It’s no secret that college is expensive. Even a local college or an online degree comes with a high price tag. Before you start paying for an education, you should take some time to think about whether college is actually worth the cost.

What is the Cost of College?

Before you start analyzing this question, you should stop and think about the actual cost of college. On average, the cost of public college for an in-state student is $27,330 each year. If you wanted a four-year degree, that cost would be over $100,000. Private schools are almost double the cost.

There’s also the issue of additional costs. Even if you have a scholarship, there are book fees, living expenses, and supply bills. The costs really add up.

Another cost comes in the form of your time. For the four years that you’re a student, you may not have time to actually work. This means you’re not gaining any direct experience in your career.

When is College Worth It?

For some people, college is worth the expense. In some industries, individuals with degrees earn much more than those with no degrees. The median salary of someone with only a high school diploma is just under $39,000. Meanwhile, the median salary of someone with a bachelor’s degree is just under $65,000. The unemployment rate is also lower.

Despite some employers not requiring degrees, there are still some jobs that demand higher education degrees. You should research your industry and find out if a bachelor’s or master’s degree is a necessity. If it is, your choice is clear. Unless it’s common for employers to allow experience to substitute for a degree, you may not have an option.

Finally, college may be worth it for those who can manage to go through it without any debt. If you receive a full scholarship or have been given money to pay for your education in full, you don’t need to worry about the biggest disadvantage of going to college - the debt.

When is College Not Worth It?

There are some advantages to having a college degree, but it may not be worth the time or money. This is often the case for those who are entering careers that don’t pay well. Student loan debt is significantly more than the actual cost of an education. Over the years, the interest adds up. If you’re not in a lucrative career, you may find it nearly impossible to pay off your debt.

People are often in debt for 10 to 30 years after they graduate.

This brings up another valid point. If you have a degree, you’re not guaranteed a higher or better-paying job. Just look at what happened during the pandemic. Whether or not an employee had a degree, they had a high chance of being laid off. Furthermore, some employers truly don’t care if their employees have degrees.

In some industries, you can’t get a job without experience. If you spend four years in college rather than four years working, you could be at a disadvantage. This is very industry-dependent. To find out if your desired career requires a degree, research the requirements. Do most employers seem to favor experience over degrees? Do they allow job applicants to apply based on their experience alone?

Finally, it’s important to think about the time factor. You could spend over four years obtaining a degree. If you want to jump right into a career, you may want to skip college and start working right away.

How to Decide If College is Right for You

To find out if college is a smart financial decision, you need to consider several factors. Start off by deciding your career path. If you don’t know what career path you want to follow, don’t apply to college just yet. You need to know your desired career so you can research the requirements.

Once you know your career path, find out the basic requirements for an entry-level position. Look at current job listings and pay close attention to the requirements. If most listings allow applicants to substitute experience for a degree, you should consider skipping the degree. But if you want to be in a field that requires a bachelor’s or advanced degree, there’s no getting around it. Lawyers, doctors, and psychologists all need advanced degrees, and there’s no way to substitute for the degree.

Plan for the Future

While looking at an entry-level position is a good start, you should also think about the future. If you want to advance in your career, you might need a degree. Consider the career path you want to take. If you would need a degree in a year or two, it might be worth getting your degree first.

Come up with a career plan. Then, think about when you would need to get a degree. Keep in mind that it’s challenging to work full-time and study at the same time. In some cases, it’s not realistic to think that you can pursue an advanced degree while you progress in your career.

If you’re not sure what your desired career requires, seek out a mentor. Ask them for their input and see what they think about getting a degree. Everyone has their own opinion on college education, so it might be worth talking to multiple people about this.

Assess Your Finances

Not everyone can afford college. If you don’t have anyone to help you pay for college or cosign your loan, you may not be able to afford a four-year degree. If your career path requires one, your only option could be to change career plans and save up money.

Waiting for College

You don’t need to make up your mind about college right now. If you’re not sure about your career or you can’t afford a degree, it’s OK to wait. After working for a few years, you can reassess the situation and go back for a degree if it’s right for you.

There’s a long list of taboo subjects at work, and you might be wondering if wages and salary are included in that list. In truth, you can probably speak about pay, but you need to be cautious. Oftentimes, salary discussions lead to resentment and rash decisions. Find out more about discussing pay at work and how you can avoid conflict when you bring up the topic.

Why Would an Employer Keep Salary Details Private?

Some employers prohibit their employees from discussing their salary. If you’re not sure about

the rules in your workplace, check the employee handbook or speak to someone from HR.

Companies sometimes aren’t transparent about salary because it can lead to resentment.

If one employee finds out that they make less than someone else in the same role, they could become angry and refuse to work as hard. In reality, there’s usually a good reason for the pay discrepancy. However, the people looking at the salaries may not be aware of those differences.

Another downside comes from the fact that public salary information allows another company to make a competitive offer to current or prospective employees. In general, however, salary transparency is a good thing.

How to Talk About Salary

You might want to talk about salary for any number of reasons. Whatever reasons you may have, you deserve salary transparency. However, you need to bring up the topic carefully. If you’re bringing up salary to your coworkers, be genuine and honest. Don’t offer up your salary unless someone asks you about it and you feel comfortable sharing the information.

To kick off the conversation, speak to someone who’s been with the company for longer than you. If possible, talk to someone in a more senior role. Doing this allows you to gain more insight into the company’s stance on salary transparency and salary in general. For instance, a senior individual might know that the company values loyalty and tends to increase pay drastically after a certain amount of time with the company. You may be able to learn enough about salaries that you don’t feel the need to bring it up to anyone else.

When you have the conversation, have a clear goal. Are you trying to learn how your salary compares to another company’s salary for the same role? Do you want to know how much you would make with a lateral move? When you ask questions about salary, make sure they relate directly to your focus. As you listen, pay attention to how your own qualifications compare to others. For instance, experience, education, and certifications often impact salary.

Talking to Supervisors

It may be appropriate for you to have this discussion with your supervisor. However, you should only do so after you’ve been with a company for at least six months. Asking about it too early on makes it seem as if you only care about the money.

When you bring this up to your supervisor, share your goals with them. Let them know about your short and long-term plans and desires. Ask them for feedback and ask what steps you can take to achieve your salary goals. By directing the conversation this way, you show your supervisor that you care about more than money. You show them that you care about the company and are a valuable team member.

Make it clear that your number one goal is to excel and that your long-term goal is to advance in your field. Once your manager tells you what you need to do to succeed, you can start taking measures to meet their expectations.

Talking to HR

During your discussions about salary, you might discover that you deserve a raise. If you work for a company that has an HR department, you can schedule a meeting with HR to talk about a raise. Don’t bring up the name of whoever gave you their salary information. You shouldn’t bring up the raise because someone else makes more than you.

Instead, bring up your accomplishments from the past year. What specific things have you done that show you deserve a raise? If you received any awards or positive feedback, bring that up as well. Give the HR manager a reason to increase your pay.

Ultimately, you need to show HR that you’ve made contributions to the company and that you have a bright future with the company. Time your meeting well by avoiding the conversation when the budget is tight or when the company is in a hiring freeze. Even if someone wants to give you a raise, they can only do so if there’s money in the budget.

How to Talk About Salary with a Potential Employer

While it’s great to talk about pay in your current job, it’s a conversation you also need to have with a potential employer. When you’re looking for work, the salary matters. Spend some time researching the average salary for your desired role. If the employer isn’t offering enough, you can try to negotiate better pay after a job offer.

With that said, you shouldn’t talk about the salary during an initial interview. It’s better to wait for the actual job offer, or the hiring manager might think that you only care about money. The only exception to this rule is for job listings that don’t display the salary. Before you waste your time or the employer’s time, you should find out a salary range for the position.

You can ask, “Do you have a salary range for this position?” Or, to show your long-term interest, ask, “What’s the maximum earning potential for this role?” If you ask about the salary, make sure you ask questions unrelated to compensation as well.

