Tips for graduates and young professionals

Today, I wanted to share with you a book that helped me when I was a graduate and staring out in my first professional job 7 years ago, and one that is helping me now as I move into the next phase of my career.  I have even shot a quick vlog (my first one!) and encourage you to share this with other graduates and young professionals.

When I started at my first law firm, I thought I knew it all.  It wasn't until a female partner and I were talking one day that I realised there were certain behaviours I could improve, as well as my dress and how I acted.

Luckily for me, I was introduced to Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office by Dr Lois Frankel.  Personally, I am not into self help books, or the latest buzz words that are around for career progression.  However, this book was different.  It was real, it was relevant and it wasn't telling me I had to "be a bitch" to get ahead, or start acting more like a man.

Some key tips (also in the vlog), I took away were:

• Dressing for the job I wanted.  I wanted (and still do) to be a Partner.  Dressing too casually in a corporate office wasn't going to get me there.
• Viewing senior male colleagues as a father figure - this is where I kept going into my school girl ways, fumbling about and not being confident in my approach to my work.
• Wearing appropriate make -up.  What is good for a Saturday night, is not good in a professional environment.  After reading the book, I sought assistance from a make-up artist to best learn how to apply make-up that was appropriate for work.
• Constantly apologising.  I would do this all the time when it was not necessary.  I would lead with "sorry" and I did not understand the impact this would have on the way others viewed me - especially my Partners.
• My behaviour around colleagues in the industry.  I am an outgoing and energetic person.  I am happy to chat to other colleagues when at Court and before mediations.  However, after a few odd coffee date requests from older males in the profession, I spoke to one of my Partners, and realised the way I interacted could be viewed as flirtatious, even moreso because I was young and female in a predominantly boys' world.  Coupled with my constant hair playing, my bubbly personality was being mistaken for something I did not intend at all.

Dr Frankel recently released a new edition of Nice Girls Still Don't Get the Corner Office.  I am at the next stage of my career and looking to move into a more senior role.  I have been reading the new edition to remind me of these unconscious mistakes I have been making, which could be sabotaging my career!

I encourage you all to purchase this book and share it with your friends.  It's all about paying it forward, and this book will help you more than any other in the market.  What I like best is how Dr Frankel also recommends books by other authors to read - you don't see that very often.  These books, like Dr Frankel's, are not over the top (again noting my distaste for self-help style books) and are helping me gain that competitive, yet friendly edge, over my colleagues.  My "Corner Office" is a promotion to Senior Associate and I can't wait to get it!