Learning about website analytics is just one part of what I’ve learned over the years. Another part was learning about the working world. This career corner post is all about how to be a better manager.

Praise in public, correct in private. People may not remember what you do, but they’ll remember how you made them feel. Correcting in private allows your team members to save face, which means they’re less likely to harbor resentment and more likely to stay motivated.

Remember, people pick up your bad habits. Be aware of how you influence your coworkers, both new and old. If you notice a team member picking up one of your bad habits, this may be a great opportunity to break the habit together.

Be approachable. While new, open working spaces may mean you don’t have to worry about having an open door policy, you should still be wary of the ways you can indirectly shut yourself off from your teammates. Constantly having earbuds in or being in a visibly bad mood can discourage people from coming to you.

Clearly set expectations. Saying things like “review the data” or “create a write up” can be very ambiguous to someone who has worked with you for less than a year. Try and provide prior examples of what the output will look like or have a procedure written up.

Looking for more career advice? Check out the other career corner posts, including how to advance your career and how to be a better employee.

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Learning about website analytics is just one part of what I’ve learned over the years. Another part was learning about the working world. This career corner post is all about how to advance your career.

Choose a job where you’re paid fairly, always learning, and appreciated for what you contribute. If you’re waffling between staying at a job or moving on to the next big thing, see if your current position fits the above criteria. If it doesn’t, feel good about your decision to move onwards and upwards.

Find a mentor. People like helping people, so don’t be shy when asking someone to be your mentor. Look for a person you respect and has a job that one day you would like to have. If you work in a highly male or female dominated field, remember that you may have to seek out a mentor of the opposite sex.

Network. Get involved in your professional community. Networking is a great way to meet a mentor, get advice about industry changes, and learn about potential job opportunities. Ingratiate yourself in networking groups by offering to volunteer, even with small tasks. Getting your foot in the door and establishing a reputation as a dependable person will help grow your career.

Keep track of your accomplishments. You probably don’t remember what you ate for dinner last week, so the chance that you’ll remember all the accomplishments you’ve had over the past couple of years is pretty slim too. Keep a list somewhere or standardize naming conventions when you’re sending out emails or calendar invites about process improvements. Standardizing your naming conventions means you can easily pull up the many reasons why you deserve a promotion.

When asking for a raise, talk about what you’ve done in the past, what you will continue to do and what you will do in the future. Also, make sure to do your research on websites like Glassdoor and salary.com to know what the average salary for your position is. While you’re at it, make sure that your title matches up with your responsibilities at work. If you’re taking on more responsibilities than your current role requires, it might be time for a title change as well.

Looking for more career advice? Check out the other career corner posts, including how to start off in the workforce, how to be a better employee, and how to be a better manager.

Learning about website analytics is just one part of what I’ve learned over the years. Another part was learning about the working world. This career corner post is all about how to be a better employee.

Hold yourself accountable. Just because someone isn’t checking up on you or constantly pushing you to do your best, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hold yourself to a high standard. When you do that, you’ll be taken seriously.

Come with solutions, not problems. Everyone has difficult days at work. If you find yourself needing some advice, try and come up a solution first. While not every problem will have a simple solution, thinking of a solution first will help stretch your strategic thinking skills.

Perception is reality. As much as we would like to think reality is reality, the truth is that perception plays a much larger role in our jobs than we think. Don’t be shy to talk about your recent accomplishments or the improvements you’re making to office procedures.

People are more likely to work well with people they like. While no one likes a brown-noser, make sure you’re kind to coworkers. Participate in office activities that allow you to connect with your team without talking about work. On that same note, don’t get a reputation as someone who is difficult to work with and don’t burn bridges. The business world is smaller than you think. You will gain very little by speaking negatively of old coworkers and employers or being a stick in the mud on every project you work on.

Looking for more career advice? Check out the other career corner posts, including how to start off in the workforce, how to advance your career, and how to be a better manager.

Learning about website analytics is just one part of what I’ve learned over the years. Another part was learning about the working world. This career corner post is all about how to start off in the workforce.

Every woman needs a classic pair of business heels. This piece of advice is more opinion than anything else, but a pair of closed-toe pumps help say “I’m ready to get down to business” instead of “I’m ready to go out” or even worse “I’m not really ready at all, I just rolled out of bed.” Along those same lines, if you’re just starting out in your career, there’s a greater chance you won’t be taken as seriously. Minimize the opportunities for someone to doubt you by dressing professionally.

Confidence is half the battle. The Dunning Kruger theory states that those who know very little about a subject are often overconfident because they don’t understand the complexities that exist on the topic. Those who have a greater understanding of a topic are often less confident because they appreciate how complex the subject matter really is. If you find a particular task incredibly daunting, don’t shy away, because someone far more stupid than you is already up for the challenge.

Observe first. Learn the culture and the unwritten rules of the office first before you start taking initiatives to change any current processes and procedures. Your ideas will be much better received if you know your audience and respect how everyone operates.

Communicate. Communication is a key process of “managing up.” If someone assigns you a task, let them know the progress, when you expect to be done, and when you complete the job. This will help alleviate any micromanaging.

Looking for more career advice? Check out the other career corner posts, including how to advance your career, how to be a better employee, and how to be a better manager.