Your Pay Matters

If you think your employer isn’t paying you enough or is discriminating with salary, you should talk about pay at work. Follow the tips above to avoid making anyone uncomfortable, and you may end up negotiating a higher salary.

What you do in your free time can affect your performance in the workplace. While baking cookies or training for a marathon might not seem related to your job, they're hobbies that can improve your professional skills and abilities. Even if a hobby doesn't add a skill set, it could recharge you enough to give you better workplace performance. Find out which hobbies you can take up to help you at work.

Yoga

If you already practice yoga, you may already know that this activity can improve your work performance. One of the main benefits of yoga is that it teaches mindfulness and self-awareness. By doing yoga regularly, you can be more in tune with yourself and learn how to better cope with your emotions.

When you're self-aware, you can analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Then, you can use that knowledge to create a plan for improvement. Furthermore, yoga teaches techniques like meditation. On a stressful workday, meditation could be the key to remaining calm and focused. Many yoga practitioners feel as if they deal with challenges better thanks to yoga.

There's also the issue of sleep. Yoga has a tendency to help individuals sleep better. And with more sleep, people perform better. Regardless of the type of yoga you do, you can enjoy a long list of benefits.

Playing an Instrument

Whether you're a musical protege or you've never touched an instrument in your life, playing an instrument is one way to improve your work performance. There are several lessons you learn through music that translate well to the workplace.

For instance, musicians know that practicing really does lead to perfection. When you first pick up an instrument, you can barely use it. But daily or weekly practice quickly makes you a talented musician. When you're at work, you can apply the same concept. If you fail at a new task, you'll be less discouraged in knowing that practice will eventually lead to success.

All musicians need to have strong listening skills. As you learn how to play your instrument of choice, you develop an ear for listening. In the workplace, you use these listening skills to impress your boss and to be a better team player. No matter what job you have, strong listening skills will help you.

Finally, there's the development of creativity. When someone plays an instrument, they express their creativity. This creativity can help you think outside of the box in the workplace. As you become more creative, you're able to improve problem-solving and come up with ideas that impress others.

Volunteering

Any volunteer opportunity is likely to help your career along. When you volunteer, you learn new skills. Some of these skills transfer to the workplace. For instance, you might volunteer as a schedule coordinator at an animal shelter. This role would help you build leadership and organizational skills.

Volunteering also gives you a sense of community. Putting the needs of someone else above your own comes with a sense of satisfaction. At work, you might start thinking more of your team and your collaborative goals. It won't be long before a manager realizes you're such a good team player.

It doesn't hurt that hiring managers often see volunteering as a desirable trait. When you're ready for a new job, your volunteer experience shines brightly on your resume. Similarly, your manager might see you volunteering as a reason to consider you for a promotion.

Playing a Team Sport

When you work with others, there's bound to be conflict. Unfortunately, many people struggle to work as a team. By joining a team sport, you can better prepare yourself for collaboration in the workplace. You probably won't like everyone on your team, but you develop the ability to overcome differences and relate to anyone.

If you take a leadership role on the team, you can use those skills to be more of a leader at work. Even if you're not the team captain, you can practice motivating your teammates and encouraging growth.

Team sports require physical activity, which has several benefits. Exercise improves mental health because it changes your levels of serotonin and stress hormones. After a rough day at work, playing a sport can help you let go of your troubles.

Doing Improv

Improv classes aren't just fun. By doing improv, you learn how to think on the spot. At work, you won't be caught silent when someone says something unexpected. The creativity nurtured during improv can help you make more of an impact on your company's leadership.

Oftentimes, people are nervous about doing improv. But once you start doing it, you learn to let go of your concerns about what everyone else thinks. Letting go of those concerns means you'll be more open to pitching your own ideas at work.

If you want to be good at improv, you need to listen well. As you might expect, this skill helps you be a better worker. After a few months of improv classes, you might find that you pay more attention at meetings and interact better with your coworkers.

Cooking or Baking

Taking up this hobby might bring joy to your spouse or kids, but it can also help you at work. Sure, you can bring in your cookies to impress your coworkers or boss. But you can also use the activity to develop some new skills. For one, you can learn organizational and time management skills. The next time you feel overwhelmed at work, your newfound skills will come in handy.

As an extra benefit, cooking or baking is a stress reliever. If you're someone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen, you can use it as a way to unwind after work. The smiles you get from people eating your creations can also boost your mood.

What Hobby is Right for You?

No matter what hobby you have, you can find a way to use it to improve your work performance. When you enjoy yourself outside of work, you tend to be a better employee. So, if you don't already have a hobby, it may be a good time to find one.

Almost every interviewer gives interviewees an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. Although this is a great opportunity for job seekers, the situation can also be stressful. If you don’t come prepared with questions, you could sit in silence. Find out what questions you should ask after an interview to improve your chances of a job offer.

1. What’s the Company Culture?

You and the company need to have similar philosophies and worldviews. By asking this question, you show the hiring manager that you care about the company culture, and that you want to ensure it’s the right fit.

2. What Do You Enjoy Most About Working for the Company?

It’s important to develop rapport with the interviewer. With this question, you can develop rapport as well as gain insight into the company.

3. Where Do You See the Company in Five Years?

The future matters and a hiring manager wants to see that you plan to be with the company for years to come. This question shows that you have enough foresight to question the future and that you have the desire to remain with the company for a long time.

4. How Does the Company Define and Demonstrate Its Values?

If you only ask about the company’s values, you’re revealing that you haven’t done your due diligence. Rather than ask a generic question about values, ask how the company showcases its values.

5. What Makes a Successful Employee?

Every job applicant knows to act as if they want the job. But take it one step further and show that you want to be successful as an employee. This question does just that.

6. What are Some Challenges Facing the Company?

You deserve to know what you’re getting into. By asking this question, you can prepare yourself for the future and know what to expect if you receive a job offer.

7. What Encourages Current Employees to Stay?

Although this is a simple question, it gives you information on several aspects of the company. You can learn about the company’s culture, values, and how you’ll fit in with others.

8. Can You Give More Details on the Day-to-Day Responsibilities for the Role?

If you only ask about the job duties, you’ll make it seem like you haven’t actually read the job description. By asking the interviewer to elaborate, you make it clear that you want a full understanding of the job description.

9. Who Would I be Reporting to, and Will I Meet Them?

The answer to this question isn’t always straightforward, At times, the company doesn’t disclose how many supervisors an employee will have. You also might not be meeting with any of those supervisors. Before you get a job offer, you should ask to meet the person you’re reporting to.

10. What Do You Think is the Most Difficult Aspect of the Job?

The meaning behind this question is simple. It shows the hiring manager that you’re aware there are challenges associated with the role and that you welcome them.

11. What Does Your Ideal Candidate Look Like?

With this question, you can get a better idea of whether or not you’ll receive a job offer. You’ll also be able to tell if the position is a good fit for you.

12. What Soft Skills Matter Most to this Position?

Once again, this question tells you more about the role. It also gives you a chance to bring up your soft skills to the interviewer.

13. Why Did the Person Before Me Leave the Role?

If the position isn’t new, ask about why there’s a vacancy. The hiring manager could explain why the previous person left, and this might give you some more insight into the position.

14. How Has the Position Evolved Over Time?

As time goes by, companies need to adapt. If a company doesn’t adapt, it gets left behind. You should ask this question to find out if the company is adaptable and to see what sort of changes you should explain in the future.

15. What Would You Expect from Me in the Next 30 to 60 Days?

If you don’t know what your boss expects from you, there’s no way to meet their expectations. Ask this question so you know exactly what you need to do to be successful in your role.

16. How Do You Measure Success?

Much like the previous question, this question sets you up for success. Every manager measures success in different ways, and you need an understanding of how your managers would measure your success.

17. What’s the Typical Career Path for Someone in this Position?

This question reveals whether or not the company promotes from within. If people seem to move up the organizational structure, the company promotes from within and has your interest at heart.

