work from their peers. Beginning in college, you have to work to be the best student you can possibly be, which means being diligent with your work, and realizing that every task or assignment asked of you is a significant part of your training before entering the work force. Preparing yourself as a good student will also prepare you for a successful career that is pleasing not only to yourself, but to your boss and co-workers as well. 

I can really relate to many of the issues addressed in this article. Mainly, I relate to the concept of working smarter and not harder. I have been in the same profession for 25 plus years and I learned from my first supervisor that taught me something very important as a boss. She said, “Always training someone to do your job, never fear being replaced because you have to be ready for promotion. What you leave behind and your departments ability to survive a transition is a direct reflection of how well you do your job!” I have found this to be a fact! I was in my early 20′s and I have repeated those words to many people since hearing those words for the first time. Yet, what I find is that people are scared to do their best because they may lose their job! Well my attitude is that I was not looking for a job when I found this one, they came to me! Knowing that I have mastered and still stive to learn more really enhance my ability to be willing to take risks and advocate for change.

many times ive had frustrated customers and i wanted to yell at them, but i chose not too

My first job in the legal field was very important to
me. I wanted to do it so perfectly that I screwed up. My boss asked me to
translate a legal document under the pressure of foreigner clients waiting in a
conference room to read it and make a decision. After two hours of work light
went off, I did not save the document in the computer, and I lost it. I was
fired, and I felt devastated and incompetent. I learned a lesson, when this
thinks happen is not the end of the world. If you work under pressure work smart: relax,
take a breath, and do your best. After all you would know that things like this
happen to others as well. You will succeed!

The stakes are high: It seems like today in every environment people are always competing to be the best or better than others. I believe that while people are exerting them selves and their time to out do everyone else they could be using their time more efficiently to be better at what they are doing. As long as you have your p’s and q’s in line there is no limit in what you can become or accomplish. There will always be someone better than you at something but as long as you try your hardest and put your heart in it than you will be the best you can be.

Becoming focus will help people everyday in their field. Obtaining the high gpa will help people in understanding the information in their field. Patience and understanding of the material will help take people a long way.

I can relate to some of these issues here when I got my first government job it was hard at first until I learned the system and knew what my boss expected. My boss always said your going to make mistakes just learn from them and dont make the same mistakes.

Respecting people is the most important aspect in a working field. People need to respect other employees in a working enviroment to make sure people are working toward a common goal. Working toward the common together will help make the job easier. Everyone needs to be respected in a working enviroment to make sure the moral is high and people accomplish the goal.  

My first job was in the restaraunt business.

I’m a natural leader because i played varsity basketball all 4 years of my highschool career and was captain my senior year. After working four months there I was promoted.

Naturally my co-workers were very upset with the managers decision so they all hated me…

My first job experience isn’t all that bad. But it’s my first job experience.

As an engineering student, you learn a few things very quickly about how the world works, in academia and beyond.

1. The human race in general is bad at communication. You can spend two and a half hours trying to figure out what your boss/professor meant in their unclear instructions, or you can take two minutes and ask them. 80% of the time they won’t react as badly as you thought they might (unless your confusion stemmed from the fact that you weren’t paying attention), and if you do it often enough you’ll probably end up developing a positive relationship, which can only end well.

2. Apathy is a progressive disease. “I’ll do it when I finish checking my email” quickly becomes “I’ll do it tomorrow,” which if left unchecked can devolve into “It doesn’t really need to be done, does it?” Giving procrastination any sort of foothold can be dangerous to your output, which in turn can be deadly to your career.

3. If you enjoy your job, you’ll never work a day in your life. Strip away all the perks of your job, any coworkers you may be friends with, and ask yourself: do I enjoy what I’m being paid to do? If all jobs paid exactly the same, had no perks to speak of, and you could have any one you wanted, would you still want this one? If not, you may wish to consider looking elsewhere.

Time is money. That should be recorded in our brains. Your boss wants you to be fast at understanding problems and have a deliverable. 

I would have to say that I agree with the advice that even if you go to a top ranked school does not mean you will be a great employee. I believe that you need to learn how to interact with people and think on your feet in a veriety of situations. In my student internship on campus I not only learn how to be a prefessional but I take away a lot of growing opportunities. Understanding my strengths and tapping into them will help me become a better employee and student. I don’t think I would of learned half the skills I have if I didn’t get involved outside the classroom through on campus jobs and organizations. Experience is a lot of times worth more then a piece of paper alone.

Just the other day, someone asked me if I knew what it meant to work “smarter” not “harder.” I told them I did and just continued with my day not really thinking about the concept. Unknowingly, I applied the concept the next day and have been trying to follow it since. I definitely thank this article for helping me learn more about the topic, but I thank my grandfather even more for introducing it to me. 

I have always wanted to have a great job in the medical but I also love to be outside. As a college student, I concentrate more on school during the year and during the summer I am a lifeguard at a waterpark. It was my first job and it sounded like a great job and I took many science and first aid classes during the year so I assumed that the lifeguard job would not be too terribly hard. I was wrong… My boss didnt care how many classes I had taken. I still had to get up every morning for training and I had to take training classes that I had already taken in college. In training I learned that lifeguarding is a great job but can also put a lot of pressure on you while you are on stand. After the very fast paced training classes, my boss expected everyone to know all of the medical policies and know the answers to all of the “If this happens, then I should….” I was feeling confident about knowing everything but nervous about my first day.

My first day as an official lifeguard, it was very crowded and their was a lot of lifeguards that did not want to be on stand. I was assigned to be on stand and the “big boss” was watching the new guards. Many guards thought that it was a good idea to suck up to the “big bosses” but they didn’t like when the new lifeguards did that. I knew that I would just have to be smart and not try to suck up but make sure I do my job right and pay a lot of attention to the visitors in case anything happens. I worked smart at work rather than trying hard to suck up to the boss and towards the end of the season, I got a raise because I was a smart worker and that I worked hard but not harder then smarter.

Libby Vilner

I am a criminal Justice major, and only a sophmore, yet I too can relate to numerous factors mentioned in the article. First off, I completley agree with the statement “until you can match-up what you do with who you are as a person, you’re unlikely to find happiness at work.” This is so true! And that is why working your way up the ladder and not carrying a big ego is huge, whether through an unpayed internship, or through networking, always have a positive vibe and be helpfull, not a burden. Secondly, the statement made about rules, being made to be broken yet only okay to brake after you have already mastered them. This is very true as well, if you are an underdog, you should never feel as if it is okay for you to change something up that was asked of you from a higher authority. This is not okay, always wait until you are granted permission of flexability with a certain task. I gained this flexability through my internship which began with only shadowing a lawer during his work day, then gained his trust to interview his new clients yet still follow a certain interview sheet. Only after that, did I get the statement ; “Dont be scared to ask more question’s than what the sheet tells you to ask”. This was the approval for breaking the rules and knowledge that I have mastered it too. 
  All in all, do well at what you are asked to do, be consistant, reliable, trustworthy, and have patience, because if you are doing this all and doing it right, permission will be earned and respect will be granted. 

Making mistakes is a human nature, this is why being wrong is not bad as long as you do not 

make the mistake twice. Experience occurs over time and from there we can learn to be better
every day. Also the most important in working smart is the communication, learn from others and that others learn from you.

Hahhaaha

The stakes are high at this point in life for me. Having a good GPA is necessary to be competitive in the job market, but it’s hard to get a really good GPA especially as a math/science major. It’s tough, but that’s the way it is…

This article made a very important point about people who have degrees from Ivy league schools and those who do not.  My boss always told me he was surprised at how most people that he interviewed that had degrees and certifications really disappointed him at the interview sessions.  They were either too confident, not “people persons”, or they really didn’t portray in person what they had on their resumes. I believe the lesson here is that it doesn’t matter if you have a degree from Harvard or Princeton if you don’t know how to talk or interact with people. 

Yes, you can learn how to work smarter and more efficiently. This is something that lifes little quirks will teach you along the way. As a truly single parent, I was thankful I was well educated and had a great career. There is one think I was always taught work hard, do your best and everything will be o.k. Though it is a good sentiment, this is not true. Along my journey I learned to work smarter, not harder. I had too! My son was little I had to learn how to juggle extra activities, balance my budget, pay for everything, keep work in line and focus on myself. The end of most days I was exhausted. One day I started looking at my workload, and realized, I needed to start diving out my responsibilities and focusing on what I did best.  When I started to this, office production increased and everyone’s stress levels decreased. So working smarter let this single mom have a more relaxing life.

When I received my first job, I was working under a pretty big crowd of people. They were far beyond more knowledgable and experienced to where I stood. It felt like I was an outsider to this new job, but I held my head up and made it the best as possible. At first people looked down at me simply because I didn’t know what was expected of me and how I had to perform for my managers. I didn’t let them get to me, when they just told me that I wasn’t going to make it after the first 60 days. I didn’t give up and I learned from them as much as possible but I did so in a way that they didn’t notice me, fetching as much information as possible. 

After my first 60 days my boss came up to me and just like everyone else he took them to the office to either give them the bad news or the good news that the person would get to keep the job. Everyone pretty much looked down at me and said “nice meeting ya” and other things of the sort. When I walked out of the office with a giant smile on my face they were shocked because they never expected me to keep the job. 

At first my numbers were not that great, but I didn’t let it get to me instead I pushed my self to perform and meet my bosses goals and expectations. Later on that year I was given an award for best performance for four consecutive months. From that day on everyone started looking at me as an equal and someone to ask for help or improve some skills. I’ve been there for two years now and I’ve learned a lot, my people skills have improved tremendously via the way I work around a team and how we manage our time. Our performance as a team has had a huge improvement from where we stood two years ago. 

We can all apply this rules to make us smarter employees but in the end what truly matters is that you actually like what you do. For some time I worked as a elementary school tutor and although the students liked me my boss did not like that the students saw me more as a friend than a teacher. 

I guess that maybe I should have paid more attention to what my boss wanted from me than being within my comfort zone 

Most of these scenes do relate to a couple of real life situations I’ve been in such as the “What I Learned” scene because I remember a couple of years ago when I began to work I didn’t know much how careers and employment worked so I had an unexperienced thought process of how employers and boss’ treat each other. I wondered that If the the boss likes you for whatever reason you would be the one to mostly likely get a raise or promotion. However, now being a full-time college student I look back at those events and experiences and reflect that boss’ don’t just give you special raises or promotions because they “like” you but because they like the way work smart which leads them to like you and no matter how rich or poor you are or if you’re black or white it all comes down to the level of how much success and drive will you put into your job that will make the boss like you.

What I took from this article is that hard work and good work ethic contributes to you working smart and will take you far in your career. I can relate to what is talked about in this article in many ways. I have had a few jobs over summers in high school and during the school year. I have also had some of these experiences in my education.

Since I am only a Freshman in college I have had limited work experience. I’ve worked at a grocery store a mulch company and a shipping company, one thing that all of these places had in common is what they valued. The three companies I worked for valued hard work and honesty over everything else. I can remember one example during Christmas when I was working at a grocery store and we were completely slammed. My boss was stressed and I could tell it was going to be a pretty busy shift. I saw that my coworkers looked like they were dragging there feet so I took some initiative. I worked harder and faster that day than I ever had at that job and inspired my coworkers to move faster. I don’t know if other people have ever experienced this but it seems like if one person is working hard it motivates others to do so and it people are slacking off it has the inverse, negative effect. I made it a priority that day to work hard and smart to get things moving along and help keep the store running smoothly. This example in my life may seem insignificant working at a local grocery store doesn’t mean much in the big picture of my life. However, that job taught me how to work hard and smart. Ever since I left it to come attend college I have applied what I have learned there to everything I do from my academics to my campus lab job. 

Overall working smart has not yet had a major affect on my life, but as I move deeper into my studies and start a career I will need these skills to obtain a good job and live a satisfactory, sustainable life.

Put 110% into your work effort & get things done. Be smart about it, maintain focus on the job in front and ahead. There will always be pot holes along the journey, but if your prepared, that flat tire will be nothing to you.

