“If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.”
~ Rita Mae Brown
Last week’s entry addressed the importance of knowing your company, and how the company policy manual is the bedrock of an organization. This week I want to address the mirror image of the policy manual, which is compliance with those policies.
“Knowledge is power.” ~ Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
You've started your new job, and it’s a given that you’ll learn the technical and business aspects involved. But a little understood strategy in placing yourself firmly at the first rung of the corporate ladder is also to build your knowledge base of the corporate infrastructure.
Le tout nous gardons un homme attente,
il réfléchit sur nos lacunes.
~ French Proverb
The English translation to the quote above is, “All the while we keep a man waiting, he reflects on our shortcomings.” There is truth in this! If you're late for work, a meeting, an assignment, event, or any occasion you run the risk of engendering negative thoughts about you in the minds of those who are punctual or who you've kept waiting. To some, being tardy equates to being undependable, untrustworthy, unsuitable and even unlikeable.
Hard work spotlights the character of people:
some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses,
and some don’t turn up at all.
~ Sam Ewing, American Writer and Humorist (1920-2001)
You did it! You’ve been hired and you’re starting your new job. Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of your job search and now you’re beginning another journey – one in which you must remain sharp and professional to achieve job and career success.
Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs.”
~ Malcolm S. Forbes
(Please note that I'm interrupting my series on dining etiquette
for a few weeks to focus on the topic of summer job etiquette.)
Sticking to one’s job in a positive and productive way is the key to making progress. And, speaking of making progress, the U.S. is seeing some of the strongest summer employment numbers for teenagers since the 2007 discovery that the world was in the midst of the largest disaster since 1929. These figures might also include summer internships, which differ from the time-honored summer I-need-to-earn-some-money job; but still the job picture is improving. If you’re among the lucky teenagers, as well as college students, to have summer employment, this entry is for you!
But Do We Like Her?
From Diana Christensen (Network, 1976) and Katharine Parker (Working Girl, 1988) to Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada, 2006) and M (James Bond, 1995-2012), the female boss has been portrayed in the movies as immoral, back-stabbing, fire-breathing and unfeeling, to the point of being unflinchingly prepared to send even her most prized employee to his death without a backward glance. (Although in the case of M, we might be prepared to forgive her.)
How Far Have Women Really Progressed?
We’re taking a detour from my dining etiquette series to dedicate the next three entries to the observance of Women’s History Month.
As a group, women are increasingly in the news. The female vote in the U.S. has been a key factor in determining the outcome of recent elections, there are new books out to help and encourage women on how to achieve career success and U.S. companies are beginning to develop serious programs to promote women. But, how far have U.S. women really progressed since 1776? Women of a certain age can look back to the beginnings of the modern Women’s Movement in the 1960s with a certain amount of dismay that women have not achieved more.
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING…ONLINE
Unlike the character in George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, the Big Brother of 2012 tends to incorporate itself into the fabric of our everyday lives, making us comfortable with wearing it and, like a well-worn pair of shoes that fit us so well, we take its presence for granted and often aren’t consciously aware of it. But, like the omnicient overseer of the science-fiction narrative, our modern-day Big Brother is enigmatic and constantly present in our lives through our presence on the Internet.
Are Employers Crossing An Ethical Line By Requesting Facebook Passwords?
To Americans, the right to privacy is a precious freedom. But, Constitutional issues aside, is your interviewer crossing an ethical line in asking you to provide your Facebook password?
This dismaying development in the job-seeking process was first reported in March by the Associated Press and has generated a flurry of media commentary in ABC News, The New York Times and Forbes, to name a few.
As if your job search wasn’t stressful enough! Now in addition to constructing the perfect resume, developing your marketing plan, networking and prepping for that hard-won interview, it’s possible that you’ll also be asked to share your Facebook password during the interview and hiring process. Alternatively, you might be asked to log on to your Facebook page right then and there so the interviewer can take a tour!
Striking a Blow for Ethics and Women’s Heath
Brava, Anna Wintour! The most powerful woman in the fashion industry, the editor of Vogue, has struck a blow for women’s physical and mental health, which will likely save the lives of millions of young girls and women. Beginning with the June issue, all Vogue editions will feature healthier-looking models; gone will be the underaged and emaciated waifs that have been setting the pace for the female body image. This unrealistic body type has seduced untold numbers of teenage – and even pre-teen – girls to develop eating disorders that has cost some of them their lives and robbed the rest of their health and mental focus.
Jeanne Nelson 