Things no one will tell you at your workplace

The initial phases of your career are crucial. How you present yourself in the first few years of your work life will be held against you for the rest of your life.

Here are 10 things we would like you to know.

Don't think we don't know you're on Facebook!

The one thing more annoying than seeing you on Facebook (or Twitter or Instagram or a shopping website or... oh... oh... G-Chat) is your naive assumption that your boss doesn't know what you're doing. Most companies block social media sites for a reason – it reduces your productivity. If yours is one of those few companies that are kind enough to not put these services behind a firewall, learn to respect it. Be selective about logging on to such sites. Use the lunch break to chat, catch up and indulge in idle talk. Your boss will be annoyed to find you on social media sites every other time they pass your desk.

Own up

Let's face it, everyone messes up some time or the other. It will hold you in good stead to own up, apologise and learn from what you've done. There is a good possibility you won't make the same mistake again.

Don't whine

No one likes whiny, complaining colleague. Whatever your seniors tell you, most of them do not care about your sob story. Do not bother explaining things that don't need explanations. Do not drone about your life all the time. The harsh truth is very few seniors have the time for all this and are almost always never interested. So why bother, right?

Take up that assignment you didn't want... with a smile

So your boss handed you a job you hate. Don't complain to your peers about how your job sucks. Look at it, instead, as a learning experience. You are still in your 20s. You have over 30 years of a career still ahead of you. If you don't learn new things now, when will you?

Know that the office is a small place

Any workplace (or even any industry for that matter) is a small place. Everyone knows everyone; everyone talks to everyone. So before you decide to badmouth your colleague, know that there is a good possibility it will reach her/him eventually. Don't indulge in gossip. And think a hundred times before you badmouth anyone. As they say in the movies, whatever you say can and will be used against you. Everything that goes around comes around.

Be sincere

Sure, this holds true for people at all levels but it counts the most for those of you in your first (or even second) jobs. This is your chance to leave an impression that will most likely last through your career. Ask yourself what you'd like that impression to be. So, do your job sincerely. You are, after all, getting paid for it!

Offer to help

Even though they may not say it, most people like if they are offered a helping hand. While leaving at the end of the day, ask your colleagues if they could do with any help. It not only shows you are competent (because you are done with your day's work) but also considerate. Do not however make this a habit. If you see someone taking advantage of your niceness, stop.

Be firm

You might think you are underpaid, overworked and your colleagues are a bunch of nincompoops. Ask yourself if there's anything you can do about the current situation. Ask yourself if you are getting paid on par with the industry standards? If you are, then you have no reason to complain. If you are feeling overworked, have a word with your seniors and express your concerns. And yes, chances are your colleagues are incompetent and bossy. Learn to work around them; learn what you should not do when you reach their position. And, when needed, politely but firmly, say no.

There is nothing such as a dream job

Here's the thing about a dream job – the moment you bag it, it stops being one. Even if you've landed an assignment you've always wanted or joined a company that you've always hoped to be part of, sooner rather than later you will realise that the grass only seemed greener on the other side. Every coin has two sides. Just as your best friend has a side to her/him you don't like, so does your job. Learn to live with it.

Don't jump jobs

Quitting because you don't like your colleagues or because someone is paying you a few thousand rupees more is the silliest thing you will do. Every job will have its issues. Instead, find ways to resolve your workplace issues. Find out from your colleagues and peers if they've faced problems similar to yours and how they've dealt with them. Seek their advice and learn from their wisdom. Most importantly, ask yourself if you need to change. Because at some point you will run out of jobs to jump.