As a social worker student you learn that things are  really hard to get and that you need to work hard to get them. Especially this days

I am currently working in retail while I am finishing up my education. Even though, I have not reached my professional career that I want, the article still applies to everyone.

I may not be the manager of the store, but I am a customer service coordinator that is given managerial duties. My managers are always looking to see that we can have the store under control without needing much help.  They want us to think on our own and step up to be a leader. Being a coordinator has given me the opportunity to be a leader and having others come to me when they do not understand something.

This should motivate people to work hard and smart. If some people prefer to do the minimal work then that is what the employer is willing to give back at them. If the employer sees how much work and effort we do to get the job done, then that is what is going to make us stand out and get that opportunity for a promotion.

The ability to working hard lies in the dedication that one puts towards the goal they want to attain. In my years of post secondary education, i’ve learned that working hard always yields great success in the long run. Long term goals always begin with short term bumps in the roads or obstacles. The way one triumphs over an obstacle will instill a value in them greater than any worldly luxuries. My decision to get my Bachelors through Phoenix sprouted from becoming a father almost four years ago because now that I have a responsibility that requires all my attention, getting an education and moving forward in my career will give me the ability to manage my time and be financially responsible to attend to my child’s needs. Working as a pharmacy technician for almost four years have instilled in me a value that i would cherish for a long time. I found that positive reinforcement amongst your co workers enables a department to execute all the tasks at hand and effective communication opens up rooms for discussion and also have an enivronment whereby all individuals have respect for one another.

I have worked constantly since I was 15 years old so I have dealt with many bosses and coworkers.  When I first started working I didn’t know how to act or what to expect. With no experience I decided to just be myself, work hard, do what I was told, and learn as much as I could.  From my perspective I was doing my job and didn’t particularly stand out from the 50 other teen employees.  Two months into my position my supervisor promoted me to an Assistant Manager.  I was so excited and completely shocked.  When he promoted me he asked me if I knew why he chose me out of everyone.  I quickly answered, “…because I work hard?” I really had no idea.  He told me that from the very first week all of my managers were impressed with my sincerity, maturity, and determination.  I hadn’t made an effort to be overly nice to our managers, like some of my coworkers.  Somehow I stood out.  Within another 7 months I was awarded employee of the month and promoted to a Manager position and then to a Supervisor.  I never planned to achieve a management position at this company, I simply wanted the experience of  a first job.  After 3 years at this company I graduated and moved out of state moving on to other experiences.  I learned a lot from this experience and this knowledge has affected my interactions in all of the companies I have worked for since.  I learned to be sincere and to be myself.  I also learned that doing my best at every task gave me a reputation of being someone who was dependable and thorough.  Presenting myself in a mature manner at a young age gave me a huge upper hand by ensuring I could handle responsibility.  Lastly, I learned to always keep my options open and look forward. 

I took my first job as a teenager in a pool company three
summers ago. I can still remember the nervous feeling I felt going into it. I
didn’t know anything about maintaining pools or the chemicals associated with
doing so. I did not know how to help a customer’s pool turn into a crystal
clear blue, nor did I know how to inform them of how to keep it like that.
After being taught and dealing with customers I quickly caught on, but never
felt completely confident with each consultation I would give. I knew there was
more I needed to learn more because I didn’t felt like other employees thought
I wasn’t knowledgeable. As time went on I gained great customer relationships
and was astonished about how much I knew about pools including all the
chemicals involved, equipment and maintenance. However, I still felt unsure of
my skills because I knew other employees in the store knew more than me. They
had been there longer and developed their skills over time. It wasn’t until I
went back the next summer that I actually realized how much knowledge I had of
pools and that I should of never doubted myself. I learned so much the previous
summer and still had room to learn more. With all this said, this article is
extremely relatable in more ways than one. I learned that with any job I can’t
expect to know everything or be the best at the job. It takes time and not only
did I have to show what I know to myself but also to my co-workers, manager and
customers. I am so grateful that I was able to work consistently in the same job
for three summers because I felt proud of all that I learned and was able to
prove myself wrong after that first summer. It is definitely uncomfortable
being in a new environment, but like with everything…it takes time.

**Know yourself and follow your bliss** I really think this applies to many things.  First, it applies to everyday life.  In order to find balance and happiness, you have to seek out what makes you happy.  Secondly, it applies to school.  In order to really get through school, you have to be doing something that you love.  Everyday doing something that you do not love is a waste of time, and a struggle.  Lastly, understanding what makes you happy in your job will allow you to enjoy what you do.  An example of this would be my current position.  I help other students get back in to college.  The first thing that I ask them is why they want to go to school, and why they want that particular degree.  There should be some type of response that shows it is something that will make their life better.  I take my job seriously, and it is very intense because I assist people a life-changing experience.  I have to remember why I do what I do, and look for the bliss that I can find in that.  I find passion in seeing someone graduate with their degree on move on to what they feel is their bliss.  To me, that is my bliss and their achievements are in some way mine as well.  Earning my degree will mean that I can spend more time doing what I love (Adult Education), on a greater scale, and in a more direct way. 

This is a great lesson you have here! Although I am still in college and yet to have started my official career I feel that I can apply these lessons later on in my professional career. I beleive that what you have provided is the difference between settling and advancing throughout the professional ladder. I have gained insight that I can apply even to my current job now (retail). I will have new strategies to work smarter and please my managers without having to kiss up or break my back. Although I am still in college now, I am starting to see that you do not need a college degree to be successful in this life. All you need is the know how and the right interpersonal skills.

I was always tought “Don’t regret anything you didn’t learn from” from then on I realized every situation is a learning experience.  I have had to put this into almost every aspect of my working career.  There have been quite a few times at work when I majorly screwed things up, I had to stop, take a breath and think smart.  I had to think about where I screwed up, and where I could, or should have done things differently.  I guess basically what I am saying is everytime you srew up you just keep moving forward and turn the negitive into a positive by learning something, because after all, life is all about learning new things.

Work ethnic is not a genetic trait most are born with. Even if most are able to complete task does not necessarily mean that the task will be completed at superior quality. Communication is a great example of the process of a task that can be executed but lack fundamental elements to create a dynamic statement. Learning communication is a skill that can constantly increase everyone’s knowledge. No matter what you do in life without communication skills advancement in life will be limited. 

Communication will allow someone to convey the personality behind the paper. Even though skills are listed on a resume as an employer a decision will be based on the ability to show those skills. This is nonverbal communication, this shows rather than tell the employers that you are worthy of your position. 
“Working smart” is actually something my boss says almost every shift I work. As mentor by day bartender at night I am able to time manage and switch my mentality to match my work requirements. As a bartender I mentally prioritize what task I will be completing. This means when I go from table to table to take orders then enter the orders in the computer, rather than going one table at a time. 
I have been working since 14 years old. My communication skills and work ethic have develop who I am and my opinions. I need to stand out, everyone these days in college is fighting to stay on top and employers are not only looking for completion of education with a high G.P.A they want to see what have you done to become who you are today. You are what you make yourself. 

In my latest job the hourly wage was not the best, but it was because I found a way to be myself and do what I love most (working with animals). This was a lucky situation mainly do to where I work. But it was through this unique situation that I found the joy of completing tasks, and joining a functioning team that achieved goals it set. Since my post secondary education started the value of efficiency and benefit of constant challenges. The act of being stagnant has become something I snarl at. Working smart hits home with me because of this. Working smart while being in a constant challenge forces one to adapt and utilize effective and efficient methods of working which is simply a good behavior to adopt since life is a constant challenge; it would serve to be prepared to act wisely in the face of adversity. Working smart is more than just a professional concept. Applying this practice to daily life begins to improve daily living, and increases quality of life. If all begin to act accordingly then it was increase public quality of life.

I have to admit I chuckled while I was reading this.  As a “long-term” employee in my current job I remember being brand new and kissing the behinds of every supervisor and boss that walked through the office door!  I mean, first impressions mean the most right?  While first impressions, well, impress people, it’s not always the first one that keeps them coming back for more.  It’s a combination of good personality, easy going, but also jumping in and doing your job without a lot of questions.  My bosses are very busy and don’t have time to train me, so I learned by trial and error.  After 2 years of employment with this company I advanced to an administrative position and became a supervisor to support staff.  Prior to this job I had no experience in this field…. I learned it all on my own by watching others, learning short-cuts that by passed asking the dreaded question of “how do I do this?” and by a lot of dedication and hard work.  After twelve years of employment I like to say I am still good at what I do, and I also look to hire employees that are better than me and can possibly teach me a thing or two!!

The main theme from this I have gathered is that simply
having a college degree does not mean you will be successful in your career;
you also need the right communication and people skills. That being said, I do
agree that due to competition, there are highs stakes for jobseekers. You do
want to differentiate yourself from the crowd, but do so in a positive way,
else it will only harm you. I will keep this in mind as I pursue my career after
graduation.

If your in a job search: Having training and past experience in the career field will most likely land you the job. I currently don’t have a job but plan on taking several courses that allows the reflection of the training experience. I learned this the hard way within past experiences. I had the degree but not the experience, I never got the job I end up getting a job in a totally different field.

This guide really helped me a lot. When I get a new part-time job (even if it’s at a fast food restaurant), I always try to have a great relationship with my boss. I always greet them whenever I see them, regardless if I’m working or not, make small talk and try to go above and beyond in the task that they assign me. As a reward, my bosses have offered me a permanent job whenever I come back home from college break and I get more hours than most of the people that work there full-time.

I thought that the section about not becoming your boss’s pet was important.  Many people think that sucking up to someone who has a higher position…will in fact get them that position or better.  In reality, this type of behavior reaps just the opposite reaction. People like strong and smart indivudals that are willing to work! Dont kiss no ones butt! What you put in is what you get out!   

Communication isn’t about being a good speaker, it’s basically the relationship you establish with people who share a common goal with you. I am a certified student leader in my university and one of the skills you need to succeed in any job is to be able to create a good conversational ground with your employees/colleagues

I also sucked at my first job. My first job was as a paperboy . I messed a lot of customers storm doors by throwing the paper against it.

Working hard has its’ own rewards. I have worked for bosses
who did not set the example on how to be your best in the work place.  I have worked with a few jobs that did
fulfill their commitments to their employees. I have basically seen the good in
the bad in the field of Customer Service. The greatest lessons that I learned
from those experiences are to be yourself and always treat people they way you
desire to be treated; it makes a world of a difference. We are ultimately in
charge of our destinies and we if ever find ourselves unhappy in the work
place, find solutions to those contributing factors or simply find a new path.
Life is about choices and work is one of them. Whatever you decided to do, do
it well and give it 100%, one-hundred percent of the time.

I took a marketing class this semester and it was about “personal branding” and how important it is. After reading this article it makes sense that integrity and being a smart worker are much more important.

Focusing on being a reliable and good worker in the end will lead to more success. This will result in creating a better name for yourself.

Oddly enough I’ve experienced first had accounts of getting
hired as a part-time employee and having to learn mostly everything on my own initiative
and constantly asking questions.  My
employer in my last job assigned to me some minor tasks and left me alone until
the end of my shift. However I learned to speak up, speak with respect, take
ownership of my tasks, and most important show up on time ready to work. These common sense (sense not being so
common these days) steps helped my boss see the potential and quality of my work and
extended my employment as a full-time employee.  

So as I read, “The complete career guide to working smart –
how to succeed at a great company” I realized I had unconsciously made a similar
check list of success. Though I learned that things may not change from small
term job employers to large successful companies, I can use my experience and
my talents to be one step ahead of my coworkers.
 

Especially because I have just started searching for a job recently, this showed me many great tips regarding work ethic and the basic step of getting hired. What I took from this was that if you want to stand out, don’t brand yourself but build yourself up. If your job application isn’t very good then you must not be either.

