CSCE 481 Lecture 7

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I Got the Job, Now What?

Jobs are owned by the company, but I own my career

No such thing as a dream job
Don't expect a 6-figure salary
Not going to be CEO in 5 years
Unpleasant responsibilities come with every job (customers, overtime, weekend/night duty, cleaning up, budgets, appraisals)
Not entitled to raises and promotions (must be earned)
"What can I do for the company?" vs "What can the company do for me?"
Volunteer for tough projects or solve problems outside of your role or responsibilities
Every day is an 8 AM class
Not just 40-hr work week
80% of loss/trouble is caused by 20% of the problems
Unwritten rules
Take notes at meetings (decisions, responsibilities)

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happines is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, then you will be successful."

Create your own job security by making yourself a highly valued employee
Learn what your supervisors' values are
Be highly productive, proactive, and low-maintenance
Answer questions before your boss asks them
Earn your paycheck: the company will not exist if it doesn't make a profit
Do whatever needs to be done—whenever it needs to be done
Take great pride and be the best at whatever you do
If you can't be on time, be early
Minimize unnecessary mistakes and learn how to handle reasonable mistakes
Polish your social graces if you want to influence others
Adopt a strong work ethic: don't let the monkeys pull you down your ladder of success
It's hard to soar with eagles when you surround yourself with turkeys
Be proud of twhat you do, but let others know you appreciate their work too. Check your ego at the door
Your raise will become effective when you become more effective
85% of people get promoted due to personal work skills, but only 15% is due to their education
Understand the difference between failing and making mistakes
Have a desire to solve company problems, succeed in solving them, and earn a reputation for your problem solving skills
Don't confuse activity with accomplishment; don't give ultimatums; don't break the chain of command; don't underestimate your duty to serve your employer

Life's not fair—get used to it!
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.
You will not make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both
If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it "opportunity"
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and lintening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try de-lousing the closet in your own room.
Schools may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. Some schools have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
Television is not real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go get jobs
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.