Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Its off to work you go!

So here are some things that came to mind. Please do let me know if you feel they are of value, or indeed if you have any to add!



CAREER STUFF: TO BE KEPT ON FILE & REFERRED TO AS NEEDED!



1. YOU: are equal to a task as any man, so don't ever act the “helpless” female on the job. If you play that card it can come back to bite you later.



2. Take the EMOTION out of your "work" personality and be calm, calm, calm. Say the mantra "calm blue ocean" if things become stressful or emotionally intense. Practice this. Please. It will save you a lot of heartache if you can control your emotions at work. (And at home for that matter but that's another story!)



3. GIRL INTERRUPTED: Understand that you may have to make coffee, pick up and clean up, do all manner of odd jobs in the course of doing your "real job". Be cheerful about it all, it won't last forever and soon you'll be noticed as a rising star. Oh and it's a great way to get to know the other staff members if you do this stuff, so use it as an opportunity to market yourself in a very cool, unobtrusive way. Trust me on this. People notice everything about you when you're at work with them 8-10 hours a day, 5 days a week. 



4. MANNERS ON THE JOB: Please be polite at all times. Manners are critical especially in the beginning of a new situation, such as calling people by their proper name. Rather than the impersonal "Hello" - make it personal and sincere: "Hello Josephine / Mr. Santos" or whatever. Work out what the protocol is (more formal, casual etc) and then be consistent. 

And here's a tip: using someone's name shows you like them. It's one of the biggest (secret) psychological giveaways when someone never or rarely uses your name - it shows they don't really like you or want to get to know you. Take note.



5. DRESS appropriately and well. Yes, you may need to invest, but always wear good shoes (keep them in good condition or ditch them!), simple jewellery and be neat, neat, neat. NEAT. Have I made the point? Grooming speaks volumes about how you approach things in life. People - and by this I mean bosses and colleagues - do judge appearances. Sad but true. If you want to stand out for the right reasons, work out what suits you and wear it well. 



6. SMILE when you walk in for the day. Even if you didn't get a good night's sleep, or there was a drama at home, guess what? Unless you're the boss, no one cares! The people you work with just want you to turn up, be happy, pleasant to deal with and to do your job well.



7. Try not to COMPLAIN. Unless it is in a review situation or a lot of people are saying this (and you should be the last to join in. Let someone else start the ball rolling on a complaint) and there is a legitimate concern that you / the group may have. Do it in the right way and say it as calmly and objectively and express it in terms that will be seen as constructive rather than negative. This is very important. You never want to be perceived as the complainer!



8. SPREAD THE LOVE: Be open hearted at work. Be generous with credit. Other people won't be all the time - but you should be at all times. Be the one who says someone else did a good job or had the great idea. That is all.



9. BE BULLYING AWARE. OK so here it is: bullying among women in the workplace is actually far worse than it is among men. There, I have said it! Women can be great allies but they can be formidable opponents to your progress. Do try and fly under the radar a bit until you can work out who is who in the zoo. Do a lot of LISTENING rather than talking about yourself or just in general. You'll soon find out who the Alpha Females are. And once you have identified them, be careful. They can impact on you emotionally and financially. If you have any trouble with this - and you may not, you might be lucky - you must seek outside counsel who can help with a strategy. You'll need a support crew to help you manage and navigate it. These situations can be very serious and lead to things like depression, anxiety and underperformance and so on. You must be aware if someone is bullying you and you must work out what to do. You will be on your own here, but you must talk to family or friends or a mentor to work through the problem. Bullying is serious and it's widespread so be aware and nip it in the bud if or as soon as it happens. 



10. YOU WORK HARD FOR THE MONEY: so from your very first pay check, be money smart. Start a savings account and stick to the same amount every week no matter what. Do this from an early stage in your career and you will be financially free in your old age. 



11. BE EARLY to work and leave after you're allowed to go. If you're last in and first out the door, soon you'll be shown the door. Enough said.



12. DON'T GOSSIP, don't blame others if you mess up. Be cool, be responsible and you'll soon be a star.
 I could go on and on, but the main thing to remember is that you are in charge, but you need to act to your own best interests. You are the “boss” of yourself in reality.

 Oh, and one more thing: Good luck!

Photographer: Anthea Paul