From both being in school and working I find that everyone has different personalities and some personalities do not work together so I have to work or tolerate others as well as others having to tolerate me.  When one complains, or decides not to do what they are told because they feel like they do not have to does not solve anything. 
As a Christian I have learn to serve others and humble myself when i have to face challenging were I have to have people bossing me around who are not my boss, or having my boss sort of run me over because he or she has the higher hand.
I applied for one job and my boss and coworkers made me do ther work they did not want to do because I was new.  I became stronger as a person because it test me as a person, as a worker, and as a Christian.

This article is a great motivational piece to help not only new employees, but also the seniors that have been in the career world for a while redefine their work ethics. Knowing that this article was written by an actual boss gives it credentials and insight to get a better idea of what a boss expects from you. There is a lot of helpful advice throughout this article, if the reader attains only one small part of it, it will be beneficial to them and their career.

Dedication, and motivation are the keys for success. College not only prepares you for the bumpy road of the real world, but it also makes you use critical thinking skills for situations that do not go your way. Choose what career you want that makes you happy, not the career that pays well. 

You learn a lot with being in the area

Of all the lessons I’ve learned the most profound has been that knowing the right thing doesn’t matter unless your doing it and you do the right thing not because your afraid of who’s watching or that you might get caught in the wrong, but simply because it’s the right thing to do. Having common sense and common courtesy go miles because unfortunately, as of late they’re not very common.

Working hard AND smart, showing you have honesty, integrity, and strong core moral values can set you leagues above your colleagues. A mistake is only a problem if you dont take these three steps. When you make a mistake, you own it, take responsibility for your actions. Then learn from it, if your not learning your not growing. Finally, let it go don’t dwell on it and harbor the negativity of it or it can destroy you.

If there is something I’ve taken with me from my job experiences and this article it’s that in order to be successful both as an individual and as a company there is a balance needed between all involved, and you must learn when it’s time to put your effort and skills in one place over another maintain that balance. 

When Eric Shannon talks about “working smart” he mentions the need for honestly and sincerity. There is hopefully a professional relationship that develops between you and your boss, but it’s not always about pleasing your boss, which you’ll learn if you’re honest and sincere. Success came when I figured out how and when to balance when what I was doing was for me, for my boss, and for the company. It’s never, well, should never be about one singular person. 

Once you join a company you are a part of a multi-person team aiming for a common goal, while there is still desire among everyone for individual achievement. Working as a teacher with AmeriCorps challenged me many times to figure out when what I was doing was for myself and my experiential gain, the children, my principal, or the school as a whole. It’s the self sacrifice that it sometimes take for personal gain that has advanced my career along the way.

Last summer I worked two retail jobs.  Through the experience of these two jobs I am able to relate the concept of ‘working smart’ to how I handled myself in those jobs and kept them balanced and under control.

I was new to retail and did not know some of the lingo and terms often used at first.  It was difficult and I felt almost out of place, but eventually I was able to catch on.  The skills mentioned in this article are similar to the skills I picked up on throughout my job experience, in order to feel more comfortable and gain more respect. 

I learned that being precise and to the point was very important in this type of work.  When a particular task needed to be done out on the sales floor it was communicated in a direct fashion.  I realized I needed to be communicating with my co-workers and boss in the same way. I also learned that if I made a mistake it was important to own up to the error and learn from that mistake.  These are two skills mentioned above that fall under the category of “20 things your boss wants from you.”

These skills that I picked up on throughout my summer of work really helped turn around my whole experience.  At first, I was overwhelmed and felt as if I did nothing right, leading me to believe that I was not very liked.  But, as time went on and I began to change the way I approached certain scenarios, I began to feel more competent.  This changed my overall attitude and I became a lot more positive.  I was also able to learn that being honest and wholehearted allowed for a lot more success. Using the skills mentioned above can be very beneficial to your overall success at work. 

I do believe that “working smart” skills can be learned.  I feel that if someone has an open mind and is willing to try out new skills in order to preform better at work and even in their daily lives, success won’t be far.

My current boss is an amazing management figure. The thing that makes him great is that he knows people and how to talk to them. I have literally watched him fire a co-worker, and at the end of the conversation my co-worker actually thanked him for letting him go.

It’s skills like this that make you a great supervisor, being able to speak and manipulate people into doing what you want, when you want, and making them feel good about it and as if it was their idea.

Over the summer of 2011, I
worked at my local athletic shoe store. My job was to help the shopper with all
of my knowledge on the inventory to assist them in finding the perfect shoe for
their athletic type. It was tough learning about all of the types of shoes and
getting into the rhythm of everything. One day in the store, a woman came in
and did not know very much English, but she wanted to get a pair of running
shoes. The pressure of my insufficient confidence in my knowledge of the shoes
and wanting to give the customer the best product was almost over bearing. Through
asking questions from my managers and the knowledge I already possessed, I helped
her find her perfect shoe. Sometimes people seem to think a problem is bigger
than it is and don’t believe in themselves enough; sometimes when we think we
suck, we really don’t. We are our biggest critic.

I can compare to this article with my job. I worked for months without any sort of promotion, but became frustrated because I was working very hard. My boss pointed out some flaws and I corrected those also. I still wasn’t getting the promotion I wanted, so I asked around with my fellow employees, and they gave me good advice on how to work smarter, and a few weeks later I was promoted.

Working smarter entails doing everything you can to make sure that you are really qualified for that job even if it means you spend time going back to school and getting a degree or taking a second language. One of the helpful tips I got from the temporary services was that taking a second language really helps and that I was at a disadvantage by not doing so. Today’s world you almost have to have that where as 20-30 years ago it wasn’t even a factor.

My job now is amazing. However, my first job was an absolute nightmare. My boss absolutely hated me and I’m not entirely sure why. I mean, I did mess up occasionally but, like I said, this was my first job and I was only 16. I’m not entirely sure how the tactics would have helped me out in the grocery store I once worked in but, I can make sure I use them now and in the future when I have a job as a teacher. I am glad I had the first job experience though where my boss had zero respect for me because it has helped me appreciate healthy work environments that much more!

I think this is great information. I personally have found a few tricks of my own to work smart. It’s old school really, never be late, plan things ahead, schedule things on your off time, take care of yourself and get plenty of sleep, do your job more ( depending on the likes of your boss), and most important, come to work.

The part which really caught my attention was no matter where you attend school, a person may still not be great at thier job. I was never aware that you boss does not want you to suck at writing emails, I was unaware that a person could be terrible at writing something as simple like an email

I think that almost every boss I have ever had should read and study the above information. I try to keep a positive attitude no matter what life throws at me, however its not that easy. Sometimes its even a struggle. I try to abide by the golden rule by doing onto others as I would have others do onto me. I treat others with respect as this will keep my mind clear to handle any task at hand with a clear conscience.

I just have to say I have been on both sides of the coin and am a firm believer that someone should not “oversell” themselves to get a job. I have run into issues where applicants have included misleading information on resumes which led to them being hired and inadequate for the job. This causes turnover and wasted resources. The points on working smart are very true and I took a lot from this!

I have to say that working smart is very important in the working world. Knowing what your boss expects of you as well as knowing yourself can be the tools needed to help in obtaining a promotion. I worked very hard in the field that I am in for several years. Even though the agency changed company’s several times, my name was always brought up as an exceptional staff which led to several promotions down the road. Working hard, knowing your limits, and exceeding the expectations of your boss will definitely pay off in the long run.

The most important thing I believe an employer can do (since I’ve chosen to work for myself) is to know what and why their employees do the things they do. For example, as listed above Tame Your Ego. I personally want someone working for me that believes they know what they’re talking about, however has the sense to ask if they are unsure. I think knowing that they believe they should submit rather than stand out, I would be able to assure them to make their presence known.
I also think that showing up for battle is the best advice that can be given in any career situation. Know your job, know your roll, be kind and for the love of God, let someone speak! You may actually learn something.
All in all this has been fantastic advice, now I am ready and prepared to break the rules.
Thank you,

Brenda Reynolds

I believe that even if you think that your boss doesnt appreciate your work or he doesnt seem to have the time to help you. We as employees should look foward to find the answers, to do a better job, and to learn how to relate to our boss. It is true that when we are employed we should be working smart. However it is important, that before we even get a job, we should choose our career wisely. Then, after we graduate it is time to look for a job , so we can get ready to work smart! Be smart and chose a job where you know you can do it , and your boss wants to help you.

Tame your ego, words to live by in the workplace. No one wants to work with someone whose ego is bigger than life. Come to work with the right attitude, willingness to work as a team, and always remember that you are not better than the next guy.

It is important to understand we all need to work smarter not harder. Learning the ins and outs of the things is one of the best ways to gain respect and complete the job or task that is handed out in a timely manner.

I find working smart is really valuable, however, without implementing wisdom in working smart, the good and best decisions will be difficult to make on a professional or personal level. Smart decisions will not surmount to much if wisdom does not play a role in my decision-making. Smart is defined by knowing facts, figures, and academic knowledge, but wisdom is the experience of life and living it and knowing what will destroy or improve it.

I am lucky enough to be an individual that has a great boss. My direct boss is a really fun guy, his boss, and the head boss are all the same. They enjoy a good laugh, but they all get the job done at the same time.

A pleasant article. Go above and beyond go the extra mile. Work place is supposed to be team oriented. No boss likes to hear, “not in my job profile i wont help my fellow coworker.” pay me more for your title and i just might help you!”

this is a great information sources one I will use

I think the article provides useful tips and provides real life examples of how one needs to be prepared for an interview.
I have been working for my current employer for about 7 years now, since I was 18, and I must say that from what I thought knew then, to what I have learned over the years, my perspective has changed.
I think that it is very important that you prepare yourself wisely, not only for the actual interview, but for possible rejection. It is a competitive world out there, and not everyone will share the same work ethics or ideas as one might personally have. Needless to say, most jobs will expect you to be a fast learner, and in most cases, your ‘boss’ will want to take as little time as possible to teach you. Just like Eric said above, it’s about being effective.

I sucked at my first job as well. I was working at Subway and although making subs seems easy that is the only thing that is . I dealt with a lot of attitudes from many people. The restaurant industry is where you meet a ton of diffrent faces and personalities. Sometimes you meet people that are just rude. The main point of working is to please the customer or guest and make them happy. They want to be happy when they see you and when they leave plus they want satisfactory service and nothing less. I have seen a lot of employees get fired from many places because they are in a customer friendly environment and they are not. I have never experienced the feel of getting fired and would not want to. I give my boss as well as customers my 100 percent participation and enjoy doing so as long as it puts a smile on the customers faces and allows them to leave happily knowing that you gave them great service.

I have worked in retail for a little over seven years now. I have learned a lot over these years about how one needs to adapt to change in able to be sucessful in the job field. In order for one to be sucessful in retail they must relieze the the customer is basically their boss. In retail if their are no customers then you have no job. The main importance in working in retail is making the customer happy. I am currently a Customer Service Manger where i work and i always put the customers satisfaction first. If the customer is not satisfied then you lose that customer and this can really hurt the retail business. I understand that one can not always satisfiy everyone. I learned that showing respect to people who you work with is also very important. If the people you work with do not feel respected they will not show you the same respect back.

A great article for individuals who have issues with their boss and the boss who has issues with their employees. I think the tips here can truly help an indivdual gain a better understanding of what is going on. Supervisors do tend to get bottled down in teaching and wish the employees would know what to do and how to do it without being prompted.

During the past few years as I have been attending high school and college I have had various part time jobs and what I’ve come to realize is that there are a lot of people out there who are just not willing to learn. Some people believe that they know everything about what they do and do not have to work at it. Like this article says, and from my own experience, I feel that in order to be great at your job you have to know how to balance your indepence and identy with that of which what your boss and clientele expects from you as well. You may have the same job but change locations and you have to readjust yourself to the people that surround you. This article helped me put into perspective ideas that are important to my future and I as I begin my search for a salary job.

