Work Hard, Play Hard?
Maybe the rules have changed?
Long ago all we had to do was work hard and play hard, and we’d have success dropped into our laps; with beautiful, rewarding relationships to savor and enjoy. That was then. The rules have changed, and it really is all about who you know. Use all the good people you know to talk to their people about job openings. Sure, the online groups are good and help, but grabbing the job you want is a matter of who you know, and who those people know.
Certainly some make it into entry level jobs based on their university degree and the super technical major they chose, but most people have to network to locate the first job of their career. The dreaded networking word. I went through it in college, choosing a university known for turning out excellent business majors. I chose accounting, since the large firms recruited at our campus; and I attended meetings every Thursday night where we listened to an important accountant speak for a while. Then the beer flowed freely, as it was Wisconsin, and we had a chance to schmooze with our future employers.
Trust me, some of us understood how important these sessions were, and we’d even go to the bars afterward with the head of our accounting department, along with the recent graduates who were assigned with taking our measure. My grades weren’t as high as some, but I could make small talk with almost anyone; and I was told that’s exactly what landed me with interviews with the four largest firms. Talking. Not accounting. What does that tell you? Study hard, yes. We all know we’re supposed to get excellent grades. But we need to socialize.
You need to be able to talk to others, unless you’re working in such a highly technical field where only your fellow laborers need to speak your language. The rest of the world needs to speak to the head chef at the best restaurant, or the owner of the art gallery, or the store manager where you want to sell couture clothes. It’s your dream. This is your life, and you might as well work at the best place for you. Small talk helps you once your foot is in the door. Connecting with your potential boss and associates is essential in most fields.
Alliances are important, since you need people who will tell you how to play the game of office politics. Wherever you work there are games of power and strength being played everyday, and you want to know about as much as you can. Powerful people are assessing who is winning, and they might not be evaluating your level yet, but I think you’d be surprised how early on you are being measured. Your allies, your group, team, friends, whatever you choose to name them will tell you who’s truly important, what’s important and what is valued in your job. Allies are power.
Making others look good used to be touted as the best way to earn a promotion, but the world is a little more “me” focused, so you might as well learn how to toot your own horn somewhat subtly at times, and rather forcefully at others. We all need to know when to cover for our bosses or back them up, and then we need to know when to ask our superiors if they noticed the project we just finished or the new recipe we created. They need to know what we’re up to, and if we can make our boss look good while also pointing out our part in the plan; all the better.
That said, humility is needed. You might wonder how I know these things, since I work from home. My husband runs a company with over 2,800 employees, and I hear about the good workers. I hear about upper management and how the new receptionist is doing. See? So much is noticed by just one person. Think how magnified that number is at your job. Those who aren’t always asking for more money, a promotion, more perks, more vacation, and more, more and more are noticed! Yes, at times it might be right to ask for more, but working well with others and not thinking too highly of yourself is essential. Oh, you might be the best at detail work, but what about seeing the big picture? Stay humble.
Look happy and be nice. Nice still matters. Manners matter. You are judged in the first thirty seconds of an interview. Your speech, grammar, energy level, looks (pretty still counts, sadly), your dress, your nervous tics, and how you interact are known within one minute. Crazy, huh? So work on improving yourself, since it always matters; but take heart. Nice, happy people who radiate pleasantness and capability win. Radiate confidence. Try it at work and home. You can fake it in an interview, and then at work you can learn what you don’t know. Confident people still have to ask others for some help.
Try all of these, and you just might land that dream job of yours. Who you know matters, and get the word out about your job search. Work smart and with a subtle confidence, while getting help when needed. Look the part, and learn how to make small talk over just about anything. Be nice. Have alliances. Know the politics of your workplace. Help your boss, and speak up from time to time to make sure you’re noticed. (Though chances are good you are noticed if you’re slaying it at work.) Be humble too. Not arrogant. Try being nice. Smile.
The cream rises to the top. The best will be noticed and rewarded. We can’t all be the best, and many of us want to work at jobs that can be left at work. That’s fine. For those who do want to climb that ladder of success, then the rules apply. You’ll make mistakes, but if you learn fairly quickly; leadership will find you. You might have to skip to several companies, but once you start attending the conferences or special events associated with your line of work; you’ll begin to meet many others who can help you on your way. It’s a game, and if you “play” it well; if you are smart; you’ll have time to play on your own time soon enough.
When it comes to the playing part, you can choose what you like. You’ll have earned that Sunday off or that Monday of not being the sous chef. Then do what pleases you most. Recharge. Rest. You’ll have earned it. And the new rules don’t tell us to play hard. You can choose to take it easy; and the great part? You really can choose what you want to do on your day or days off. Just make sure you’re at work early on your next day on the job. I forgot to mention if you’re not fifteen minutes early, you’re late. (A quote from a Wisconsin legend.)
