So I’m pretty young (22) and I work at an investment bank (that still exists…you have a 50% chance of getting it right!). It’s almost review season and I feel as if I haven’t been playing “the game” as well as I should. I don’t get into fights, but I’m pretty literal - if we get along, we have things to talk about, if we don’t then i’m happy not talking to you. Apparently this doesn’t work - so I was wondering how do you deal with people in the business world. Do you treat them the same whether you like them or not? Do you shamelessly promote yourself to your boss or do you let your work do the talking? How do you leverage with people you wouldn’t deign to look at outside of the building in which you work? As much as I wish this was satire, I really need help with this. I appreciate any advice anyone can give.
watch Ari Gold from entourage. Kiss up to those it is necessary to do so… and be a demeaning prick to everyone else to vent from being someone’s bitch.
I tried all these things until I was 30. Honestly that is when I figured out. No… my boss told me… My sole purpose in life was to serve him, not the company. His reasoning… He can understand better what the company wants. So just listen to him than guessing what the company wants me to do.
listen up…good advice above…unless you want to be CEO
Ari Gold steals the show man, I’m actually headed home right now to watch the latest season on Netflix and learn some new cuss phrases. He’s got some sweet ties too…
“Do you shamelessly promote yourself to your boss or do you let your work do the talking?” You have to manage-up. Most bosses are too busy with their own stuff to realize the things you are producing are actually quality - they usually only see when your work sucks / blows up in their face. Saying nothing and letting your work do the talking might not be the right trick in IB, whereas if managing a portfolio, the results would be clearer and more tangiable.
Totally agree wit the advice on keeping the boss happy. I don’t think the letting your work speak for itself works that great, no matter where you work. You need to keep them posted when you do something well. And remind them again at review time. Heck, by the end of the year, I can barely remember everything I did. Dont think it is fair to expect the boss to keep track of it. Of course one always tends to talk more to people one likes, but i usually try to be pleasant even to people I dont really know ore relate to. I dont really socialize with them outside work (i spend time with family instead). While i do not think this makes or breaks one reputation at work, in the long run it makes for a more expanded personal network.
Just try to be everyone’s friend all the time.
Buy your boss a ham for the holidays and call it a day.
“Do you shamelessly promote yourself to your boss or do you let your work do the talking?” There is nothing shameless about promoting yourself to your boss as long as your work speaks for itself.
Here are several things I’ve kept in mind since I started working: (1) Keep a positive attitude and stay enthusiastic (2) Be humble and hungry (3) Do whatever it takes to “add value” to your boss; the sooner you can anticipate his or her needs (rather than being told what to do all the time), the better you will be (4) Be cordial and pleasant to colleagues; even if you have no intent to be their best friend, do not rub people the wrong way (5) Help as many of your colleagues as you can, as long as the benefit of earning their good graces exceeds the amount of your time required to do a project (6) There are a lot of self-righteous people in the business; sometimes it’s better to back off and let someone else think they’re correct, as long as the matter is relatively inconsequential and it earns you goodwill (7) Do not brownnose; if you do, make sure you come across as being genuine as possible (8) Work hard In my experiences, #1-5 are important in any work environment; #6 is a bit debatable because some people just refuse to back down and stick to their guns, and have still made it in the business; #7 is also debatable as well, but I personally don’t brownnose because I don’t think I’m very good at it; #8 is very important, but again, if you can get by with #1-7, it can fairly readily cover up for one’s laziness (unfortunate, but true) Seems like there are a lot of rules to remember, but especially on days where things are not going well, I remind myself of the following two key points: (1) Keep it real (2) Remember the “golden rule” - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (3) A good reputation is difficult to earn, but any reputation is easy to ruin and a bad reputation is nearly impossible to recover from I’ve been in the work force for only several years, but these things have served me well so far at the pre-MBA level. It helped me make top bonus in my first year, and I’ve stuck with my guns since. The only thing that I’ve really done differently as I’ve gotten older is to become less tolerant of bullsh!t and arrogant bosses, but this is a sensitive area and I don’t want to steer you down the path till you have gained the necessary experience and confidence to handle it. It’s a thin line and you don’t want to cross onto the wrong side. I crossed this line once and it became one of a variety of reasons why I decided to switch jobs (although, to be frank, I would say that the distaste was pretty mutual). I hope this helps.