I applied and got my first job when I was 15 years old. I hated it, I hated being in a room full of smelly children, parents acting like imbeciles in front of other people, and instructors who wholeheartedly believe that their way was the best and there was no other way to be. I was 15 rebellious and thought I knew everything there was to know about everything.
How wrong I was. I was in a martial arts class that I did not want to be in, but I had to be put into something because I was incredibly antisocial. I didn’t have an issue with not having friends but the idea of me doing anything outside of school with those friends was null and void. I had school work to do,l didn’t have time for mundane he said she said drama, let alone any time at all to deal with boy crap. I reveled in my lonesomeness and I wanted to stay that way. However, my grandmother who I had the utmost respect for asked me in her sweet old lady voice to give it a try, and begrudgingly I did.
Turns out I was a pretty good martial artist! The instructors saw my talent and wanted me to enroll in a assistant instructors class so I could assist them in teaching. I love those classes here I was 15 years old becoming a teacher to other children, amazing! I earned a certificate of teaching and was allowed to teach my first class.
The day came for me to stand up and teach, I was so nervous! These were my peers, children and adults that I had looked up to and admired. And here I was teaching them! I was dazzled by all of it and intimidated. And soon enough I came to a realization that I just was not cut out for it.
My first few classes went well, my peers respected me and my opinions. They let me guide them with my amazing teaching skills I learned over the past 6 weeks. I was moving right along, until the day came for me to teach children. Ages 3-11 hellraisers, demons, crazy parents and then it hit me of course they wanted me to be an assistant for them to pawn off all these crazy kids on. Now I understood.
I started the lesson with some stretches to warm us up and it seemed in the beginning that the children were focused and ready to go. Until when I decided to move them into pairs (under my strict supervision) to help each other learn a grappling technique. The day was shot to hell, children were screaming, kicking, running around in a disorderly fashion. Parents were yelling at their children, at me, at anyone who would listen. I whistled which got all the kids attention and said in a Henry Winkler Fonzie type voice COOL IT! They stopped and sat down, I couldn’t handle it I was a kid myself, I called in my instructor to take over the class and told her maybe when I got older but not now. Definitely not now. She shook her head as if she was ashamed of me, but I didn’t care. I stood up for myself found out what I could handle and shook off the negativity. I never went back to teaching, and I did receive my black belt which was after all the main goal of me joining.

I am working toward a degree in Education. School boards are no different than big business, so I am ready to learn anything that will help me once I graduate. Going from being the “Lunch Lady” to a teacher will be hard enough, but will be easier if I can understand more. Thank you for this information

I feel that this article is very truthful about branding or selling ourselves. An image is created and sometimes you cannot live to its expectations. Therefore it is better to be honest in your work and let the real you show through, strive to improve and realize that you can never stop learning and this will help keep you current with the changing job market too.

During my time as a shift leader for a franchised Quizno’s Subs, I had to learn the hard way about working smart. There were many times when I would be left to fend for myself throughout the entire day. I would call and ask questions and receive vague responses. Customers or former employees would be irate and I would handle them with patience and calm responses, yet still be blamed for any repercussions. One specific day, my afternoon coworker did a “no call/no show” and I had to handle a $300, 2 hour lunch rush by myself. My store manager wouldn’t even drop what he was doing to help. My boss (the store owner) didn’t even raise any sort of concern for me. I had to learn on my own that working smart didn’t pay off for me with that company, but that is the way I have always worked. Working smart isn’t a skill that is taught, or even sometime appreciated, but it is a combination of common sense and instinct.

This was very informative. I will definitely pass it on to others.

I can not get over the value of teamwork in today’s business place! Following rules in important on many levels for individuals, but without support and obedience from individuals working alongside makes them almost irrelevant. A key element of working smart is following rules and direction without constant supervision or correction.

I used to work in a factory with strict safety guidelines. None of the rules were outlandish; each played a role in preventing accidents and injury. A group of younger workers often played on the lift machines or walked through restricted areas to save time. I was not a supervisor, but I did tell them on a number of occasions to stop acting carelessly on company property and time. Well, as expected, one day a young man walked through the restricted area just as a machine made its revolution. His injury was severe, his arm was almost completely removed. His friends told management that the machine had malfunctioned. This led to the immediate shutdown of the large automaton, and repair work orders begin being processed.
Against the advisement of the involved workers, I told management that the machine had indeed NOT malfunctioned, the young man was not following safety instructions. Although I did not make friends within that circle of employees, I had saved the company thousands of dollars on halt-of-production costs as well as the cost of repairmen hunting a nonexistent issue.

By doing the right thing, I made enemies at work. Would I do it again? Certainly. I envision myself as the company owner, and I think that I would desire honest employees on staff, especially in instances that will ultimately save me money.

After reading this insert and looking back at my past jobs, ive noticed a pattern. It hasnt dawn on me that boss’ in entry level position classify and treat all employees the same as they would as a managerial position. All the expectations for all are the same and leave little room for slacking off in between. From what I read, its nice to know your stuff and be able to handle every situation that comes your way as your manager or boss would. Alot of entry level positions have job descriptions and they always say they need a person whom can work with little to no supervision. What this means they need a person who can work with no supervision and who can do their job and act as a stand in manger if the time calls for it. You cant expect your boss to be there for you ever second of the day, and they expect you to carry yourself in a professional manner and handle situations in a professional manner as well.

When I started working I felt inadequate that I only had an associates degree because I planned to obtain my bachelors. However I started to notice that, my educational exprience wasn’t all that defined me since I was being trusted with important tasks. I realized that my performance mattered and was appreciated.

Unfortunately we are seeing more of this poor job analysis that is impacting employees severely. I have had many of my friends go through this and I finally had my fair share. I was working for Continental Airlines for 3 years and was the one that always had the graveyard shift, or even work overtime because other employees did not want to. I had a goal that I wanted to meet which was to produce and give the company 100%. I worked very close with my director and she always wanted me to learn more so I could grow in the company. I was the only bilingual person in my department which was a great benefit for them. When the time for appraisals came, I was evaluated by my supervisor which was great however I was also evaluated by her supervisor and was given a bad evaluation which affected my possibilities of getting a promotion. I was so upset because I never worked with her supervisor, so how could she even evaluate me? I felt like I was deprived from a promotion and much more as a human being I felt humiliated. I sacrificed so many years of making the same minimum $7.00 an hour for no respect nor appreciation. I eventually resigned from the company and close that chapter.

Rules are sometimes meant to be broken. This is definitely a silent lesson that I have learned along the way. I believe policy and procedure should be a guide not handcuffs keeping an individual restricted from performing at there peek. The guide is there for everyday routine. Issues which can be defined as “cookie cutter” on the job. There are many times when I had to think outside the box. At my job the motto is make a decision and ask for forgiveness later. I am so glad this is the kind of environment I work it because it helps me to be as efficient as possible furthermore solve customers issues.

At work I speak to various clients daily regarding billing equipment and service. One of my customers calls in about a device he never received. I checked the postal tracking and discovered that it had been sent and to the incorrect address. This is not the customers fault, however policy is to get the equipment back first and then send the customer out another device. This would take days leaving the customer with no other form of communication. Looking around I noticed no upper level management was available. The customer was highly irritated due to the companies mistake and ready to discontinue service. Valuing the customers time, I MADE A DECISION. I sent the customer out another device to the correct address and then filed an investigation with the postal service to have the company reimbursed.

Finally I documented the account thoroughly so anyone reading the notes would understand exactly what transpired. I also emailed my supervisor to bring her in on the loop on the executive decision made. When she returned she approved the order because of the support of why I made the decision and was happy the customer was saved. That day my companies brand was a little stronger and my supervisors respect for me grew. She knows I a competent enough to leave alone. A win-win for everyone.

Do you know how to succed at work? If so, you’ll have a much better shot of receiving raises and promotions.
If you’re a Seinfeld fan, you might know where this is going… But, if you’re not, the quirky character George Costanza gives his advice on how to succeed: simply look busy.
It’s not just about looking busy, Costanza believes there’s an art to it! He says the key to succeeding at work is to look annoyed. In fact, his theory is: if you act annoyed, you’ll always seem busy! While admittedly this might work for a while, it’s probably not the best advice!
What can you do to succeed at work?
According to Rabbi Daniel Lapin in his book Thou Shall Prosper there are three things to start doing to succeed in an entry level job to succeed at work:

1. Show up regularly and on time
2. Obey instructions
3. Speak and act respectfully

Seriously, anyone can do those three things. They may sound ridiculously simple, but my parents gave this advice when I was young, and it worked for me. It’s amazing how hard those three items are for some people.
I worked for my Dad as a maintenance man/janitor at my high school. It was a pretty crappy job (pun intended) but it was actually very rewarding. I showed up on time, did what my boss instructed, and was always respectful of my coworkers.
It’s sad to say, but what I learned in that job has helped me more in life than most other jobs I’ve had!
Maybe that’s why I can relate to what Andrew Carnegie believed when he said, “It is not the rich man’s son that the young struggler for advancement has to fear in the race of life, nor his nephew, nor his cousin. Let him look out for the “dark horse” in the boy who begins by sweeping out the office.”
This is the path I’ve taken and it has led me to succeed at work.

I have had some jobs that was leading to no where. I am currently in retail job. I have been there for 2 years. I love working there only because I love my boss. I am trying to become a manager there. But what I don’t understand is the favoritism that is in the store. It makes me mad because I can’t do anything about it. If I say anything I will possibly get fired. But I like the lines of communication that me and my boss have, I want to take those skills with me whenever I become a manager.

One of the biggest lessons to learn in my opinion is to sometimes sit back, listen, and learn. Though my resume is not exactly lengthy, I have learned that being aware of what’s right and what’s wrong in your workplace will help you excel in your given field.

For example, my first OFFICIAL paying job was in March 2010. For as long as I cold remember, I always wanted to involve myself in the customer service atmosphere. Whether it was in person or over the telephone, I wanted to be that person at the other end catering to the needs of an individual. Because of my lack of experience in the workforce, I came in the door very naive and unaware that other individuals would have ideas than myself.

Prior to working there, I made the decision to go to a different college for a business degree instead of pre-vetereinary medicine. With that decision, developed problems amongst my co-workers. Because of my attending a business school, I began analyzing my atmosphere a lot more than when hired. I began realizing that the atmosphere I found very friendly, wasn’t so friendly. Naturally, I understand that NO job is going to be perfect, there are definitely going to be cons within the work atmosphere, but the problem was not the job itself, it was my co-workers.

I began feeling that working there was a huge mistake because before I was hired, I was desperate for a job, the economy wasn’t and still isn’t in the best shape, and to top it all off, I felt as if I were meeting a whole new group of employees. Starting with the district manager down to certain employees, the atmosphere was not the best. We were meeting sales dishonestly, some of the co-workers were violating the employee-employer relationship policy where it caused friction among other associates, and it made it obvious where favoritism slept. With that being said, the atmosphere was entirely too small for those type of behavior because the payroll only consisted of 10 employees that which includes three managers.

Attending school eventually allowed me to view things from different perspective more than usual and made me more aware of the people around me. After so long, I felt as if I was outgrowing my occupation not because I believed I was better than anyone, but because my imagination outgrew where I felt I belonged for that particular phase in my life. Friction increased in my workplace when I decided to take on a second job because I was underpaid, being cheated out of my hours, and not receiving deserved respect.

Eventually, I had to put in my letter of resignation because my first conflicted with my professional and eventually my personal life.

The lesson I am trying to teach is be knowledgeable of where you apply for employment. Always research the mission and vision of that particular company. In the event that you do get an interview, analyze those that you meet just as they will be analyzing you because you are new face. I am not saying make judgements, but be aware of the kind of energies you get off that individual because you never know, they could be your new co-worker.