18. What Does the Onboarding Process Look Like?

The onboarding process varies by employer. By asking this question, you can learn more about what your first few weeks at work would look like.

How Many Questions Should You Ask?

During the interview, you shouldn’t ask all of the questions above. Instead, you should plan to ask two or three questions that mean something to you. If you ask too many questions, you risk coming across as overly concerned or arrogant.

Meanwhile, asking no questions or the wrong questions shows that you don’t have a strong interest in the job. The interview is the perfect opportunity to ask questions that make you stand out over other job applicants.

Before your interview, stop and think about what you already know about the company. Don’t ask any questions that you already know the answer to or questions that are repetitive.

Typically, two to three questions are enough to gather all the information you need and to stand out from the remaining job applicants. You can write down the questions and keep them in a notebook. Then, bring the notebook with you during the interview and refer to it if you forget the questions.

It's no secret that people judge you on your appearance. And during a job interview, appearance is more important than ever. Learn more about why your appearance matters and what you can do to make sure your appearance has the right impact on a hiring manager.

The Importance of Clothing

Everyone knows that there's more to a person than what meets the eye. However, there's no getting around the fact that your appearance is someone's first impression of you. When you go in for a job interview, the first thing a hiring manager sees is your appearance. They'll judge you before you open your mouth and before you have an opportunity to show how much value you can offer the company.

For that reason, your appearance matters. A hiring manager is unlikely to judge you based on the color of your hair or the shape of your chin. But they are likely to judge you on your outfit. If you don't look professional, you're starting off on the wrong foot. The way you dress should show the world that you're confident and that you care.

With that said, you don't need high-quality clothing or shoes. For instance, a hiring manager doesn't expect you to wear a designer suit to your interview. Instead, they just expect you to dress in a way that's job-appropriate. They want to know that you put time into your outfit and that you care about how the world perceives you.

Will Clothes Get You a Job Offer?

The purpose of a job interview is for a hiring manager to find out if you're a good fit for the company. During an interview, the interviewer wants to know the following:

You're serious about the job

You have the right values and attitude

Your experience, education, and skills meet the needs of the position

You know how to carry yourself in a professional manner

Obviously, your appearance doesn't tell an interviewer all of the above. But appearance does help you build a strong case. Sometimes, several candidates for a job have similar experience and education. When this happens, the hiring manager relies on things like their first impression to make a hiring decision. If you dress for success, you're more likely to make a positive impact and get the job offer.

Ultimately, an employer won't hire you because you dressed well. But your appearance could be one of the several reasons you receive a job offer. It might be why you have a chance at a second interview or why a hiring manager feels you're more capable than another applicant.

What Does Your Appearance Tell a Hiring Manager?

What exactly does your appearance tell an employer or hiring manager about your abilities and personality? There are several things a hiring manager can infer from the way you look:

Your Judgment Skills

No matter what industry you work in, you need to make decisions. A hiring manager wants to know that you're capable of making decisions, and that means you need to have good judgment. Your interviewer makes assumptions about your judgment based on how you look.

For instance, an applicant could go to a job interview for a high-level position wearing shorts and a polo. Unless the company has a very casual atmosphere, the choice to dress accordingly was a bad one. It would indicate that the applicant has poor judgment and may not be the best person for the job.

How Professional You Are

Every workplace has certain standards and expectations of professionalism. If you don't dress well for an interview, it shows the interviewer that you don't know how to be professional. They may doubt your ability to communicate professionally, conduct yourself properly, or represent their company.

Dressing well shows the hiring manager that you are aware of the standards and respect them. If you're not sure what looks professional, ask a friend or colleague for advice.

You Have Confidence

When people dress well and feel good about their appearance, they feel more confident. Think about the last time you wore a new outfit that you loved. Did you walk around with a strut in your step?

If you feel good about your appearance during the interview, your confidence will match your outfit. And when you're confident, the hiring manager assumes you're capable. Try on different outfits and pay attention to how you feel. When you feel great about yourself, you know you have the right outfit.

Respect Matters to You

When someone dresses inappropriately or thoughtlessly for an interview, they send a message. And that message isn't a good one. Improper attire or poor grooming says that you don't respect the position or the company. Before you go into an interview, ask yourself if you're showing the hiring manager enough respect.

How Should You Look?

If you have an interview coming up, spend some time thinking about your appearance. Consider getting a haircut and shaving facial hair. Then, go through your closet and look through your clothes. If you don't have an outfit suitable for the occasion, head to your favorite store and shop for a new interview outfit.

Be sure to dress for the job. If you apply for a job with a laid-back and casual company, don't show up in a tuxedo or ballroom gown. Likewise, if you apply for a job with a company that has a strict dress code, don't show up in casual clothing. If you're not sure how to dress, ask your contact from the company about the dress code. You may also be able to find information about the dress code online.

Finally, don't forget that your appearance includes your smile. A hiring manager wants to see that you're pleasant and excited about the job. You should show up with a smile on your face and display enthusiasm. All of your efforts could lead to a job offer.

It’s great to have trade skills or a degree that relates to your job, but no amount of education or training is a substitute for soft skills. If you want to succeed in your career, you need to have soft skills that translate to your job. Here are a few ways you can improve your soft skills.

Understanding Soft Skills

Before you work on your soft skills, you may need an explanation of them. Soft skills are abilities and qualities that make an individual successful with coworkers or clients. Unlike degrees and certifications, soft skills aren’t tangible. They’re usually abilities that you can’t learn in a classroom. Rather, you develop them in your social or work life.

Unlike job-specific skills, soft skills transfer to a variety of industries. For instance, the customer service skills you learn in retail could help you be better at almost any other job. Here are some other examples of soft skills:

Communication

Interpersonal relationships

Emotional intelligence

Teamwork

Adaptability

No one can succeed with just education. Even if you’re excellent with numbers, you won’t be a good accountant without communication or teamwork skills. You need soft skills combined with all of your other abilities.

Prioritize Your Skills

While soft skills are transferable, there are some soft skills that matter more to your job than others. Before you make a plan to work on soft skills, think about which abilities would help you thrive in the workplace.

As you prioritize your soft skills, don’t just think about your current job. Consider your career goals and what you need to achieve them. If you want to be the manager of your company, what skills do you need to improve to be successful?

Request Feedback

As much as you might try to criticize yourself, it’s impossible to know what others think you need to do to improve. If you have anyone you trust at work, ask them to assess your soft skills. Which areas need the most work?

When you ask for feedback, keep an open mind. Don’t take the criticism as an attack on yourself. Rather, think of it as constructive input that will help you advance in your career.

Reflect on Yourself

People underestimate the value of self-reflection. Don’t only rely on other people for feedback regarding your soft skills. In addition to asking others for input, dedicate some time to self-reflection.

After you complete a task at work, stop and think about how the process went. Did you perform well? What was the biggest challenge? It’s just as important to analyze your successes as much as to analyze your failures.

Push Yourself

Developing soft skills means coming out of your comfort zone. Every day, there are things you avoid doing because you don’t like them. Oftentimes, gaining new abilities requires you to push yourself through the discomfort.

For instance, you might hate dealing with team projects. If you stop avoiding those projects and volunteer for them, you’ll get better at working with others. Ultimately, you could get so good at team exercises that it becomes a strength.

Take Online Courses

For the most part, people work on their soft skills alone. However, there’s another way to build up your skills. You can take online courses or read books in the areas you want to improve. There are several online platforms that offer free classes on a wide range of topics.

If you find it difficult to make time for this self-improvement, make it a routine. Pick a time and day every week that you dedicate to reading or taking a course.

Be an Active Listener

Several soft skills require you to be an active listener. If you make an effort to actively listen to your colleagues, you’ll improve those soft skills.

Every time you talk to someone, spend more time listening than talking. You should be able to recap what the person told you in a way that they would agree with. Although you might disagree with the person’s statement, that’s beside the point. You should still be able to understand their perspective.

