GOING UP?: Not Just for New College Grads

Edit March 31: OMF Lit just featured this blog post in their blog! Check out the re-post here. Thanks OMF! :)

Joining the workforce for the first time after graduating from college can be overwhelming. I remember feeling lost the first time I worked in an office. At the time, I didn't know much about office protocols and how best to make a mark in the corporate world. All I instinctively knew was that I had to do the tasks I was told to do with no questions asked.

I wished there was a book back then that I could have read to give me better guidance on the right things to say, what to do, how to make the right choices, etc. etc. inside a working environment.

New graduates are given that chance now. Grab a copy of Going Up? Making Right Choices at Work by Yay Padua-Olmedo. It is something you should read even before you apply for a job or start at one. It is also a good read for those who have been working for a long time and who'd like to have a refresher on office etiquette. With this, you can gain new insights which you can apply in everyday work scenarios.

My copy of the book is filled with highlighted passages that really spoke to and inspired me. Here's sharing some of them:

On putting value to a first job - "The working man has value, no matter how far down on the organizational ladder he is ... All of us are learners, and work attitude is more important that a job title."

On taking risks - "Whether or not you consider yourself in the league of extraordinary inventors when it comes to creativity, you can believe you are an inveterate problem-solver, because it has been hard-wired into your psyche."

On being proactive - "But see, bosses can take things for granted. They may assume that you know. By all means ... ask for the guidelines that will enable you to do the job well."

On professionalism -"Your reputation for dependability grows a little every time you commit to do something and fulfill your promise ... Your trust rating goes up or down depending on how you fulfill your superiors' expectations."

There are more nuggets of wisdom to be learned in this little, but fully-packed, book. Discover them for yourself and use them to your advantage whether you are just starting on a new job or have already been working for quite some time. You may also want to give it as a gift to a young friend or relative who will soon be transitioning from university life into the corporate world.

This book is published by OMF Literature and is available in all their branches.