Working smarter is definitely much better than working harder. By better I do not mean easier. Anyone who has made it to the top by working smarter will not tell you it was a cake walk. In my field, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates did not have an easy breezy way to the top. This isn’t about them though–it’s about me. Most of my work experience is in retail. I’ve worked nearly every aspect of retail below a supervising position. It wasn’t hard manual labor, but it did require me to be on my feet at least 8 hours a day. After having a family, my skill set expanded but my job title remained the same. I can remember going to work and looking around thinking, “I’m better than this, I’m smarter than this”. After being terminated, the opportunity presented itself for me to return to school. It was so ironic because after leaving college the first time I always told myself that I would return to school again if I was ever given the opportunity. That was almost three and half years ago. I’m qualified for more positions now that I’m in school pursuing my degree. My former managers have actually noticed my abilities more so now that I am not working for them. It makes me feel good to help them solve their ‘big’ problems with my simple understanding and know how. That’s all I ever wanted. Now I just want to be paid for it. lol

When company succeed people succeed.I work for a experience not and advance my experience give me more than an advance also get to work on time because I expected to be honest not robbing myself of any money.My time is money so I am expected to deliver the promise from my interview until I leave.I am my own boss I follow instructions and lay the foundation for a healthy career in anything I do. Three things to be successful in reach any goal.1. Give your time.2.Be on time..3.And pay attention to time it cost money to waste time.

It is important to always be yourself. I have had 5 different jobs, and in each one of them, I have not changed myself to fit the job, but instead molded the job into my personality.
I have worked at a store called The Happy Woman for four years now. I have earned my bosses respect and trust by simply being myself. I am naturally a happy and optimistic person who is not pushy, but simply tries to be helpful and kind. Because of this, I have become a natural salesperson. I have learned that no one wants to be forced to buy something. By being myself, I am able to grow because of my job.
By not becoming a corporate cow, you give yourself the opportunity to grow because of the job you are in. If I simply always tried to just do what my boss asked of me, no more and no less, then I would not succeed as much as I do at work. I love my job because I can find ways to stay busy and ways to go above and beyond. Jobs should not be about sitting around, but instead about finding ways to improve your job, and making it your own. You should be able to enjoy work every day!

This reminds me so much of the call center job i was offered and i made some mistakes that ended my time there, I have been living with the regret of not taking more time to really get the full understanding of my position and studying on the simple instructions of being successful at it.

The Job that I am currently doing is a tough job for what I do I do not get paid a lot and I am responsible for other peoples lives and having to watch these adults because of their disabilities. I love my job!!! I have learned a lot from this job.

One way to be sucessful is to do your part no matter waht. Be considerate of others time and efforts and use gratitude to show you thanks. I happen to work with a great group of women and at times we are like bickering sister but 95% of the time we are like family. We help one another with all that approaches us, wheter it is work related or something that needs assisting after hours. We help one another perform task so that we all have a good day and not allow others to get overwhelmed.

Success at work comes from the skills and discipline we learn while growing up. Discipline is the structure that designs who we become and this reflects onto our employer when we are timely, attentive, and punctual. How we behave and the things we say can also help our journey in life with our employer.

I agree that you should always strive to do your best no matter what. It is about who you work for but the attitude and the ability to get it done is what your about. If you do this successfully you will not only satisfy your self but be a role model to others.

Great Ideas! I have worked at my job for 3 years now and some of these ideas would come in handy. I’m big on team work and diversity. I feel that is lacking in my job. We have a high turn over rate, which makes it hard to have team work. Last week, my manager was fired for harassing a co-worker who reported her for stealing. Obviously, this place is not very diverse. However, I’m going to speak to my new manager and see if we can’t incorporate some of your ideas into our facility.

This is an great article on how to deal with adversity on a job. It is very true that you can be good at school, receive A’s for the entire time you attend a four year university and suck at your job. The truth is that learning how to perform at work is to apply for jobs.

You can have the highest degree and still suck at your job simply becuase you don’t like it. Liking your job and respecting your co-workers is important because it makes it easier to go to work everyday. In my experience its not about liking your boss…its about realizing you have the same goal and reaching a mutual agreement to respect each other in order to get it done. There needs to be boundaries and know not to overstep them or else things can get out of control. I’ve experienced that in the past and its not a good place for anyone not even the employer.

Thank you for the advice and the humor. I found this article and links quite informative. I read several of the links that looked promising and helpful.

The key to instances like this are to make yourself invaluable to your employer; not by sabotaging equipment, but, as I did, become a staple and facet of your office space.

This is definitely something that I can relate to. I have worked in places where I felt as if I just existed. I did not feel overly confident but was able to perform just enough to get by. After reading your article, I know can feel more confident in knowing that my thoughts become my actions. It is also helpful to know that when you are trained for a specific job, you may not get all the training that is necessary to perform the duties that you are assigned to. Your boss expects you to think things through and work smart without every “how to” detail coming from his desk.

Knowing what your boss wants is a book that should make millions! I work in the banking industry and I have a female manager. I never know what she wants. As a female I tried to put myself in her shoes and figure out what she wanted on my own but that was not working for me. I had to learn to let her speak, take notes and then read them back to her. That forced her to listen to herself (in a way) and be more specific.
I am a woman of many talents, however, mindreading is not one of them!

I see this as a helpful article to read simply because it was simple and straight to the point. The view provided came from a person that shares similar experiences as students like me coming out of school into the work field full of scared and nervous feelings. Simply put, this article explains the rules of engagement in the business world and how to apply them to get what you want and where you want to be, which we all need to know.

Time waits for no man.

This was very interesting to me as I am new to the business world.

The job I am at now my boss really sucks. They are non communicative and expect you to read their mind. They are never wrong and will not listen to your side or opinion on anything. This type of job is hard to work at because you never know what to do and what is right.

Your article described a younger me. I learned new skills quickly and easily. I even peer trained and trained my supervisors. I wasn’t taught about self-branding. I was taught to do my job to the best of my ability. However, I am no longer with my prior employers due to lack of advancement opportunities or for just simply being overlooked. I am a quiet person, primarily because I tend to focus deeply on my work, and I always met quality and production standards. Now I am pursuing a career, a long-term career, in a field that I have never worked in before. The job search is frightening because listings prefer experience. Your article has given me hope. hard work does pay off. I was actually starting to wonder! But I will continue my search because there appears to be a hint of light at the end of the search engine.

In August 2008, I was
seventeen years old; I had my first interview that I was extremely nervous for
at JCPenney’s. At the time of the interview I was a junior and also
volunteering at a hospital. During the interview I could tell the manager was
looking for someone who could catch on quick and be able to work independently.
After receiving the job I went online and read article after article on how to
become an asset for the company.

My job consists of customer first, cashier, setting floor plans,
and stocking. The first two years of my job I kept to myself and I made my own
task list of what I needed to do every day while working. I never asked for any
approval I put the customers first and gave the best customer service. During
the month of November 2010, based on my overall satisfaction of the customers
specifically writing into the corporate office of JCPenney, I out of
six-hundred associates in our store I won associate of the month. My store
manager was eagerly please with my hard work that he sent my associate profile
of customer comments on the running for the district associate. I won the
district associate out of two-thousand employees’, and out of sixteen stores in
the region, I won regional associate and represented the Orland Park JCPenney
at nineteen years old. Currently now I am twenty-one and I have forty customer
service awards from customer first comments from JCPenney shoppers. It’s now
four years later since I was first hired and I still love helping customers.

I am 100% on board with everything stated in this article. More specifically the advanced tips on what your boss would want from you. I have been working since I was 14 and I quickly realized only those who show up and are ready to work will get the recognition they want. Whining is never ok and taking initiative is tantamount to you giving your boss extra money.
I don’t think anyone wants the feeling that if they need to leave that when they come back everything has fallen apart.Taking initiative means your boss has to do less thinking, less supervising, and can fully trust you to run things in their absence.
Performing like a surgeon and knowing yourself go hand in hand. Have confidence in your ability to do your job and do it well!!. If you didn’t think you could do the job you wouldn’t have applied in the first place. So in order to peform with such accuracy and speed and delicacy of a surgeon have faith in who you are and what you can do.

I really liked how informative this was and how I have been getting told this by most of my mentors my entire life. I grew up in a poor community there are very few able to get out of that area due to poor education and a lack of encouragement to do any better. The people that worked hard, worked smart, and studied hard knew how to encourage me but at the same time try to make it fun for me by making projects or math into a game. The more I learned the more I craved for knowledge and kept asking “why” to everything. Being prepared, being on time, paying attention to details, and having perseverance is essential to become a good worker but much more importantly being a good person in society.

I work for a small non-profit organization and there are three employees besides myself. One of the ladies comes in when she wants to and the other spends most of the day messing things up. Then the boss and I have to fix them. This is frustrating to me because I show up to work every day and do my job competently. Unfortunately, we can’t pay very much and we have a hard time finding replacement people.

Instead of whining, I just put my nose down and do my work. I go above and beyond and I get recognized for it. This year I got a raise and that’s not an easy thing to get right now. I do my best to make up for the weaknesses of my co-workers. They’re not complete lost causes, but neither of them is good with computers. I use my knowledge of to help them and help my company. It’s tough some days to keep a good attitude, but I know it’s important. My good attitude and work ethic are an example to those around me and affect the mood of everyone who is there. I think it’s very important to keep things professional and pleasant at work.

I work for a small non-profit organization with some (unfortunately) unreliable employees. It would be tempting to whine and have a bad attitude about it, but I think that would be unprofessional. I just do my job, help them when they need it, and do any extra tasks that I can to help the office run smoothly.

I started off at the company as a second job making minimum wage. I was recently offered a full-time position. I’ll be taking over for a lady who has worked there for 25 years. It means a lot to me to be offered the job, I know that my work ethic and attitude have been noticed and appreciated.

This is a good article to read. I didn’t always take ownership of mistakes, especially at work. I was afraid this would get me in trouble and I always hated confrontation. I have learned a lot since then. The boss generally already knows who screwed up so it’s best to be honest and admit when you have done something wrong. You might end up with some kind of disipline but your boss and coworkers will respect you more.

Thisarticle is very true. I think I relate to “the stakes are high”. I remember when I used to ork at Funplex. Its like an indoor entertainment place for kids. Anyway I got transfer from the skating rik to the main part of the building. Although I was a great employee my new manager hated me. Not just me though, she hated everyone and was know as a b***h. Anyway she tried to best to find things wrong with my work. I worked under her for about three months before she finally found a reason to fire me. But like the article said, ithe difference from being employed and unemployed is being a good employee and a great employee.

What is listed above is how our society works with how individuals are successful and unsuccessful. It does not matter where you went to school or how you got there, nothing is guaranteed happiness or getting a high paid job.
The author explains how reality really is and how it isn’t easy getting there. I am still in college and have worked minimum wage jobs thus far. Working those kind of jobs have made me realize that you have to push yourself to achieve greater. That if you sit around and work everyday with no enthusiasm in wanting more, than you will never receive it.
Two years ago, I was able to receive a job in the food industry. I have always told myself that I would never work with food, ever. I live in a small town, where if you don’t have money, or come from money, you are working with food. I had a few retail jobs, but a friend of mine convinced me that being a waitress is where the money is. So, I took her advise and went with it. I soon got the job, and I couldn’t tell you how happy I am with my decision. I couldn’t believe why I hadn’t done this before! I have worked a small family owned BBQ restaurant in my town, that is now recently branching out and making more stores north and south of us! The pay is average and day to day it isn’t the same, so it is hard to manage and budget yourself, but I love the managers, staff, etc. Of course, we all have our days, that they are more strict than others, but that is a job for you.

When I was hired by my current employer over a year ago I made a promise to them that throughout the school year (I attend college an hour away) I would come into town to help them as much as I could. Though I was hesitant to make a promise that required gas money, time, and effort, I followed through and am so happy I did.

I have learned more from this job then any other I have held in the past. I don’t love it because I have the nicest boss or because I am given the best benefits, or even because I am appreciated by the company. I love it because none of these things are true. I took these negative aspects and I have made it my mission to change them. Though my boss hates saying anything positive I make it a goal every day to impress her because I know that it gets on her nerves. I go above and beyond so that corporate notices what I am doing. I make my presence known and I am making progress.

I go into work every day for my clients, for my company, and for myself. Having the goal in my head to make it a great day and to prove my boss wrong, I manage to leave my desk with a smile on my face because everyday I meet that goal. I come along set backs and I face challenged but I re shape my goal into fixing mistakes and trying to come up with better ways to problem solve. I take these ideas and I pass them on to corporate.