Practice Writing Skills

In today’s society, written communication is an essential part of any job. To progress up the career ladder, you need to be able to communicate effectively via email, chat, and CRMs.

If you’re not confident with your writing skills, take a business writing class. At the very least, practice your grammar and spelling with an online test. When you’re writing for work, make more of an effort to be clear and concise.

Offer to Be a Leader

By stepping into a leadership role, you can develop new skills. Experience is one of the best ways to learn leadership skills, so don’t hesitate to volunteer for leadership roles in projects.

If you’re new to a company or have an entry-level position, you might have a hard time finding leadership opportunities. But don’t let that stop you. Join committees or start your own committee. It’s possible to create your own opportunities for leadership. If you can’t find a way to be a leader at work, volunteer with a local organization in a leadership capacity.

Communicate Frequently

The more you communicate, the better you get at it. And some people don’t communicate frequently enough to become good at it. If you make an effort to communicate more, you’ll quickly learn how to convey your thoughts effectively.

If communication isn’t a big part of your job, think about how you can incorporate it more. Can you speak up more at meetings?

Use Critical Thinking

It’s easy to rely on your boss for answers to difficult questions. However, you should try to solve problems yourself before seeking help. When there’s a problem, use your critical thinking skills to develop a solution. Even if you can’t solve the problem on your own, you can come up with ideas that impress the right people.

One of the great things about soft skills is that they’re easy to develop. By being more mindful at work, you can improve a long list of short skills.

When you get a new boss, there's probably one thing on your mind. You want to know how to impress them. From the first meeting to the first few weeks of work, you need to take measures to make a positive impact. With these tips, you can be sure to make the right impression.

Work on Your Personal Brand

If you already have a personal brand, now is the time to let it shine. And if you don't have a brand yet, now is the time to develop one. Think about how you want everyone in the workplace to perceive you. Generally, a personal brand is someone's demeanor, reliability, and appearance.

As you might expect, you want your personal brand to have you come across as dependable and professional. Building your brand is as easy as showing your new boss that you're reliable. Show up to meetings a few minutes early and always dress your best. When you receive a project, complete it well and in a timely manner.

When it comes to personal brands, people often neglect to pay attention to their workplace relationships. Your new boss will pay attention to how you interact with your colleagues. Are you supportive of them, or are you overly critical? Do you act professionally with coworkers, or do you tend to overshare? If you're a champion of your coworkers and manage to be friendly yet professional, you'll impress your boss.

Little Interactions Matter

Even if you don't realize it, your new boss is paying attention to the small details. For the first 90 days or so, expect to be under scrutiny. Act like someone is watching you when you work on projects and interact with coworkers.

If you don't already have a strong personal brand, you can use the new management as an opportunity to change your brand. Think about what your employer or coworkers might not like about you, and think about what you can do to change that impression. A new boss doesn't have an opinion of you, so there is still time to adapt.

Calm Down

Whether it's your first day in a new job or you have a new boss, try to calm your nerves. It's scary knowing that someone is judging you, but don't let anxiety get the best of you. If you're jittery and stressed, others will notice your energy.

Try to remain calm and treat the workday as if it were any other day. If you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath. You can also practice some quick meditations to start and end the day on the right foot.

If you're a nervous person by nature, you don't need to hide your true self forever. However, try to keep your nerves under wraps for a few months. By then, your boss will have an opinion of you and will pay less attention to your nervous energy.

Use the 70/30 Rule

The 70/30 rule is how you can handle asking questions and sharing information. About 70% of the things you say to your new boss should involve asking questions and finding out how things work. Meanwhile, the remaining 30% should involve sharing information about yourself so they can understand more about your thought process.

If you don't follow this rule, you risk oversharing. It's easy to monopolize a conversation, especially when you're trying to impress a new boss. Unfortunately, your boss could see this as you being arrogant or not caring enough about work.

Alternatively, you don't want to ask too many questions. It's important for your new boss to know about you. If you don't share anything, they could think you're too secretive or have no insight into how you work and think. As with most things in the workplace, you need to find a balance between asking the right questions and sharing enough information.

Do your Homework

When you have a new boss, you need to spend some time researching them and their organization. Spend a few hours researching their background so you know what to expect. Additionally, make sure you grasp the hierarchy of the company. What is your boss' role in the company, and how does that affect you?

By doing your homework, you prepare yourself for what to expect. You also can save time and avoid asking questions that you should know the answer to. With a little background, you can make sure the 70/30 rule covers the questions that really matter.

While researching your boss, keep an open mind. Don't make too many assumptions about them. Instead, take everything you read with a grain of salt. If your boss has a reputation for being tough, wait to formulate your own opinion. They may only be tough on those who don't perform well.

Understand the Company Culture

If you have a deep understanding of company culture, you'll make a great impression on your boss. Before you start the new job, read up on the company's mission statement. What does the company expect of its employees? If you can start off meeting those expectations, you're ahead of the game.

During your first few weeks at the new job, pay attention to everyone around you. It's one thing to understand a company's desired culture, but it's another to understand how a company actually works. Do the actions of the other employees match the company's mission statement? How do respected employees treat coworkers and customers?

It's also useful to analyze the behavior of your new boss and to see how their superiors react. If you know of any other successful employees in the organization, mimic their work ethic and interactions.

Be Yourself

Despite all of these tips, you should still be true to yourself. Yes, you should hide anxiety, imitate the behaviors of respected individuals, and strive to impress. But it's still important to be yourself. Don't hide your personality or your skills. In fact, being yourself could be what makes you stand out in a good way.

Politics are a part of the workplace, no matter what industry you’re in. And even if you love your job, office politics can make your life miserable. Fortunately, you can use office politics to your advantage. Find out what tips you should follow to better cope with office politics.

Figure Out Who’s Really in Charge

One way to deal with office politics is to understand who has the most power in your organization. In reality, the person at the top of the formal organizational structure isn’t always the most powerful. Because politics play such an important part in the workplace, there are often other influencers who don’t have the title of executive or CEO.

Spend some time thinking about who really has the power in your company. Is there someone who seems to mentor others? Or, is there someone who seems to be the brains of the operation? If you know who’s in charge, you can focus on making the right impression with them.

Know the Social Dynamics

It’s equally important to examine the social structure of your organization. For instance, pay attention to the interactions between people. Who seems to get along, and who butts heads? Typically, workplaces have cliques and popular groups. Pay attention to all the connections between individuals.  

After you have a basic understanding of the social groups, analyze them. You should avoid conflicts and situations that involve bullying. If possible, align yourself with people who stay out of drama and seem to help each other progress. In the event that no groups seem to be supportive, consider creating a new group. Look for people who lift you up rather than pull you down.

Make Connections

After you understand the organizational structure and social dynamics, start building your network. Outside of your immediate team, focus on making connections. Take time to meet with the right people. This includes coworkers, managers, and even executives.

You don’t need to be afraid to connect with people above you in the organizational hierarchy. In fact, those connections can be the most valuable. Just make sure your attempts at networking are genuine and that you give as much as you take. When speaking with a manager or executive, avoid being over-flattering. Be genuine and truthful.

Overall, you should be friendly with everyone and avoid being only focused on one group. If you align yourself with one clique, you risk missing out on opportunities. At all costs, avoid being a part of anything against company policy. Issues like bullying and harassment could hurt you even if you’re not directly involved.

Work on Your People Skills

When you have strong people skills, you can go anywhere. So, whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, it’s a good idea to work on your interpersonal skills. The key to building your network is knowing how to talk to people from all walks of life.

To start improving your people skills, focus on your emotions and how you manage them. Conflict is inevitable in the workplace, and knowing how to manage your feelings during conflict can save you from making a big mistake. As you improve your own emotional intelligence, you’ll learn how to understand other people’s emotions.

Another way to work on your people skills is to practice active listening. When someone talks to you, try to only focus on them. Don’t spend time thinking about your response or daydreaming. Listen to their words and then process them. Strong active listening skills can help you make the most of office politics.

