Getting a job is only the beginning. Next, you need to make the most out of it. But whether it’s collecting the paycheck, earning experience, or getting a promotion, in order to effectively navigate the workplace in pursuit of your goals, you need to understand its rules. Both written and unwritten.
Luckily, TikTok user NotYourAvgHRlady is here to help. With over 8 years of experience in the field, she creates comprehensive videos that help people advance their careers, and her most popular clip to date remains especially relevant in the face of high economic uncertainty.
More info: TikTok
Meet TikTok user NotYourAvgHRlady, an HR professional with nearly a decade of experience
Image credits: notyouravghrlady
Recently, she released a video on the biggest mistakes employees can make
Image credits: RODNAE Productions
Image credits: Mimi Thian
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko
Image credits: Pixabay
Image credits: SHVETS production
To help you avoid letting your bad habits get the best of you, let’s expand on this TikToker’s list and see what other industry experts have to say.
“Punctuality is critical,” Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette and civility specialist, as well as the author of ‘Don’t Burp in the Boardroom,’ told Business Insider.
“The professional thing to do is to arrive on time, ready to do what is expected. It’s not like they just sprung this job on you,” she said.
Repeatedly responding to suggestions with a pessimistic or contrary attitude can be construed as being uncooperative, Randall added. Ideally, phrases like “That won’t work,” “That sounds too hard,” or, “I wouldn’t know how to start,” should be avoided.
Complaining too much also puts you in a bad light.
“While there may be times when everyone feels the desire to complain about the boss, a coworker, or a task, voicing it will only make you look unprofessional,” Randall explained. “It’s even worse if you complain every day, all day, from the moment you walk into work. Before long, people will go out of their way to avoid you.”
There is data that backs up her claims. A CareerBuilder survey revealed that the majority of employers — 62% — say they are less likely to promote employees who have a negative or pessimistic attitude.
Here’s the entire clip
@notyouravghrlady #thingsiwouldneverdo #hr #work #employee #job #worklife #hrtiktok #employment #5thingschallenge ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz
NotYourAvgHRlady also addressed the part human resources play in a company
@notyouravghrlady Replying to @lizparamo90 #employeerights #themoreyouknow #learnontiktok #worklife #employee #hr ♬ original sound – notyouravgHRlady
And what HR departments should avoid doing at all costs
@notyouravghrlady #5thingschallenge #thingsiwouldneverdo #hr #work #employee #job #worklife #hrtiktok #employment #employee ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz
However, if you do mess up and are forced to quit your job, Fana Yohannes, communications lead at Instagram and founder of Here2Help, a job search and mentorship community, says that reentering the workforce after a layoff can be tough at first, but entering the “preparation and planning mode” is the key step to bouncing back.
“Not only are there so many talented people who are considered free agents in this tech industry right now. There are so many hiring freezes that people are up against,” Yohannes told CNBC Make It. “Companies are canceling job postings [on top of] going through layoffs. So it’s like, almost everywhere you look, it feels like nowhere is safe.”
To get back on track, Yohannes suggests:
- Finding an online community. “During the [2008] recession, the social media tools we have now didn’t really exist,” Yohannes explained. “What I love about Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Facebook is that there are so many community-filled spaces on those platforms right now dedicated to professional spaces and professional development. You just need to know where to look for them.”
- Taking advantage of virtual events. Many companies and professional networking events have returned to in-person operations, however, hybrid and remote events are still available, and Yohannes recommends you leverage them. “If you really connect with someone, like a speaker, chances are you can shoot them a LinkedIn message or an Instagram DM or follow them and have a closer connection with them,” she said.
- Being open and honest about your job status. “LinkedIn is kind of like our first go-to platform when it comes to professional networking,” Yohannes noted. “But if you’re really dedicated to being open and transparent about where you are currently on your job search, I think it’s so important to let people know that you’re available for hire across all of your platforms.”
- Taking care of yourself. According to her, prioritizing your personal well-being is still going to be the number one most important thing during these uncertain times. “In any given situation, but especially with a layoff, although it hurts and it really does not feel good, receiving this as a redirection versus a setback is what’s probably going to be most helpful for people,” Yohannes said. “This moment in time doesn’t define who you are, but it will define who you are becoming.”
