The best job experience is being on the job. Yeah, no crap. It’s really the only way to learn. You can read up on things, prepare mentally and even practice but unless you attempt and execute in the workplace, all the preparation is pointless.
Naturally, the longer you’re on a job, the more skills you acquire. Eventually you work your way up the ladder, unless, you fail at some or many of the most crucial workplace skills. US News & World Report broke down the 10 things people should know how to do at work by the time they hit 30.
Some of the skills include how to stand up for yourself politely and professionally, how to have a difficult conversation and how to ask for more money. All ten are important but these two are personally my favorite because they’re massive pet peeves.
How to run a meeting: If you lose control of your meetings, let conversation spiral in any direction and don’t start or finish on time, people will quickly begin dreading attending any meetings you’re running. Instead, always have an agenda, be clear about what outcomes you’re aiming for, be willing to redirect the conversation when needed, take your starting and ending times seriously and make sure everyone is clear on next steps before you wrap up. People will be far less likely to “miss seeing” your meeting invites when you do this.
Most meeting are pointless but there’s nothing worse than being in a pointless AND poorly run meeting.
What to do when you make a mistake: At some point, you’re going to make a mistake at work because you’re human. When you do, how you handle it will often matter more than the mistake itself. The key is to take responsibility for what happened; don’t make excuses or be defensive. Let your boss know what happened and – this is crucial – how you plan to ensure it doesn’t happen again. If you do that, you’ll have proactively addressed what your manager probably cares about most and he or she is less likely to impress the seriousness of the mistake on you.
Just own up to it! We all fuck up. Say “I fucked up” (but in a more PC way) and admit you screwed up and help fix it.
Check out the rest of the list here.