Take Advantage of Your Network

Your relationships can bring your career to new heights. Once you develop relationships with the right people, convey your achievements to them. Without bragging, talk about your achievements. After realizing your talents and skills, someone in your network could take an interest in mentoring you or propelling your career.

With that said, proceed with caution. You don’t want executives or managers thinking of you as a pest or as someone who’s arrogant. Additionally, avoid speaking badly about any of your colleagues. You should let your abilities shine without having to tear down someone else.

In addition to mentioning your achievements to your network, you should ask for feedback.

Whether you made a mistake or just aren’t sure how you’re performing, ask someone in a more senior position for their thoughts. When you do make a mistake, take accountability for your actions.

Keep Your Enemies Close

Although you probably want nothing to do with the person who’s always badmouthing others or who seems to stir up conflict, you shouldn’t avoid these people altogether. Instead, keep them close enough to know what’s going on.

When dealing with these people, be polite. However, you should also be guarded. They might try to spin anything you tell them. Try to understand their goals so you can avoid being a part of their negative politics. If you can stay out of their spotlight, they’re less likely to drag you down.

Typically, manipulators and gossipers are insecure about their own abilities. If you can make them believe that you’re not a threat, they’re more likely to leave you alone.

Be a Neutralizer

In the workplace, there are those who add to the problem and those who avoid negativity. To succeed, you need to be someone who neutralizes negativity.

When you hear a rumor, take the time to consider the source. Even if the rumor is true, avoid repeating it. You don’t need to be the one to spread the information. Do your best to be professional whether you’re in the office or at home. It’s easy to gossip when you have drinks or dinners with coworkers but remind yourself that you still need to be professional.

Finally, try not to pick sides. If there’s a conflict between two coworkers, keep your opinions to yourself. Someone could see your opinion as picking a side, and this could lead to animosity.

In the end, being neutral and making the right connections could help you navigate the toughest political climates. It takes time and practice, but it’s possible.

If you want to progress in your career, you need to have a plan. Part of that plan should be achieving certain career goals. Find out more about how you can set and then achieve all of your career goals.

Understanding Career Goals

First, you need to understand what a career goal is. Typically, a career goal is a statement that marks some achievement in your career. It’s a realistic target that helps you make a plan for how you’ll move forward in your career path.

If you have no goals and no plan, you’re likely to struggle to succeed. It could take years longer to get to where you want to be in your career. If you have a plan, you can speed up your progression and make the best decisions for you.

Knowing Your Path

Before you start setting goals, you need to think about what you want from your career. Think about your dream role. Is it in this career or in a different career? Once you answer that, consider the steps you need to take to get there.

Give your ideal job some thought. While you’re evaluating what you want, consider whether it will give you the work-life balance you want, along with the salary and the schedule. Be sure to consider whether or not your path aligns with your desired lifestyle.

Tips for Setting Career Goals

Once you have an idea of your career path, you can start setting goals. Here are a few tips to get you going:

Pick Short-Term Goals at First

When you’re coming up with goals, you probably start off thinking about your long-term goals. But in reality, you should be focusing on your short-term goals. It would help if you thought about what you want to achieve within the next three to five years.

If you’re not sure where to start, consider your educational goals. What courses would make you better at your job or more suitable for a promotion? If there are any certifications that can help you succeed, add those to your list of goals as well.

Then, consider the experience you need for a promotion. Are there any projects you could volunteer for that would give you more experience? It could even be something outside of your work, like volunteering with a local organization. All of your short-term goals should help you achieve the next step or two of your career plan.

Set Long-Term Goals

Only after you focus on your short-term goals should you start thinking about your long-term ones. This step requires you to think about the future. Where do you want to be in 10 years or even 15 years? With these goals, you can create a realistic pathway to your future.

Coming up with long-term goals is no easy task. For some assistance, you can reach out to a recruiter or a mentor. If you don’t have a mentor, reach out to someone in your desired field on LinkedIn. Most of your long-term goals will focus on the following:

Technical skills

Soft skills

Behaviors you lack

Experience you need

Professional or personal development

Be SMARTER with Your Goals

One way to create your goals is to use an acronym. SMARTER refers to being Specific and clear with all of your goals. Next, you should make goals Measurable. In most cases, you can quantify your goals. All of your plans should also be Achievable and realistic, otherwise, it’s easy to get discouraged and off your path.

The “T” stands for Timely. Every goal or step should have a timeframe. Furthermore, your goals should be Empowering. The reason for having goals is to make you feel confident and successful. Finally, all of your goals should be Reviewable. You never know when your path will change, so be flexible with your goals.

Have Flexibility

It’s easy to get caught up with a plan. However, your goals should be fluid. If you receive a promotion offer before you complete a step in your plan, don’t turn it down simply because it’s not in your plan. Instead, evaluate the situation.

It’s also worth noting that people change. Over time, you might realize that your career goal is something you no longer want. Whether you find out you don’t like an industry or you have a change in your personal life, it’s OK to adjust your path and your goals.

Write Down Your Goals

It’s not enough to just have goals in your head. To make them real, write down your goals. If you prefer writing things by hand, have a career plan notebook with all of your goals. Or, if you’re more of a digital person, create a document on your computer and save it. There are even apps that allow you to set goals and create timelines for certain events.

In addition to writing down your goals, you should also track your progress. Crossing items off a list is extremely satisfying. Every time you accomplish a goal, mark it off your list and reward yourself. It doesn’t need to be a major reward and could be something as simple as going out to eat or buying something you love.

Don’t Feel Pressure

If you’re new to an industry, don’t feel any pressure to plan out your entire career. If you don’t know where you want to be in ten years, only focus on the present and short-term future. You could come up with a goal to have a career plan in three years or a goal to decide whether or not your career is right for you by a certain date.

The idea of goals isn’t to create more stress. By goal-setting, you can actually reduce stress. So, if the process seems to be causing you frustration, step back for a few days. Think about why it’s so hard for you to set goals. If that reason is uncertainty about your career, then it may be a good time to evaluate other options.

The US is one of the few countries to have many tip-based services. When you go to a restaurant in Australia, people don't tip. Instead, the workers make enough money to survive without tips. Meanwhile, in the US, there are many workers who rely on tips as their sole source of income. Servers, hairdressers, and baristas have an income from mostly tips. But with tipping fatigue becoming prevalent, that's changing.

What is Tipping Fatigue?

Years ago, tipping was common. People would go into a restaurant and tip their server with no qualms. But now, people are hesitating to tip. One study showed that tipping increases with age. Individuals who are between the ages of 18 and 26 tip at a rate of 35%, while Baby Boomers tip 83% of the time.

It's not just the young crowd that's tired of tipping. According to the same survey, 66% of US adults perceive tipping culture as negative. People are tipping less now than they did in 2019, and it seems that this tipping fatigue might continue. Nevertheless, individuals feel more pressure to tip than ever. Tipping culture has migrated into other industries, and more people are complaining about that.

There's one obvious solution to the tipping problem. If employers paid more money to their workers, there wouldn't be as much pressure to tip. Many Gen Zers believe that it's up to an employer to pay fair living wages. As of now, they feel as if they're writing the employee's paycheck for the company.

Minimum Wage Struggles

Part of what's leading to tipping fatigue is the generally low federal minimum wage. For decades, the minimum wage remained the same even when inflation occurred. Although the amount varies by state, the average salary of a food service worker in the US in 2023 was only $29,250.

The base salary for employees who receive tips is even lower. As of 2023, the minimum wage for employees who receive more than $30 in tips is $2.13 hourly. It's impossible for someone to live a decent quality of life on that wage alone. While some states have passed legislation to increase that number, there are still areas of the country that pay less than $3 hourly to tipped employees.

One of the issues with tipping is that it's not consistent. Depending on the shift time, you could make nothing in tips or hundreds of dollars in tips. Now that tipping fatigue is happening, people are able to rely less on tips.

Switching Careers

To deal with the fewer tips, some people are changing industries. This has resulted in a shortage of workers in food service industries at a time when there are already job vacancies.

