Climbing Corporate Ladder

Across the country this summer, young adults fresh out of college are starting their careers. Many will find the job isn’t just about the work they will be doing. Anyone with an office job knows there’s so much you have to deal with — some of which can hinder a career. Make the wrong move or say the wrong thing, and you can fall off the corporate ladder you’ve only just begun to climb.

Your first years at work are like boot camp, and to succeed — not just survive — you have to learn the ropes, and learn them quickly. Why some young people will succeed and some won’t has very little to do with their family backgrounds, the colleges they attended, their majors, the honours they received there, their IQs, their graduate degrees, their athletic skills, or even their ambition and drive.

More important, it is not just about what you know that gets you ahead, it’s how well you learn and play the career game.

How to figure out if your company’s culture is the right fit for you. Bad fits are career killers. In this still-recovering economy, you might have to take the first job that comes along. But it is important to eventually find an organization that is the best fit for you. Or at least figure out what you need to do to fit in where you land.

How to manage your relationship with your boss. There are people who should never be put in charge of anyone. Nonetheless, organizations promote such people to supervise others. You may have a boss who seems determined to make your life miserable no matter how hard you try to please.

How to survive the office grapevine — otherwise known as gossip, the rumor mill, office politics or networking. It’s there and you need to know when to use it and when to avoid it. Remember everyone has an agenda.