As a young professional, one of the toughest things to attain in the workplace is respect.
Your accomplishment(s) may not always create genuine smiles among your co workers and supervisor’s face due to your age.
However, you must never be ashamed of who you are and the things that you have worked so hard for! You earned it!
1.) Appearance
Presentation sets the tone of your level of professionalism. Every work place does not require a 3 piece suit or fierce pumps accompanied with a slim fitted pencil skirt. Some work places can be very relaxed and casual.
Does that mean that you should not care about how you look and what to wear!?
Of course not!
I personally believe that your work place is a great way to showcase your personality and unique style. But you must keep in mind that there is a time and place for everything and that you are still at work.
Looking presentable and clean does not require your credit card to be maxed out. You can look presentable on a budget. Thrifts stores are a perfect example. You can stock up on button ups, nice slacks, sweaters and more for less!
I cannot tell you how many times, I find myself at a thrift store and have left very satisfied!
Your appearance is an open story about you! So why not give people a reason to read.
2.) Attitude!
I do not care how horrible your morning was; that is NEVER an excuse to treat people badly!!!
Being nasty and rude does not make you into a quality leader. You are simply nasty and rude!
Your attitude can either attract people or push them away.
Positivity is what makes others want to be around you. It is not always about what you know but who you know. So in order to know the RIGHT people that can lead you towards elevation, I suggest you slap a genuine smile on your face and water your heart with joy and love.
Have you noticed that if you worked an early morning or late night shift with a person who is enthusiastic, ready to work and positive; your early morning or late night shift doesn’t seem so bad!
It’s not so bad because that positive person brought positive vibes to that shift!
It is possible to have such an engaging and attractive energy about yourself, that when you are not present in the work place, there is a feeling that something is missing.
There will be times that it may seem as if a negative and nasty attitude has brought people far in their careers. Take into consideration this: if negativity can raise one up in ladder; imagine how much farther you can go with a positive attitude.
3.) Utilize your mouth!
God gave you a mouth and mind to not complain 24-7 but to bring about positive change.
When given an opportunity to share how you feel about a specific project, or how something can be improved; do not be afraid to vocalize your opinion. Even if your opinion is against the majority, it shows that you are not timid to stand alone.
Articulating your concerns, with confidence, in a professional manner is what will get you heard.
4.) Shut your mouth with the gossiping.
If I told you that I have never engaged in workplace gossiping, I would be telling a big fat lie!
The truth of the matter is that gossiping can sometimes be inevitable but that does not mean that you cannot make an honest effort to shut your yap!
Being known as the work place gossiper is not a prestigious award that one should be proud of. That person can be a hard worker however, they are not known for their labor. Their spotlight is taken away because of their tongue.
If you are known as the gossiper, who would want to deal with that mess in their department?! No one. Therefore, how can you grow at your work-place. The real world is REAL and people are petty. Why would your supervisor want to promote you as a manager knowing that they will have to work closely with you if they have the knowledge that you have talked about others and will potentially talk about them.
Gossiping can leave you stuck! So before it’s too late, dig yourself out!
Those who tend to blab away, get so caught up on work place news they they lose focus on developing valuable skills that can create growth.
Since we spend a vast majority of our time at work, why not make it a peaceful environment.
5.) Make sure that you have passion for what you do.
Your passion is like a cup of coffee. It wakes you up and gives you that extra boost of energy on a sluggish day.
There will be moments that you do not want to wake up early for your job and there will be moments that you have rough days but your passion will consistently re-iterate why you do what you do.
Not only will you benefit from having passion for the work that you do, your employer will as well.
Passionate people have that “go hard or go home” mentality so they are willing to make sacrifices or take on an extra task due to their love for their profession.
Passion will not only be exuded by you, it will be felt by those who supervise or manage you.
Passionate people in the work place tend to be hungry for knowledge and exceed the expectations that have been set before them. They are able to do so because they are not afraid to put in effort at work; even through frustrating moments.
Growth does not happen overnight. It is a journey that strengthens you each and every day. You will be tested as a young professional but the test is set up for you to pass and soar beyond the stars and moon.
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