How Companies Are Handling It

Companies are seeing the impact of tipping fatigue. When employees can't make enough money in tips to pay the bills, they quit. This has caused some businesses to close their doors, adjust their hours, and overload their existing employees.

For now, some companies are taking matters into their own hands. It's becoming more common for companies to have no-tip policies and to instead charge a service fee on every bill. Then, the companies use this charge to pay out their employees. One LA restaurant started doing a 20% charge on all their takeout orders. Because takeout tips tend to be far and few between, employees weren't making enough money. The charge went to a tip pool, which included front and back-of-house employees.

Unfortunately, people didn't respond well to the charge. They complained about it because they weren't receiving the same level of service as they did in the restaurant. However, processing the takeout order took time and money. And for some restaurants like the one in LA, takeout orders take a great deal of time and planning.

Should Businesses Pay Employees More?

This is like the chicken and the egg conundrum. People say that business owners should pay their employees more money, but business owners say there are bigger issues. In large cities, the cost of housing is high. What should be a fair wage isn't enough for employees to survive.

It's impossible to say who should be footing the bill for employees. However, one thing is certain. Customers don't want to pay the bill anymore. With inflation being so high, people are struggling to buy necessities. This makes tipping even more unappealing to them.

Is Tipping Culture Over?

There are some companies that now offer higher wages to offset the lack of tipping. But it's not a widespread practice and is impossible in many cases. For some businesses, raising wages would mean going out of business.

For now, it's still up to the consumer to give employees a living wage. If a barista only makes $8 an hour, they need tips to be able to pay for their own food and housing. Tipping culture can't disappear until there are serious issues addressed. This means cities need to have more affordable housing, people must address racial and gender inequalities, and more.

If you're an employee, there are a few options. You could look into taking a job at a business that doesn't take tips. Customer service and sales positions are only two examples of jobs that tend to have more fair hourly wages, but there are plenty of other examples.

Another option is to work for a company that pays a higher base salary. Currently, some companies in tipping industries are offering higher salaries. You could look for similar work with a better employer, and then you'd rely less on tips.

Finally, you could speak with your current employer. There's no guarantee that they'll raise your salary, but it's worth a try. You can always come up with reasons why you deserve a pay increase and set up a meeting with your manager. If you make a strong case and there's money in the budget, your employer might pay you better.

No one likes to be bored. If you’re looking for a fascinating job that stands out from other positions, you have quite a few options. Check out all of the following unique jobs and find one that suits your skills and personality.

Doula

Although the popularity of doulas has exploded recently, they’ve been around for centuries. Doulas help women through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. While some doulas are present for hospital births, others work at home births and birthing centers.

Doulas aren’t medical professionals. Rather, they provide support to the individual. They do things like bring food to the person who’s giving birth, recommend pain reduction techniques, and offer advice. The training for it is short and is mostly based on experience.

Art Therapist

If you like art and you like psychology, you could find a unique career as an art therapist. An art therapist helps individuals cope with their emotions through art. Essentially, they use art to heal. Often, art therapy gives patients a reduction in stress and anxiety. It can also boost self-esteem.

To become an art therapist, you need training in psychology or counseling as well as art. You also can opt for a certification through the Art Therapy Association, which requires both clinical and studio hours. You can work for yourself, a non-profit, or a local organization.

Headhunter

Even the name of this profession sounds unique. A headhunter is a professional recruiter who’s hired by companies to find employees for vacant roles. Usually, the positions are more senior, like executive roles or higher-level roles. The company is happy to pay because they can focus their time on running their own business.

If you think a headhunter just takes resumes, you’re wrong. Headhunters look for the perfect match and spend a great deal of time networking. At times, headhunters focus on specific industries. There’s no minimum educational requirement for headhunters, but you need a background in HR and a strong reputation.

Master Distiller

Today, people want to buy unique liquor. This leads to one of the more unique job titles - master distiller. As a master distiller, you’d be in charge of the production of spirits and liqueurs. The field isn’t large but is growing rapidly.

For this position, you need experience in distillation. Distillers need to know how to take fruits or grains and turn them into a finished alcohol product. You could be responsible for sourcing materials, managing the aging process, doing quality control, and much more. A chemistry or microbiology degree is useful for this industry.

Bike Courier

If you live in a city, you might be familiar with bike couriers. These individuals deliver packages by cycling through the streets. Because they’re not driving, bike couriers can bypass construction, accidents, and parking issues.

One of the more interesting parts of the job is the variation in deliveries. As a courier, you could deliver medical supplies, clothing, food, and anything you can imagine. The job is ideal for those who love to stay active. As you might expect, you need a working bicycle and the ability to ride it long distances to become a bike courier. These jobs are usually only available in big cities or downtown centers.

Body Painter

You could paint on a canvas, but why not paint on a body? If you’re artistic and have a talent for painting, the perfect unique job for you could be body painter. You do temporary art that might last anywhere from hours to weeks. The work varies greatly and could be as simple as painting an arm or as complex as painting multiple people in entirety.

There are different ways to get involved in body painting. For instance, you could work at festivals or fine art exhibits. You might work for ad agencies or on television sets. There’s no specific training for this role, but you need to have skill as a body painter.

Professional Bridesmaid

Yes, you read that right. Recently, people have been hiring professional bridesmaids to manage their weddings. It’s similar to a wedding planner, but a professional bridesmaid also may participate in the wedding itself. If there’s an uneven number of groomsmen and bridesmaid, a professional bridesmaid could even out the number.

The duties vary greatly but include shopping for dresses, planning the parties, and touching up makeup. Because this job is so unusual, there’s no strict training for it. You need to be good at planning and willing to handle all of the challenges that come with weddings.

Airplane Repo Person

Imagine what it’s like to repo a car and then take it to the extreme by imagining someone repo an airplane. When someone falls behind on their jet payments, a professional repo person steps in to take back the aircraft.

This role is similar to a private investigator. To repo the plane, you need to stake out the hanger and the plane’s owner. Then, you need to work with a team to actually move the plane from its current location. Most aircraft repo companies have multiple people working one job. You need a pilot’s license so you can actually fly the plane away.

Meteorologist

If you love science and weather, you may want to look into being a meteorologist. This job is great for individuals who have an interest in studying the earth’s atmosphere. They need a deep understanding of weather patterns and their causes.

While some meteorologists work for news stations, most professionals work in academia. You could study climate trends, atmospheric changes, and environmental issues. If you want to be on the research side of things, you could work for an organization like NOAA.

Finding a Unique Job That Works for You

It’s great doing something unique. However, it’s even better to do something you love. If you’re looking for a new, different career, you should think about your skills. What careers above work well with your current skills? What jobs would make you happy? Once you find a career that suits your skills and desires, you can start applying.

If you want to succeed in your career, you need to be able to make an excellent first impression. Every interaction is a chance to build up your reputation, and you never know when someone could be the key to a better job or a promotion. By making the right first impression, you can maximize all of your interactions. Find out what you can do to make a better impression on others around you.

Be Aware of the Timeframe

Believe it or not, a first impression doesn’t happen over the span of minutes. Rather, it happens in about one-tenth of a second. Someone who’s meeting you for the first time sees you and judges you immediately. While what comes after the first sighting matters, most of the judgment is made in that first fraction of a second.

At first sight, a person assumes your ability, likeability, and trustworthiness. Because people often handshake when they first meet, this could be your only chance at a first impression. You won’t get a chance to say anything before the other individuals make up their mind about you, so you should rely on your smile, outfit, and grooming to do the talking.

Dress for Success

This probably isn’t news to you. But there’s a reason people tell you to dress for the job you want. If you dress professionally, you’ll make a better first impression. Take your time to groom yourself and always dress for success.

You don’t need to buy expensive clothes to dress well. It comes down to having professional clothing and looking your best.  

Have a Firm Handshake

At times, a handshake occurs in that first tenth of a second. For this reason, you should spend time perfecting your handshake. You need both a firm and confident shake, one that shows the other person you have no doubts about yourself and your abilities.