I think so many people feel that because their boss or higher ups don’t care (or act like it), they feel they shouldn’t either or what they are doing doesn’t matter. What you do does matter, sometimes you just have to prove why. It may be frustrating having to prove yourself but there’s nothing better than accomplishing and being recognized for your work. Voice your opinions and your ideas, even if they aren’t utilized at least people know you care enough to be thinking about ways to improve. It’s the little things that make the work environment and the actual work seem worth it

This article is a great source of true information about what awaits employees entering the world of gainful employment. The author emphasizes the necessity of a good work ethic and ability to perform tasks efficiently. Both of these are traits that will provide success in even the most demanding careers. Furthermore, the author’s refute of the newly popular concept of “personal branding” is correct. Although a new buzzword among many employers today, this concept will do little to advance employees’ careers as compared with diligence and work ethic. This article is helpful for both newcomers into the world of work as well as employers looking to hire.

I appreciate this page and author for posting advice on how to be efficient in the career world. I hope to take the lessons presented here and use them once I graduate and begin in my chosen field. I already try my best to exhibit a great ethic at my regular jobs, but it would also benefit me and my employers to take in this advice and apply them daily. Thanks.

This article reminds me of my first experience on my own after moving out of my parents house. I luckily gained a fabulous coffee shop job and worked with great people. The competition was EXTREMELY high and I never thought I’d make it past a month. But the high competition made me really bring out my work smart attitude.I never knew that I automatically did it until I was becoming promoted because of it. I thank god everyday that I didn’t have to learn it the hard way and it was just given to me. But I do believe that working smart is a skill, which is learned, and not a talent, which is natural. I am in no way a master of working smart but I believe that with consistency and balance you can learn to work smart and gain the life you want to live.

As a sub-teacher I learned to always treat the students with the up-most right respect and they will treat you the same. Always come in to work a couple of minutes early to make sure everything is in line for today’s lesson.

This definitely explains the ups and downs of the real world employment wise. Great read and very helpful and insightful.

This article is so true because I am in the middle of a situation like this at my job. I work for a billion dollar company that has been around for years under the great Sam Walton. I have been working there for 4 months and have had to work under two managers already. This is something you really have to adapt to because every boss run things differently and either you have to get with it or get fired.I also agree with this article when it talks about working smart because nowadays working smart can get you so far.Just because you have a college degree you still have to have common sense and know what you are doing because if not then your degree is pretty much void. I feel we all should try and make it to the top so that we can be our own bosses and run things our way.

I have never really been able to obtain a “real job” with an employer because I have always played sports through high school. Even though I have not been able to work with a company I have been able to work on my own. I believe I can also relate to these concepts of paying attention to details, working smart, and being persistent.
I have went around mowing lawns before which was very hard work, especially in the South Texas heat. I have learned that you have to work smarter, not harder. Sometimes people try to make things harder than they really are. When they make a mistake it becomes maximized. I have learned to be persistent in asking people if they would like their grass cut constantly, to better my business. I have learned to go by their house often in order to keep their business.
I also had a small job passing out a business’ flyers out for money. When I was done with the flyers he gave me, I would make about 200 dollars. I learned to work smart and fast at the same time. I had to develop new techniques in order to make that happen. The faster I handed out the flyers, the faster I would make the money and get more.
Overall, I believe that this experience has taught me to get an education so I won’t have to work that hard for my entire life. It has taught me to adapt and be persistent.

This article is VERY informative, and I would advise all of my peers (ages 18-24) to read this and then apply it to their job seeking skills or job etiquette.

I like this article because it is straight forward and tells it like it is in today’s business world. It is important to have a positive attitude and not let stress get to you. Bosses do not expect you to be perfect, they are looking for someone who will take the initiative. When you make a mistake on the job own up to it, this will show your boss that you are honest and trustworthy, All around great article.

Eric, your advice here is invaluable for any job-seeker or currently employed person. My dad told me when I was younger that someone who is articulate, shows up to work on time and doesn’t steal from the company is already in the top 20% of the entire working population. I took that to heart and feel it still rings true today. But beyond that, ‘working smart’ as you explain here will set that same person head and shoulders above the 20% that are fiercely competing with her to get ahead.

In my own experience, I had to put college off and start working right out of high school to support myself, which I’ve been doing for over a decade since. With no degree, I learned early on to earn the respect of my managers and colleagues and as a result I was promoted quickly and often at every job I’ve held. That said, I was never the boss’s pet, but I was always the one that the boss trusted to get things done well and with little or no supervision.

For example, at one particular place I was hired to answer phones and assist a property manager with clerical tasks. It was a fast-paced environment, which I thrive on, yet within two months, I was handling many of her duties on my own and no longer asked to relieve the receptionist (which was considered low on the totem pole). She started sending me in her place to the monthly and annual board and HOA meetings. A couple more months later, several of the other managers had me helping them out, too because they liked my work and trusted I would always get things done. Within the year, I was offered a position as manager of my own portfolio of properties!

Working smart was definitely a necessity in my circumstances — I was on my own and failure was not an option. The lessons learned through my experiences have made all the difference in the world; I have been fortunate enough to never be out of a job. I am currently in the best job I’ve had so far and finally went back to school for that degree I put off (I’ll graduate next Spring).

This article is crude but is close to todays reality and is to the point. There never is a guarentee to success but you get out what you put in. Having a degree doesn’t mean you have what it takes to do the job you are applying for but it can say that you have some knowledge. Knowledge helps but experience and knowledge can go farther.

The way I see it is, in everyday life most people feel like they suck at their job. Being work smart is exactly like being school smart or book smart. I’m book smart and sometimes it gets difficult for me, but I pull through. In this decade a lot of people are easier to keep up with technology to help people to become more working smart. For instance, if you have a smartphone there may be an app for that. The internet is an easy way to look up on how you can lear nto be work smart.

Throughout high school, I was a waitress and a hostess at a local family restaurant. I started as a hostess on Easter and was thrown into the job with no training. It was my first job and I was lost. On top of being busy and trying to learn the sections for the waitresses, I also had to give drinks. I was learning a whole lot in a little time. Things started to go down hill, the waitresses were getting frustrated because I would seat to many in their section or they would get frustrated cause I would ask questions when they would be running around. Things were not looking good for my first day. I was frustrated and was feeling bad because I would bother the other waitresses and their goal was to make sure the customers were happy with everything. I learned from this job that training is important, but not all jobs will train. I also learned that sometimes people get frustrated and take it out on people when they are not meaning to. I was then trained to be a waitress and LOVED it. I loved the customers, and the other waitresses, and all the rest of the co-workers. I officially loved my job, and to be honest I would still go back and waitress for a side job, because it is something I loved to do. I have started my education to better myself with understanding kids with special needs.

Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot about how important it is to “brand” yourself. I was kind of confused by the idea and didn’t think it would actually benefit me professionally. I enjoyed the honestly of this comic, because I don’t think it’s true that your boss wants you to create a brand for yourself. I think it is really about how well you do your job and about making it your own.

This is very insightful and I feel that it is based on sound judgment. Working on a fancy degree only qualifies me to look for underlying philosophies and consider new perspectives. i realize that some people are intimidated by Ph.D.s. I’m prepared to disarm that defense strategy.

I have worked a couple of jobs and I think that working smart is doing your own creative work. As long as it is within the bounds of the job, having your own style of work will make you stick out.

This means doing more than just the job the right way, but doing the job a way that no one else can do it.

When you begin a new job, you usually have your own ideas of what the boss will be expecting of you. The only way to work smart is to throw away all of those misconceptions. You must allow the boss to dictate how the job should be done. The boss will tell you exactly what they want, but they will expect it done quickly and correctly the first time. Even though you have been through school, and believe you know many aspects of a career path, you can never stop learning. You must constantly apply yourself to the job, even if what is asked of you is not exactly a part of your job description.

I believe that is guide is useful for all ages. I was ionce told keeping a job is harder then finding a job. In same cases that is true, Sometimes you do have to teach yourself how to follow guidelines correctly.

I guess some people would say that I haven’t had much work experience in my life. I started working at an elementary school my senior year of high school keeping kids from 6:30 until school started and occasionally after school. After I graduated I started working at the local ymca in the after school care program and summer camp program. I also worked for my aunt a few hours a day at her publishing company. I’ve found that in working with children there are a lot more expectations and people to please. You have to not only please your boss, but you have to make sure that the children are being entertained and getting their work done, and you have to keep the parents happy and make sure that their children are safe and well taken care of. Your job depends on how well you work with the children, keep them safe, and manage their time. The same kind of goes for other jobs, they depend on how well you do the work, the attention that you give it, and how quickly and efficiently you can complete the task at hand. Working for my aunt I had to do simple things like run errands, enter checks, and get magazines ready to be shipped, but it was important and expected of me that I get it done right and on time so that I did not fall behind on my other tasks. It wasn’t always just me that would have to work harder, if I did not get something done that could mean that my aunt or another employee might have to step up and do the next task in order to have it completed on time. Every job, no matter how big or small, is like an assembly line. There are many parts and if one part of the machine/team does not work properly then the whole factory/company is affected.

There are some very good points in this article. I found some very useful tips in this.

I agree that your boss wants you to “work smart” without wating to put i the time to get you there. I work for a very well-known fast-food chain and have the privilage of trying to please six different bosses at the same time. Each one has certain quirks that they want you to remember and if you don’t do it their way ten it is wrong. So along with doing my actual job I lways have to keep in mind who is around and what I need to do to please a certain boss.
Although sometimes it can be tough it is all a growing experience and will hopefully benefit me when I graduate and start my career.

I haven’t had very many jobs so I can’t say mine is the worst or it’s so arduous, but working at Chili’s is definitely not a pleasant experience. As a host (the person who greets the customers and seats them) not only do you have to deal with coarse customers, but you have to deal with the obnoxious servers who think you’re always out to get them. The servers will usually get irate with you for sitting them which is mind boggling because they barely make any money without their tips. Then you have the other servers who are so bold that they come up to the host stand, interrupt me and bring the customers to their tables. Ruining the rotation and causing other servers to think you’re playing favorites and only seating them.
Throughout this whole experience I’ve learned that although some little things can be stressful, when it comes down to it only YOU can make the decision whether to allow these minute things bother you. Through my dealings with the rude customers/servers I’ve learned to appreciate the ones who are actually nice. Last but not least, I’ve gained a significant experience because when I begin serving in the next few months I know how not to treat the host so both of us can have a more pleasant experience in the workforce.

After taking a year “off” after graduating high school and working 40+ hours a week, before I started back at college, gave me a perspective only the American workforce shares. I went back to college to “master” a passion. I worked for a year and a half as a production assistant and realized art was my passion. I am now pursuing my dream and, with this new perspective, learning more than ever! I am able to clearly notice what I learn and how it will be beneficial to a company or job I am pursuing. I happen to be a nerd so emailing and being in close contact with an employer is second nature to me.

I completely agree with the statement to match up “what you do with who you are.” Until you have found a position that honors who you are as a person, you will not have the motivation to succeed and your performance will diminish. Your first quest is knowing who you are. Then you can begin to envision a profession where who you are is developed and nurtured. Then the “what you do” can be harmonious development of your personal self.

I have been very lucky and fortunate to have had two very incredible bosses. Both of whom were employees of my university. I have had work-study for the past three years and even though my job is not commanding, my boss took a whole day to clearly state what she expected of me and what she expected from the position duties.
The people I work with are so sweet and nothing. There is no need for me to try and please anyone because everyone just pretty much minds their own business and does there job. Its great to know what I am supposed to do. I dont have to bug my boss to give me an assignment. Also as I mentioned, this is a work-study, and my boss understands that and never gets mad at me when I have to study at work.
I believe I dont suck at my job because of the training and time my supervisor dedicated to me and I am thankful. I hope when I go in the real world I can have an experience as great as this one.

