Set Up a 401K…Yesterday
If your company offers a 401K, sign up at once. It is currently the best savings retirement account you can have. Retirement, yes it is never too early to think about it.
A 401K has withdrawal restrictions, but taking out $100. 00 every paycheck, after 6-8 years can turn into $30-$40 thousand dollars. How is this possible?
Your company matches your contribution (up to 3%), and a 401K is based on how stocks are performing. Plus, since it is your money, you can decide what stocks to choose from. Keep in mind every company is different, so be sure to check out your companies 401K restrictions.
You might have to start cutting down on certain “necessities”, like giving up a Starbucks Large Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino. But Ladies, who needs a 550-calorie daily drink with 18 grams of fat and 90 grams of deadly sugar. Well, once in a while, it’s okay.
It’s like being able to fit into that great new party dress and save money all at the same time! Who knew.
Dress Professionally
Every company is different; some are casual others are more formal. So never go to work wearing an outfit that other employees think perhaps you forgot to change out of your, “Tonight I am getting up on that bar and dancing”, skin tight outfit!
Save the dress for the bar, but I really suggest that you don’t get up on that bar…. accidents happen even when sober! You will absolutely hate those Jimmy Choo’s you spent six months saving for, and nobody wants that!
If you put on a blouse or skirt that makes you pause and evaluate, because the skirt might be too short or the blouse too sheer, STOP take them off immediately.
If you have to “pause and evaluate” any piece of clothing to wear to work, DON’T EVEN PUT IT ON because your career is at stake!
You most certainly though can “pause and evaluate”, right before you leave for a non-work related partying event. You want to confirm how great you look while visualizing your grand entrance into that party! We’ve all done it.
When you work for a business, you are representing that business. They don’t want to see an employees’ bra or worse discover that you are not even wearing a bra. (This is really bad.)
No skirts or dresses so small and tight you are constantly pulling them down. There is no need to wear a skirt with a slit in it, save that for a party. No six-inch heels period.
Take a cue from what the majority of employees already working at your office wear.
Dress in proper business clothes that will help get you promoted, not give you a bad reputation. That leads nowhere. Oh, one more thing, no cleavage. Period.
Always Have an Updated Resume Ready
You never know when an opportunity will come your way. You can take quick advantage of that opportunity by always having an updated resume to immediately email out. This will definitely increase your chances of landing that job.
Never ever attend a networking event without first having an updated resume!
Know What Your Business Is About
The world changes every day and so does your industry. Be the one at the meeting or in the office kitchen that always knows what is the latest best industry practice and better yet where your industry is headed. You want to develop a reputation as the industry expert. This is called spiraling up the ladder!
Never Share Your Party Stories at Work
Remember waking up in your apartment knowing you had to be somewhere, but you couldn’t remember no matter how hard you tried, where you parked your car the night before.
A funny story for your good, loyal friends, but never for the people you work with. Never. Come to think of it, don’t even tell casual friends either. Other people’s indiscretions always seem to be branded into the brains of people that love to gossip.
When an important project or position comes up, these opportunities tend to go to the people with good reputations, and rarely go to the people with questionable reputations. Your good reputation in the business world is priceless, take good care of it!