According to one study from the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, people are better received when they have a firm handshake. If you haven’t spent time practicing your handshake, it’s time to do so. Think about your current handshake and then think about how it can improve. Then, find a friend and ask them if they’ll let you practice for a few minutes. Ask them to give you feedback on your new handshake.

If you’re not sure how to improve your handshake, you can think back to previous interactions. Was there a time when someone shook your hand and impressed you? Once you remember an exchange, try to think about how the handshake felt. Then, you can try to emulate it.

Don’t Dominate the Conversation

No one likes silence. To prevent silence from happening at the first interaction, people often dominate the conversation. They talk to fill the silence, which seems like the right thing to do at the time. You might make a joke or give your opinion on an issue.

Unfortunately, dominating the conversation comes across as aggressive. Ultimately, it can leave them with a negative opinion of you. You should take your time speaking and not rush to fill silence. After you give it some time, you can assess whether you should say something else.

It’s particularly harmful to brag about your achievements. While you might want to impress the CEO of your company, you shouldn’t bombard them with your accolades. For better results, let them do the talking. Your work may already speak for itself.

Don’t Attempt to Seem Busy and Hurried

Today, some people see busyness as a symbol of their status. When they meet someone, they act rushed or hurried to convey the impression that they’re busy. But doing so won’t impress the other party. In fact, it may only make them feel as if you have no interest in speaking with them.

When you’re speaking with someone new, keep a slow pace. Don’t stumble over your words or cut off the other speaker. As mentioned above, you should allow comfortable silence. The conversation will carry on better if you’re not in a hurry.

The same is true of scheduling. If the person you’re meeting tries to set up a time to meet, don’t pretend you have a full calendar. It’s fine to plan around meetings, but don’t be unavailable. You won’t impress anyone by not having time to meet them.

Make Eye Contact

According to a study from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, eye contact correlates with perceived intelligence. They found that people perceived individuals who had more eye contact as smarter, while people who had less eye contact were perceived as less intelligent.

This doesn’t mean that people who don’t make strong eye contact aren’t smart. However, it means that you need to master eye contact to make a positive first impression. Eye contact also makes you seem more confident, so it’s worth taking time to practice eye contact.

The next time you’re having a conversation with someone, focus on the amount of eye contact you’re making. It can be more uncomfortable to do this with someone you just met, so make an effort to try this with someone new. Over time, the eye contact will feel natural.

Mirror the Other Person

People like it when those around them share traits, and this isn’t news. For decades, sales and academic experts have known that people are more comfortable around individuals who have similar traits. Because of this, it’s useful to copy some of the habits of the person you’re meeting.

Without being a carbon copy of the other person, mirror some aspects of their behavior. Copy their posture, tones, and other details. Don’t parrot them, but try to showcase similar emotions. In the end, your actions could make them feel more connected to you.

Turn Your Actions Into Habit

If you practice the above tips every time you meet someone, you won’t need to think about making a positive impression. Every interaction will end with a favorable impression of you, and you can climb the career ladder.

If you’re a recent graduate, you have a lot to think about. Getting a job offer is probably high on your list of priorities, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you think about. The way you start off your career could affect you 20 years from now. Before you start working, take a look at some career advice for young professionals.

Ask for Help

After you receive a job offer, don’t be afraid to ask questions. In fact, your managers probably expect you to ask them questions. They want you to ask about processes and procedures, and they want you to reach out if you don’t understand something. Instead of completing something wrong the first time, you can ask for clarity and do it right.

When you ask questions, you show your employer that you want to grow. Your managers also won’t be as open to helping you when you’re a few years into the job.

Make New Habits

Humans are creatures of habit. And the habits you create today are likely the habits you’ll have five years from now. If you create the right habits today, you’re more likely to meet long-term goals and succeed later on in your career.

Your habits don’t need to be in the workplace. If you took a job that’s not in your career of choice, work on building the skills you’ll need for your career. Set aside a certain number of hours each week for education. Once it becomes part of your routine, you won’t even think twice about learning.

Find Ways to Stand Out

If you want to move up in your career, you need to find a way to stand out from everyone else. It’s likely that there are several other people in your organization with similar education and skill sets. To become more desirable employees than them, you need to build skills that make you unique.

Try to think of skills you’d like to develop that relate to your chosen career. For instance, you might be interested in coding. Even if your current job doesn’t require coding, a more advanced role could. By taking a coding class now, you give yourself a head start and can rise above the others in your organization.

Be Accepting of Feedback

No one likes to hear that they need to improve. However, accepting criticism is one of the keys to a successful career. You need to be willing to hear feedback and then take the measures needed to improve.

All too often, people are closed off to criticism. If you show your employer that you accept feedback well, you can make a great impression. You should consider asking your manager for feedback if they don’t provide it.

Strike a Work-Life Balance

As a new employee, you might be eager to be the first one in the office and the last one to leave. However, overworking yourself could lead to burnout. It also could result in a lower quality of work.

To prevent burning out, you should work on maintaining a good work-life balance. If possible, avoid bringing work home with you. Take time to do your favorite hobbies, and don’t let stress overwhelm you. If you find it difficult to finish your work on time, talk to your supervisor about the workload.

Find Collaborators

It’s great having a mentor, but it’s also useful to have collaborators. Look for coworkers who have similar goals or experience. Then, build a relationship with them. You can brainstorm together and help each other succeed. Later on in your career, your relationship could pay off with a job offer or a great friendship.

Make a Reputation for Yourself

As a newbie, you don’t have much of a reputation. It’s up to you to build up your reputation and maintain it. How do you want people to perceive you? When you start work, you should strive to show everyone that you’re positive and a team player.

It’s not enough to talk the talk; you also need to walk the walk. Show up to work every day with a smile on your face. When someone needs help, be willing to give them a hand. Soon, your reputation will precede you.

Learn from Others

One of the best ways to advance in your career is to see how others have achieved the goals you want to achieve. Find someone in your office who you want to emulate, and ask if you can take them to lunch.

By engaging with successful people, you can gain insight into how you can perform better and advance in your career. Ask them for advice, and use that advice to succeed.

Gain Sales Skills

No matter what industry you work in, you should develop some sales skills. At some point in your career, sales skills will help you thrive. You might use the skills to ask for a promotion or to win over a hiring manager during an interview.

Fortunately, obtaining sales skills is easy enough. Take a free online course or watch YouTube videos that teach basic sales tips. You could even take a part-time job doing sales for a company.

Be Flexible

When you start out your career, you might have a very specific plan for your life. However, being too rigid with your plan could result in missed opportunities. When something comes your way, be open to the idea. It might be a job offer in a different industry or an offer to help out with a project.

When an opportunity comes your way, evaluate the impact it could have on your career. Create a list of pros and cons. If the good outweighs the bad, go for it!

Strive to Be Self-Sufficient

While you need some guidance to be successful, you should try to become self-sufficient as early on in your career as possible. Take ownership of your work, and don’t rely too much on others. When you want to pursue an opportunity, be vocal about it. You need to be your own advocate in the workplace to go far.

There are many reasons people opt to work seasonal jobs. For some, it’s about making more money. Others take on seasonal jobs to develop new skills. Whatever your reason may be for wanting a seasonal job, you should look for jobs that pay well. Here are a few seasonal jobs that actually pay well.

Social Media Assistant

Making an average salary of $14 per hour, social media assistants don’t often need experience to get started. They have the role of updating a client’s social media accounts, responding to comments, and working on campaigns. During the holiday season, many companies need to hire social media assistants to keep up with the increased demand. As an added bonus, being a social media assistant teaches you skills that translate well to other roles or lead to a lucrative career in social media management.

Personal Shopper

During the holiday season, there are personal shopper jobs available. As the job title suggests, personal shoppers help clients pick out gifts. The pay is usually just under $14 an hour, and the work tends to be fun.