Wow this article is awesome! I’ve never had a job before (except for my Mother and I honestly can’t count that) and this has made it less scary!

I have always tried to go above and beyond what my “job description” stated I was supposed to do. I was there just as much to learn as I was to work… and enjoyed learning everything I could about a company -no matter how long I worked there.
Getting along with the people I worked with was sometimes hard. I am looking out for number one when it gets right down to it, and I will make sure I am noticed for my efforts. I also try to improve the people I work with. If one of us on the team succeeds we all succeed.

This article is wonderful in the sense of portraying that hard work, and dedication and being smart in the workforce is what creates success for people and puts them above and beyond other workers. This article expresses that “branding” oneself is not the answer in getting ahead. To get ahead, one must use their skills smartly to attain advancement as well as utilize their best skills to shine in their profession. I currently work two jobs, and believe that by using skills smartly and working hard I have gotten ahead. I feel that by being the worker I am, I have developed a trust with both of my bosses, and know that they have confidence that they can count on my when it comes to working situations. This is why I have been rewarded with more hours and raises. By being a hard and smart worker from the very get-go, an employee is able to develop confidence and trust with their management so that they can grant you to move up in that specific career and know that you will continue to do a fantastic job with each promotion.

I feel this was good advice and everuthing that is said about the boss is true. I did have a boss who did teach me everything but you do not get people like that anymore

I am also one that will lead by example. I also will not ask anyone to do anything that I have not done myself, or will do myself first. I think this is good advice for anyone in sales especially. I work in a Pharmacy, and somehow related to all of the article at some point, and I know in posting it on my Facebook there will others who will as well. Thanks for the reading.

This was awesome. I have been at my “real world” job for 6 years now. Right out of college I started working for a beer distributor. Though I love it, many managers at this company possess none of these qualities. To me, do you work, be nice to your colleagues, and respect your Managers should be the three main ingredients to being successful at your job. My company loves brown nosers and people that throw others under the bus. I cannot and will not work that way. I work very hard at my job, complete all my tasks, and follow the rules. I feel that you should not let your personal life get in the way of your professional life and do almost everything that is asked of you pertaining to your job. Although it’s been hard to work in this enironment for so long I don’t let it get to me. I continue to work hard and do my job to the best of my abilities, all with a smile on my face! I would love to share this article with my colleagues.

The advice provided in this article is helpful for many people. I particularly liek the part about finding satisfaction in your job. Without that, you’re in trouble!

A boss wants you educated and trained before they hire you. How can you be both if you are just starting out after school?

The information is this article made me think of ways that I can improve my brand and essentially get that promotion for that job I want to pursue. From this article it teaches you to “work-smart” which everyone should do in order to move up in the position they want to pursue later on in life.

Loved this article so much. I wish i knew this when I started working at 12 years old. I was one of the lucky ones that got into the summer work program early and loved every minute of it. The tips given in this article will definetly help me in my future career.

These are definitely great tips to live by when you have little knowledge about getting a job. I enjoyed reading all of these teidbits and the humorous captions that went along with the lesson. I found that in my part-time time job that being mature, trustworthy and to handle criticism has given me a step in the right direction. I will hopefully take your advice to help me a land a full time job after I graduate. Thanks!

I agree that in most cases it doesnt matter what college you graduate from and how high of a gpa you earn. When it comes to a job, you never know whether your experience will help you with your job or if it will leave you trapped with a crappy job. It all depends on how you apply your skills to the career in order to create your unique personality that will help people to like you and treat you with respect.
If those around you do not like you then it is much harder to be happy with a job let alone be successful enough in the career. It all comes down to how well you apply your knowledge and skills to create a sucessful career that you enjoy.

I found this article to be very informative. Most people don’t realize what it takes to not only get a job, but to keep one. I’m glad I’ve gotten the opportunity to read this article and thoroughly digest the wonderful tips it has given me for my future.

I once suffered from having a rude and aggressive boss. After a few months of working I befriended him and politely told him of ways in which he could change his behavior. He stated that he didn’t know he was being problematic and that he would change, which shows that constructive criticism is beneficial.

Great article..

Work smarter not harder…

I find to believe that even if you are one of the top performers at your place of employment, and you are on the bottom of the “work chain”, then the things you do will still go un-noticed. It takes for those at the bottem of the chain to be able to give forth there input that will end up helping the company become successful. When the people with power walk around with there noses up in the air, they never take the time to see why there company is successful, they just see that things are running the way they are suppose to and the profit is always there at the end of the day. For once I would like to see bosses go out there and put in a full shift and doing the same things there employees are doing and not just for a day, but for a week or two. Then maybe they too will be able to see where they are able to improve within there company instead of just walking around and acting as if they care about the rest of us.

I am currently interning for an Astrophysics professor at UCSD and found the email advices most helpful. My professor is always at most two feet away from his iphone, so if you send him an email you can be sure that he will get back to you in about five minutes; I on the other hand am not that quick.

I receive multiple emails from him daily, but I was worried about troubling him during his busy days so I tried to keep emails to a minimum and then just update him on everything during our weekly meeting and check in. I thought that this was a good approach at first since he is very prestigious and I didn’t want to become a nuisance because of too many emails. As I learned this was not the right approach. He would email me tens of articles to read about the research I would be conducting with a radio telescope and I simply read them and didn’t reply to him; I would only mention it the next week when he asks me what I was up to the previous week. He always sounded surprised when I told him about all the articles I read because he presumed that I ignored his emails and didn’t read any of the articles since I never replied. Unfortunately I’m still not very good at replying to all of the emails he sends me.

After a few weeks of this he started sending me follow up emails checking if I received the email he sent me earlier in the day. I found the tip about replying to emails right away, even if it means replying that you will check into that shortly (I thought that it would be better to get back to him latter with an actual reply but it’s not), very useful and I’m trying to remember and do that more even if it’s just a small reply from my phone.

This is a good place to go to for advice on getting a job and what most bosses look for in their employees. It is very helpful and doesnt make you want to get out of the website with boring tips, but it has life to it. I have to say I will definately use these tips when I start working.

I love the humor these tips bring to the tasks of job hunting AND job keeping! I recently started a new job and the first few weeks were weighted with trying to make my boss happy. After many hours in a field very new to me, I found that keeping my boss happy came from giving my 100%. My success wasn’t dependant on finishing my tasks on time. Instead, I work to complete my day with performance that I am proud of so that I can walk out every evening and feel accomplished in saying “Yes, I did that”.

My first job was a little different from working in an office and using a computer. I worked for a Lawn Service company called Lagniappe Lawn services with my two Uncles. I was in ninth grade and didn’t no what to expect and since I was working for family I thought I wouldn’t have to do very much. I was very lazy at first and didn’t do a very good job. On top of that, I really didn’t have a clue to how I was suppose to do my job the right way.
My Uncles told me the basics of what I needed to do and said they wouldn’t help me after that. I had to figure out my own techniques to how to quickly and efficiently complete my job. I soon learned that I would have to put in hard work. Even though I had both of my Uncles working with me, I was technically on my own and had to determine myself what I needed to do to get my part of the job done perfectly so that we would get fully paid and didn’t have to do it again the next day. As timed passed I started to get better and helped shave time off of our job by doing work I couldn’t do before. I’m going to get a part time job at my school and the lessons from my first job and this article will help me a lot.

It article was very intriguing since i am only 19 and how to properly search for a job is relatively new to me. I believe this article give vital information that even the most experienced person a run for their money.

At this point in my life, I am no stranger to the work force. I went to church with the owners of a a Jewelry store, and they allowed me to begin working at the age of 12. Senior year of high school, I began to work at a clothing store during the week, and the jewelry store on the weekends. When I moved away for college, I started to work at a car dealership as a reception and moved my way up to administration. My experience gives me a clear understanding of several statements made in this article.

“It’s easy to suck at your job”. Absolutely. The dealership I worked for was a brand new company when I started. It was extremely difficult to do as expected of me when my superiors weren’t organized at all. Many of the issues of the company fell back to not having a proper employ handbook, or following the correct “chain of command’, because to be honest, no body really had any knowledge of what the order was. My solution to this problem was simple, ask! I worked hand in hand with the human resources department, my co-workers, as well as the owner of the company, to establish a clear understanding of what their expectations were of me, and my responsibilities. It wasn’t long before many people realized, I was a good employee. As a matter a fact, the owner appreciated how I handled this situation so much, he moved me to administration where I had responsibilities such as, but not limited to, follow-up calls, inputting vehicle information,and preparing deals. This experience also shows how I earned the respect and responsibilities given to me, instead of becoming a boss’s pet.

“You can graduate from Harvard, Princeton, or Yale and still suck at your job.”, I honestly cannot agree more. I always say, a college degree is a piece of paper, it’s want you do with it that matters. If you cannot apply what you’ve learned to any job or career, you’re not going far. At the jewelry store, I applied the skills I had learned in the computer editing class to create post cards and other advertising material. On the other hand, I’ve witness first hand of people not even knowing how to operate Word.

Although I’ve had my fair share of admirable moments through my experience, I did have a lot of learning to do, and is basically summed up in the list titled “Entry-level”. However, it is important to remember that each point is unique in each job. For example, “be precise, be specific, and be blunt”. At the Jewelry store, my manager wasn’t open to any suggestions on how to improve something, I would have to follow orders and when she saw that either a process or product didn’t pan out how she had expected, she would consider a suggestion. However, at the car dealership, I was make a weekly list of things that needed improvement, and how they could be improved. (This is another thing I learned. Don’t bring up a problem, without having a solution. Boss’s appreciate the effort, even if they come up with a better solution)

All in all, believe that it’s easy to become a worker that makes all of these negative statements true, but a good worker is one who can learn and adapt quickly. Rules, aren’t meant for breaking, they are meant for structure and if you are able to excel while following rules, that success. Yes, a good boss doesn’t need to lead by example, but any good worker knows to look for the strengths of their boss and not their weakness for example. I believe that you can learn at least one things from even a “bad boss”.

I can relate to this article in regards to knowing how to work smart. When I first began my job at The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch as a Dietary Aid I was only concerned with getting the job done. Therefor I would work quickly not paying anyone any attention because I thought to be a good worker you had to complete your job quicker than anyone else. A short time passed by before I was advised that I was going at my job in the wrong way.

My boss one day pulled me aside and told me that it is not how fast you finish your job. She said she could care less if I was there all night, as long as I completed what I needed to do. She stated that in order to be a smart worker you need to take every aspect into consideration. Those aspects were to cater to the residents, make sure that were happy with their service, be clean, and be neat.

After my boss had told me these things I tended to not get my job done as quickly as I did before, but I also noticed that my boss had more respect for me. I learned that it is better to be smart at what you do then to be quick. Every day after that I took every aspect into consideration and became a better employee.

I personally have
been employed with the same company over 18 years and witnessed diversity
enhancements on the job. I plan to open my own business in the future and will
have diversity training for my employees. I enjoyed reading this informative article.
I definitely agree with the author: not becoming a boss’s pet. It is important
to stand on your work skills and ethics instead of favoritism to advance within
an organization.

This was a good article. “Today working smart could be the difference between having a career and not having a career.” This couldn’t be more true. There are some things i would definately agree with in this article that i would say i didn’t know, but that one sentence will stay with me.

What I really like about this article is that it’s universal; these rules don’t apply only to companies. For example, in sophomore year of college, I nannied for a family near my school. With my being in the education program, a job like nannying is one of the best ways to prepare oneself to be a teacher. Many of the tips listed above hold true with nannying, but two points in particular stand out: it’s easy to suck at your job if you don’t know what your boss wants, and you can be happy only if you match-up what you do with who you are.

When I first started my job I was always messing up. I wasn’t lenient enough, I wasn’t strict enough, the kids didn’t get their homework done quickly enough, etc. But the reality of the situation is that I had no earthly idea what my boss wanted. After a couple of weeks I decided to come clean and let her know that her kids and I were the blind leading the blind; miraculously, after that, I no longer sucked at my job.