Here’s the discussion that followed her videos
I was like "for an HR Lady she sure is giving the worst advice imaginable." I quit my job with no notice. Had a job in the same dept in the same industry as I'd left in two and a half weeks for DOUBLE the pay and without the customer service. If I hadn't done that, I would've never gotten this job. This lady needs to either 1) get off the internet or 2) stop talking about HR stuff on the internet. She seriously seems exactly like the stereotype of "out of touch company rep"
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This “being fired on the spot with no notice” is very much a US thing and looks pretty savage and heartless. I used to see it happen in Hollywood films but was amazed to find it was actually true. What is true, regardless of where you are, is that HR is not your friend. They exist, first and foremost, to protect the interests of the company and its management as well as limiting any damage caused by staff complaints.
I think no notice firings happen in a lot of places, it's just that it can definitely be more gruesome in the US. For instance, the company knows they're going to fire you, they'll make you work the whole day and tell you during the last few minutes of your shift. If you're going to fire me, don't make me work my whole shift. I'd rather at the very least go home and have the day off. A common occurrence with some corporations is to find reason to fire someone a month or two before qualifying for a pension. Or right before they would have gotten a yearly bonus. They'll purposely do it in order to not be required to pay you. It can be brutal.
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Literally just signed the onboarding papers for a new job at my current job, i don't plan to give them more notice than today is my last day. I was burned already twice by other employers . Once I was a waitress, the only one on the lunch shift, i tried to quit and they begged me to stay, then a few months later they cut the lunch shift and fired me at the end of the day "don't worry about coming in tomorrow, we aren't doing lunch shift any more" then they had the nerve to call me to work on Valentine's night because they were under staffed. I laughed and hung up. Then a few months later they had a help wanted sign for the lunch shift up and about a year after that were out of business. The place I worked after that, i turned in my two weeks notice and was immediately asked to turn in my keys and go home. So no. Your notice will be when you notice i stop showing up.
This! I'm sorry but I think the day of parting notice being something a company has any right to be worked up about should be over. In the past 20 years of economic shifts we have seen almost every industry dismiss employees at random without notice and even file for bankruptcy to avoid paying out earned severance, fire employees close to earned retirement, ect. If your company doesn't give notice why are they burned if you don't? Also retaliation is real. Suddenly PTO, or actually working those two weeks can be in question.
Load More Replies... I was like "for an HR Lady she sure is giving the worst advice imaginable." I quit my job with no notice. Had a job in the same dept in the same industry as I'd left in two and a half weeks for DOUBLE the pay and without the customer service. If I hadn't done that, I would've never gotten this job. This lady needs to either 1) get off the internet or 2) stop talking about HR stuff on the internet. She seriously seems exactly like the stereotype of "out of touch company rep"
Load More Replies... This “being fired on the spot with no notice” is very much a US thing and looks pretty savage and heartless. I used to see it happen in Hollywood films but was amazed to find it was actually true. What is true, regardless of where you are, is that HR is not your friend. They exist, first and foremost, to protect the interests of the company and its management as well as limiting any damage caused by staff complaints.
I think no notice firings happen in a lot of places, it's just that it can definitely be more gruesome in the US. For instance, the company knows they're going to fire you, they'll make you work the whole day and tell you during the last few minutes of your shift. If you're going to fire me, don't make me work my whole shift. I'd rather at the very least go home and have the day off. A common occurrence with some corporations is to find reason to fire someone a month or two before qualifying for a pension. Or right before they would have gotten a yearly bonus. They'll purposely do it in order to not be required to pay you. It can be brutal.
Load More Replies... Literally just signed the onboarding papers for a new job at my current job, i don't plan to give them more notice than today is my last day. I was burned already twice by other employers . Once I was a waitress, the only one on the lunch shift, i tried to quit and they begged me to stay, then a few months later they cut the lunch shift and fired me at the end of the day "don't worry about coming in tomorrow, we aren't doing lunch shift any more" then they had the nerve to call me to work on Valentine's night because they were under staffed. I laughed and hung up. Then a few months later they had a help wanted sign for the lunch shift up and about a year after that were out of business. The place I worked after that, i turned in my two weeks notice and was immediately asked to turn in my keys and go home. So no. Your notice will be when you notice i stop showing up.
This! I'm sorry but I think the day of parting notice being something a company has any right to be worked up about should be over. In the past 20 years of economic shifts we have seen almost every industry dismiss employees at random without notice and even file for bankruptcy to avoid paying out earned severance, fire employees close to earned retirement, ect. If your company doesn't give notice why are they burned if you don't? Also retaliation is real. Suddenly PTO, or actually working those two weeks can be in question.
Load More Replies...
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