Retail Sales Associate

Another job in the $14 hourly range, retail sales assistant is a job that requires you to deal with people. Companies often look to increase their number of associates during the busiest times of year, like the winter holidays. If you live in a place with many tourists, these jobs could pop up during summer and school holidays. Sales associates sometimes have the opportunity to earn a commission on top of their hourly wage.

Summer Counselor

If you’re looking for a summer job, try working as a summer camp counselor. The average salary is slightly over $14 per hour, and you’re likely to work with kids or teenagers. As a counselor, you can expect to be in charge of activities like sports and arts and crafts. The exact job description varies based on the type of camp you work for. If you have any special interests, you can look for a counselor job in a camp that focuses on those interests.

Customer Service Representative

The national average salary for customer service representatives is $14.87 an hour. During the high season, companies hire more representatives to keep up with the demand. They sometimes work at home or in call centers. Although the job always involves working with customers, the job duties vary drastically based on the service the company provides. For instance, some customer service representatives provide tech support while others handle customer returns. You could deal with customers over chat or phone conversations, or you

could deal with face-to-face interactions.

Gift Wrapper

When the holiday season rolls around, gift wrapper jobs become available. Large retail stores often hire gift wrappers to wrap presents purchased by customers. Typically, wrappers need to be able to wrap neatly, and decorate the presents with ribbons and tags. You usually receive training on how to wrap, and some stores might ask you to wrap gift sets. On average, gift wrappers make just under $15 an hour. Some stores have incentives for their quickest wrappers.

Photographer

If you want this seasonal job, you need photography skills. With that said, seasonal photographer jobs usually don’t require too much experience. You can either work as a freelancer or work for a company that’s looking to meet a high demand. During the winter season, photographers stay busy doing holiday photos. There’s also a need for school photographers early in the school year. The pay ranges greatly but averages about $16.75 hourly for less experienced photographers.

Chef

People who have cooking skills can take a seasonal job as a chef. During summer and the holidays, hotels and resorts look to hire chefs to handle their uptick in reservations. If you have no experience, don’t expect to start out as a chef. You might be able to find a job as a dishwasher or busser before you can work your way up to line cook. However, chefs with experience or training can apply and receive a salary of about $17.23 an hour.

Tax Preparer

Tax season is a busy time for accountants and tax prep companies. Whether you have experience or not, you may have luck applying for a job as a tax preparer between the months of January and April. The average pay is $19.25 hourly, and employees should be good at math and pay attention to detail. While some companies only hire experienced tax preparers, some hire assistants or entry-level workers.

Tour Guide

Places that rely on tourism almost always have a seasonal demand for tour guides. Although you may not need any training for this job, you do need to have people skills. Tour guides need to engage with their group tour members and provide valuable information about their location. Typically, tour guide companies provide a script and training to their guides. The average salary is $24.33 hourly.

Fitness Trainer

In touristy or seasonal regions, fitness trainers are needed during busy times. If you have a fitness or personal training certification, you can apply to work at a gym, spa, or hotel as a fitness trainer. At times, fitness trainers also provide nutritional advice. You can obtain a certification online and expect to make around $24 per hour. If you want to work for yourself, you can promote your own services.

Tutor

During the summer, parents scramble to find tutors for their children. Tutors help prepare students for the next school year or assist with summer school. Additionally, some tutors prepare students for exams like the SAT or GRE. The pay for tutors ranges from $15 hourly to $50 hourly, depending on the subject matter. If you want to work remotely, you may be able to find a job with a company that provides remote tutoring services.

Which Seasonal Job is Right for You?

You can find a seasonal job almost any time of the year. If you’re looking for some extra money, think about your skills and your desired salary. Then, apply for one of the jobs above!

Whether you’re unemployed or looking for some extra cash, a holiday job can improve your finances. Every holiday season, many companies scramble to hire employees. These temporary roles tend to be flexible, low-stress, and fun. Follow these tips to find your ideal holiday job this season.

Begin Your Search Early

The sooner you start your job search, the better your chances of receiving a job offer. After summer comes to an end, you can start looking for holiday jobs. Many employers start hiring for their holiday positions early. Typically, you can find holiday positions as early as October.

Keep in mind that the hiring process takes time. While you might not be looking to start work until November, it could take two months for you to get a job offer and start working. Furthermore, most companies hire earlier in the season rather than later. If you wait until November to apply, you’ll have fewer opportunities and more competition.

Understand the Common Types of Seasonal Jobs

Before you begin looking for work, you should be familiar with some of the more common types of holiday jobs. The most prevalent jobs are in the retail sector. Department stores, boutiques, and big box stores often hire more staff for the holidays. As you search, you’re likely to find retail jobs as clerks, customer service reps, and stockers.

Another sector that does well during the holiday season is hospitality. As travel increases, hotels, restaurants, and caterers tend to hire new employees. You could find work as a host, server, or concierge. Manufacturers also have a higher demand for the holiday season. Jobs in manufacturing include assembly workers, package unloaders, and packers.

Be Ready to Apply

Don’t wait to create your resume, cover letters, and references. Even though most employers don’t ask for references and other documentation until later on in the hiring process, you should have them ready and available.

With holiday jobs, employers tend to try to expedite the hiring process. But, gathering references and informing them of your intent takes time. If you take too long to submit references, you could miss out on the job. Think about any documents an employer may ask for and have them ready to go. If you’re not sure what type of documents you might need, look at job listings.

It’s also useful to run a background check on yourself. Sometimes, there are cases of mistaken identities or errors in background checks. If you don’t look into your own background, you could miss out on a job because of a surprise issue on your background check.

Know Your Desired Schedule

While many holiday jobs come with flexible schedules, you still need to know what hours you want to work. Before you apply for jobs, think about your ideal hours. Come up with the perfect schedule and then create a list of acceptable schedules.

As you look for work, read the job listing to see if the hours work with what you need. You can also target your search for jobs that fit your schedule requirements. For instance, you might want to work late nights or early mornings. Because customer service retail jobs are usually during store hours, you would focus on finding warehouse or package handling positions.

People who are willing to work nights, extended hours, and weekends often get preference during the hiring process. So, if you don’t care what your schedule looks like, be sure to explain that to a hiring manager. It could give you a major advantage.

Find a Job That Relates to Your Experience and Skills

Think about your own strengths and weaknesses. Then, look for jobs that play to your strengths. Even though your former job might not have any seasonal roles, the skills you developed could translate well to a different position.

For instance, you might have worked as a bank teller. The customer service and money-handling skills you gained in that role would carry over well to a retail sales position. When you think about your skillset, think outside the box. Even if you were a stay-at-home mom, you developed skills like time management, scheduling, and conflict resolution.

While it’s great to apply for jobs that relate to your skills, you need to take it one step further.

Show the hiring manager that you deserve the job by adding your job-specific skills and achievements to your resume. Hiring managers typically look for the following skills for holiday jobs:

Customer service skills

Communication

Reliability

Time management

Take a look at your resume and add any skills or achievements not on there. Every time you apply for a new job, check your resume. Is it relevant to the job title? You may need to customize it to appeal to the hiring manager.

Take Your Job Search Mobile

You don’t need to sit down at your computer every time you want to apply for jobs. Although you should fill out applications while you’re focused, there’s no harm in searching for work from your phone. When you’re waiting for an appointment or a passenger in a vehicle, search for jobs on your phone.

As long as you have a smartphone, it’s easy to apply for jobs on the go. You can download Google Docs to your phone and store a copy of your resume and a cover letter in it. If you find a job, it’s easy to make edits to the documents from your phone. You can even download organizational apps that help you stay organized during the job hunt.

Don’t Be Afraid to Learn Something New

Oftentimes, holiday jobs don’t require industry experience. Although you should apply for jobs that work well with your skills, don’t be afraid to learn new skills. Look for jobs that interest you and allow you to develop new talents.

For instance, you may not have customer service skills. By taking a seasonal retail position, you can develop those skills and then add them to your resume. You can make yourself a more appealing job candidate with your seasonal job.