The only thing left was my lack of happiness on the job. I knew what my boss wanted and I loved the kids, but what I was doing and who I was were on two different planes. One day I had had enough of the discrepancy between the two and worked out a way to balance them. Once I knew what my boss wanted from me and what I needed to do, not only was I good at my job, but I loved it, too.

In a nutshell: Shannon’s words are staggeringly true, no matter the field.

Working Smart:
This does not just consist of being told what to do and doing it, but also learning your personal technique of fulfilling the objectives. Just because someone is ranked above your current status does not mean they are entitled correct for all their actions. Taking control and putting your inputs in the discussion is working smart and being smart. Being able ask questions and apply those questions that will help you learn your own techniques in the work environment. Working smart is thinking smart.

In my first job I would always forget what days I had work and so occasionally they would have to call me in because I would forget that I had work that day. It happened a couple times and i noticed my coworkers and boss getting frustrated with my tardiness.

The way I fixed the problem was by having my boss print out weekly work schedules for me every monday. I would then put these on my bedroom door so I could always check when I was scheduled to work. On top of that i would set reminders on my phone for an hour before I had work just as a fail safe.

This is a wonderful article for first-time employees in their full-time working career. I have worked full-time for two summers as a sailing instructor, and I can relate a lot of my work experiences to this article. For example, I know that it can be very easy to not do a job well if there’s a lack of effort or motivation. My co-worker wasn’t always the best at his job, and our boss called him out on it several times. Working smart is another point that I’ve come across in my experiences. I’ve had to plan out each day according to a general plan and follow through with it, without having my boss to hold my hand each step of the way. I had to learn how to manage my time, communicate with others, and set priorities through work. This article definitely points out some of the important aspects to keep in mind when working, as well as basic guidelines at work, especially with other co-workers.

Working smart ultimately wins over working hard or kissing buttocks. The buttkissers will not learn and earn the way the smart worker will and will end up only cheating himself the experiences that he needs.

This is a great article, I am in my JR year of College and have at least 4 more years to go. So I have allot to learn and really enjoyed reading tips to helping me in my future.

Having worked in an architecture firm for the past two years the points about “working smart” in this article really rang true. Architecture is a competitive field, and when I first started at my office I felt a lot of pressure to work long hours, but just because I was in the office doesn’t mean that I was productive, and I often felt that I was wasting time.

Over time, I began to learn to use my time more efficiently. I had a difficult and demanding boss, and often his instructions were unclear. I learned that asking questions was critical in making sure I learned to use my time efficiently. I saw a lot of my colleagues working until midnight on a regular basis, and then being scolded the next day for not having finished the proper tasks. On the other hand, the more questions I asked (within reason) the more I was able to prioritize my work correctly and complete the tasks the boss had in mind.

By the end of my experience at this office, I found I was receiving more and more praise for my work, and because I was “working smart”, my hours became more bearable. There is a lot of great advice in this article, and I just wanted to highlight that just because you are working hard, doesn’t mean your are doing a good job- you also have to “work smart” and be doing the right work!

I enjoyed reading this article! It’s funny because when I was deciding my major all I could think about was financial reward and security. But when it comes down to it, you have do to something you are passionate about, then you will naturally be good at it! It will be easy to act. I am glad that other people see that!

My favorite would be “thoughts become actions.” You can always tell who does and who does not want to be at work simply by the way that they write their emails or cases, or better yet the way they speak to both internal and external customers. I have found that when you are in training take as many notes as you can and ask any questions you find relevant to your job. This way when you are done with training you are less likely to be the one asking too many questions and are able to complete your tasks more efficiantly and confidently. Taking notes is important to me, because then it is on paper rather than somewhere in the back of your memory bank. When you turn in your work, or are providing assistance to a customer or fellow coworker, put yourself in their shoes. Always ask yourself, “Is this the kind of work or answer I would want to receive if I were the customer?” I have high standards for myself and those who I work with as a coworker or as their customer.

The article was very intriguing. It was great to hear about your experience and I believe it will be helpful to me in the future when I get a job. I only really worked one summer in a bank my father was managing at the time and I actually realized how stressful work can be. But I gained a lot of experience from that and being able to collect a pay check at the end of the month only pushed me to worked harder to keep on collecting those checks. I know working life is hard but you have to do what you have to just to survive in life and also enjoy it.

I have learned through my work experience that you have to be a fast learner and be very friendly. you will experience different backgrounds and attitudes, but you have to build tolerance to deal with them all

I enjoyed this reading. It also helps to stay focused with the comedic relief cartoons. It was a step out of my safety zone to read and understand these points. I never thought of the work place from this point of view. I see now how this point of view could influence my work related activities and I hope I take this into consideration when I start my career.

This was a great article! I am a peer advisor at my school for incoming freshman, transfers, and non-traditional students. A huge chunk of orientation is me telling the them most of the points made in this article. This makes me appreciate my small private college knowing that they are teaching me correctly. From the start they have told me my profession at the moment is being a student. I should treat it like a real job, even though I am not getting paid to go to school it will end up paying off in the future. Our faculty and staff is constantly reminding us to use this experience to practice our professionalism and perfect the way we communicate with others, how we carry ourselves, and how we problem solve. A major part of the etiquette talk I have to tell each of the new students is how important email presentation is along with some other points made in the article.

I just got out of a workshop for my University that was going to help map out the path for my future success. Between that workshop and this article is really helped me get an understanding of what i’m going to have to do to be successful in obtaining a career in the accounting field.

I was happy to see different things that bosses look for in their employees so I know what characteristics to have prior to applying for jobs.

It’s nice to hear that it is a true fact that in order to find true happiness in your job is must be something that matches up with who you are. It gives me more motivation to achieve my dream!

Thanks for posting!

I have had a job where my boss said he could not teach us how to keep the area clean while we were working, it was something that was simply learned throughout life. I figured out that in order to keep the area clean and complete my job, I would have to clean as soon as a mess appeared. However, it became difficult when working with coworkers who didn’t care whether it was messy or not. I have learned that “working smart” can be learned because my coworkers eventually learned to keep the area clean as well.

As for some of the other lessons in this, I have never thought about them in that way. It was an eyeopener to a different way of thinking when looking for a job and once hired by an employer. I will have to keep these things in mind during my next job hunt.

Working smart is the way to go. Working smart is being proactive with your job and knowing what your boss wants from you. This is a great lesson because I have experienced the same situation when I started working for A-Z office products company. Not only was I lacking on working smart but also lacking confidence at work. What I learned from this lesson is, “Work smart and everything you do builds trust and value.”

I feel like I couldn’t have come towards this article at a better time. However, I’ve always understood the concepts of working smarter and not harder. My real dilemma is getting through to a boss that doesn’t understand these principles.

Currently, my boss’s wife is the Director of Marketing. She still have a tough time with the proper ways to carry a conversation (See “Don’t Make Me Interrupt You”). For example, during the pause/break in her speech (which is usually when someone either agrees, disagrees, or asks a question) she will interject before you’ve relayed 4 words. Even more annoying is that she does it at a louder voice, as if she’s competing. (Sorry to vent but dealing with that for 4 years will make you a little crazy and avoid conversations with that person at all costs).

Further, having a CEO that doesn’t allow people to do their jobs properly without butting in is difficult. Unless he fails at something will they begin to gain the confidence that you did everything that was possible to get the job done properly.

Now that I’m done venting, (again), how might a person that works smart be able to communicate effectively with a boss that does not? So far, my only option has been to start an aggressive LinkedIn/job search campaign.

This article really opened my eyes to how the working world really is! Even though someone can have an Ivy League degree, he or she may be less qualified than someone who graduated from a community college. One has to be prepared for any and all work that is at a job. Whether or not one can handle it is not based on the level of education he or she has received. There is no doubt in my mind that education is important, but it is comforting to know that education is not the bottom line!

I really enjoy reading this article. I don’t work but I see that this article help you with more than just the working environment. When you apply it to volunteering or working with others, it is also very helpful.
I especially like the passage about being honest and sincere. I always try to be myself, especially when working with others. When I see others working not as themselves it makes me think they are just trying to get the work done and are doing the minimum requirements.
Thanks for the article!

I liked the language used throughout the lesson. It wasn’t boring rhetoric nor was it mundane information. It spoke with a tone that anyone will understand and I feel kids will actually appreciate. t makes the seriousness od being in the work place not o serious. I especially like the part that sai that a ivy league education doesn’t mean that you have all the tools to be sucesful

There is so much truth in this article. I am very happy to have read it because it solidified a lot of thoughts I’ve been having. When Eric talks about finding your own satisfaction in your work, rather than becoming the boss’s pet, that was loud and clear. I used to want to earn a degree in business and become top management one day, but after a while, I didn’t enjoy what I was studying. It took me a while, but once I realized business wasn’t for me and that, in fact, nonprofit communications was, I was kind of relieved. No longer was I dreading that one day I would be following someone around, hanging on their every whim and word, it was about time that I figured out what my real calling in life was – writing, which I love, for a nonprofit. This is who I am, a writer, and I know I am getting so much more satisfaction from that every day than I ever would have in another field.

This article was very informative considering I am about to start working full time for a company I have interned with during the past two summers. A lot of the key points mentioned I already knew but they have never been emphasized to me, such as how important it is not to interrupt. I always knew that interrupting is rude and I actually possess a bad habit of doing it with my friends and family. This summer, I unfortunately was frustrated with my boss when he continually repeated what I already knew about a project we were working on. I made the mistake of interrupting him to inform him what I thought was the best approach to the problem at hand. Instead of taking my advice, my boss stopped listening to what I had to say altogether which put both of us in a bad spot. Nothing is ever done well with bad communication and I learned quickly how this impatient act can lead to larger issues.

There were several other ideas I enjoyed reading about in this article, such as the effective way to send an email and the “Peter Principle.” I am by far the youngest in my company, and although I have learned a lot in the past few summers working for them, I know I still need more experience before performing at the caliber of my coworkers. Therefore, reading about the many small things I can do to earn their respect excites me!

This article was really helpful and inspiring. It really taught a lot about the essence of not only landing the perfect dream job but it also taught me that a person can be content at the current job that that they have thus far. It may not exactly be the dream job that one aspires for but at least it is a window for opportunity!! This article will definitely be one that I look at as reference for future jobs!!

This is a very interesting topic that I have chosen to read! I’ve worked many times as a student since I started high school back in 2006. That was when I started to learn Independence with my financial needs. I had a lot of responsibility such as already paying bills and when I started driving I needed to provide myself with gas. After reading this article, I had given a thought about my past experience of working. I recall being “mature for my age” when I was 15 by a district manager for Carl’s Jr. Since then, I have grown into a mature woman. However, I have “messed up” in the pass with work. I would call-in sick all the time and I knew that would make me look bad. Now that I thought about that, from my latest job as a Caregiver, I would not call-in just because. Actually, I had never really called in sick unless I was really sick. My supervisor at the time knew what to expect from me and I knew what she was looking for. Why? Because I really enjoyed my last job! I realized during working at a Senior home almost an hour away from my home, I wanted to be a nurse practitioner! I remember when I first started, I would always tell my co-workers that I wanted to be a Dentist! But because I enjoyed helping the elderly, and I was surrounded by RN’s, I was greatly influenced by them! And so, I have changed my major to Nursing major. This article really helped me think about my attitude towards my boss of when I become a Nurse Practitioner in the future! Nursing is something I would not call a job. Frankly, because I know I would love it and it’ll be rewarding! Helps me know that I’m giving back to the community!

This is a wonderful article that provides the young audience with advice about the real world. The information provide will help me and others be better prepare to work in the industry. I am currently a student in Savannah College of Art and Design majoring in Graphic Design. This information will be helpful for me. I will always remember what I learn today because in the long run it will help me be successful. Thank you Just Jobs for your article of Work Smart.

This article is very well written. It has some great points in store! It seems perfect for people who are about to jump into the work force, or even people already in it. These tips are very helpful in creating a great work environment. Performing little details like these really does put you above the rest of the crowd. It also helps you make better use of your time!