The Real World 101Brought to you by:

Morris EllingtonProfessional Development Program Manager

UTSA Career Services

The Real World 101

• Many students are not prepared for the “real world” of work after graduation.

• We will discuss…

Successfully transitioning from college to professional life

Doing the things necessary to not only keep, but to succeed in your new career

Take Ownership!• In order to keep your new job and achieve success,

you MUST:

• Accept ownership in your own career

• Avoid excuses and rationalizations

• Be accountable to yourself and your employer

• Accept responsibility for your own fate

• YOU – and YOU ALONE – control your destiny. Accepting this fact is the first step in career success.

The Real World 101

Most of what we will discuss are just basic, common sense things:

Dependability

Attitude

Job Knowledge / training

Commitment

Avoid negative influences

Fraternization

No “Kissing up”

Establishing your reputation

Your “real” job description

Working with People you dislike

Leadership

DependabilityTRUE or FALSE

• More people involuntarily lose their jobs because of poor attendance or punctuality than any other reason.

TRUE

Companies need dependable employees who show up – on time – and work their scheduled hours. Poor attendance and punctuality is critical to any organization’s success

DependabilityTRUE or FALSE

• Most absenteeism in all organizations occurs on either Monday or Friday.

TRUE

The vast majority of people who call in sick are not actually ill.

Dependability

“80 percent of Success is

Just Showing Up”

– Woody Allen

Dependability• Step One in keeping your job and succeeding in your

career is disciplining yourself to get to work – on time – every day.

• Dependability is noticed, and is a huge part of career success.

• There are always reasons to take days off, show up late or leave early.

• In the “real world” you must accept accountability and ownership for your success and find a way to get to work!

Attitude is Everything

• Maintaining a positive attitude is critical to success in any career at any level – and especially your first year.

• Things will not always go your way. But in order to be successful, you must consistently maintain a positive attitude towards your job, boss, customers and co-workers.

• Having a great attitude is easy during the good times. It’s keeping it during the bad times that separates the successful from the failures.

• Remember, YOU choose your attitude – it doesn’t choose you!

Job Knowledge & Training

• Knowing your job is a key to success.

• It’s not enough to know how to perform your job functions, you need to understand why as well.

• Successful people don’t just sit back and wait to be trained.

• Accept responsibility for your own training & development. Be proactive and never stop asking questions!

Commitment

• One of the biggest reasons people fail in new jobs is they lose sight of the vision – why they pursued and accepted the job in the first place.

• If you leave before 12 months you are doing both yourself and your employer a disservice.

• The first year – and especially the first three months of any new job - is the toughest. You truly will not understand what you are a part of for at least one year.

• Make at least a one year commitment and stick to it – no matter how much you don’t like it!

Avoid Internal Factions & “Cliques”

• In any work environment there are internal groups, factions & “cliques”

• These factions are almost always fueled by negativity towards something – usually the boss.

• Although you want to build good, positive working relationships with everyone in your organization, involvement in these factions can damage your reputation as well as affect your attitude and morale.

• Strive to get along with everyone – but avoid these negative situations.

Fraternization = Big Trouble

• It is important that you separate your work and social life.

• It is common to be tempted to become romantically involved with a co-worker.

• Fraternization is ALWAYS a bad idea, and NEVER has a happy ending!

• Many careers have been crippled or even destroyed because of this.

• Be friendly with everyone, but separate your personal and professional life!

No “Kissing Up”

• Your boss is not looking for a “yes” person.

• Being an effective employee that is valued by your boss does not mean you will always agree with them!

• Good managers value contrary viewpoints

• Speak your mind – but do so in a positive and professional way.

Build a Great Reputation

• Being a highly respected employee with a solid reputation does not just mean being valued by those above you.

• Treat everyone in your organization with courtesy and respect – from top to bottom.

• The people below you can be a very valuable asset to your career, and are just as important to your success as the most senior person you work with.

Your “Real” Job Description• Ultimately, we all have the same job description:

To Make your Boss Look Great!

• Undermining your boss and making him or her look bad will always have negative consequences for you.

• If your boss fails – regardless of the reason – some of that failure is going to rub off on you.

• Helping them be successful will always have positive affects on your career.

• Always support your boss and do everything you can to help them be successful – that’s your “real” job description.

Working with People you Dislike• Over the course of your career, there will be many occasions

when you will have to work with – and for – people that you do not personally like or approve of.

• If you are to be successful in your career, you will have to learn to handle these situations in a professional manner. Just remember:

• 1. It’s business – not personal• 2. It’s not your choice. Your employer does not give you a

paycheck to let your personal feelings, attitudes or biases affect the way you perform your job duties.

• 3. Learning to build a strong working relationship with people that are different from you is part of career maturity. Just do it!

Leadership• Employers are promoting people faster than ever before.

• It is not unusual for a new college graduate to be in a position of leadership and supervising people within one year of graduation – or less!

• There are no “born leaders”. Becoming an effective leader is a “learned skill”.

• Many organizations have effective leadership development programs, while others do not.

• Regardless, you must take ownership in learning how to deal with people and become an effective leader.

Develop Leadership SkillsTRUE or FALSE

• “As a manager, the people you supervise will always be your biggest challenge.”

TRUE

Handled poorly, the people you supervise will always be your biggest source of problems and headaches.

But handled properly, they will be your greatest asset and a key ally in your career success.

10 Simple Steps to Effective Leadership

1. Teach – share your knowledge. People want to learn and depend on you to teach them.

2. Be positive – always. Attitude is everything in leadership.

3. Get to know your people – show a personal interest in them.

4. Be a mentor and role model – set the example.

5. Honesty & Integrity = Loyalty & Respect

6. Take ownership in their career – show the way

7. Be connected to the “pulse” of your people and business

8. Be flexible – adapt your leadership style to different generations, cultures and changing times.

9. Praise and recognize – at every opportunity

10. Practice the “Golden Rule” of leadership

Leadership Quotes

“Managers make people do things;

Leaders make people want to do things”

“There are many aspects to Effective Management;

Leadership is #1,

Everything else is #2”

The Real World 101

Another Quote:

“Unsuccessful people fail because of the obstacles in their path”

“Successful people succeed despite them”

THANK YOUand Good Luck!

Morris EllingtonProfessional Development Program Manager

UTSA Career Services

www.utsa.edu/careerservices