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TikToker Says She Was Not Prepared For What It Takes To Be Promoted In The Corporate World, Sparks A Discussion
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TikToker Says She Was Not Prepared For What It Takes To Be Promoted In The Corporate World, Sparks A Discussion

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Entering the workforce is a lot like driving on your own for the first time. You know you’re ready, but it’s still stressing you out. And just like you learn that real-life traffic doesn’t behave the same as in the textbooks, with time you also realize that companies are governed by laws you didn’t even expect.

So when LA-based content creator Jenna (@jennahushka) made a TikTok, asking people what’s something they were not prepared for about the corporate world, replies immediately started pouring in.

One of the most popular ones came from Shelby Mayfield (@shelbymayfield). In it, the Dallasite explained that the importance of “kissing a**” for promotion was the most surprising lesson she has learned, and her words ignited a pretty heated discussion on the platform.

A now-viral TikTok asked people to share the most surprising lessons they’ve learned after entering the workforce

Image credits: shelbymayfield

And an entry by Shelby Mayfield apparently got everyone’s attention

Image credits: shelbymayfield

It pointed out that merely trying your hardest isn’t enough to climb the corporate ladder

Image credits: shelbymayfield

A promotion sounds exciting. You are trusted with more responsibilities, propel your career, award your ego with a heightened sense of achievement, and, of course, start making more money.

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But Dr. Ruchi Sinha, an Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Business School of the University of South Australia agrees with Shelby, saying that earning a higher spot at an organization takes more than a job well done.

“Even if you are a high performer who takes initiative and surpasses your goals, you often still have to convince your manager that you deserve to level up,” Sinha wrote in the Harvard Business Review.

Over the course of her career in academia, Sinha has taught many students how to effectively navigate through these competitive waters, and has witnessed numerous strategies achieve desired results. Sucking up is one of them.

Sinha believes that employees who seek to better their future need a “sponsor.”

“A sponsor is someone within your organization who is in a position of power and will support your case for a promotion,” she explained. “This person could be a senior employee who you regularly work with or an executive who you admire and have developed a mentorship with. Usually, sponsorships take a long period of time and effort to develop.”

Once you identify a potential sponsor, you need to establish a relationship with them. Then, try to meet with them regularly to discuss your career aspirations and progress.

“Schedule a lunch or virtual coffee with them once every couple of months and seek their feedback on your work, as well as their advice around how to reach your goals. A sponsor is someone who will not only informally coach you, but also advocate for you behind closed doors, introduce you to other executives who will be crucial for your growth, and protect you from adverse publicity. Most importantly, they can tell your boss that, yes, you do deserve to get promoted when the time comes,” Sinha said.

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In this way, sponsors often become more valuable than mentors. “Research shows that those who have sponsors at work tend to be seen in a more positive light,” Sinha added.

And as her video reply gained more and more views

@shelbymayfield #stitch with @Jenna | Corporate Humor ♬ original sound – Shelby

Image credits: Gustavo Fring (not the actual photo)

But even if they do everything right, some people are still overlooked. For example, in a study of evaluation and promotion data from a large retail chain, Professor of Finance at the Yale School of Management Kelly Shue and her co-authors found that women got higher performance ratings than men but were consistently—and incorrectly—judged as having less leadership potential.

The study, which was based on assessment and promotion records for nearly 30,000 workers, discovered that women are 14% less likely to be promoted at the company each year and that a major factor contributing to this is that they are consistently judged as having lower leadership potential than men. In a two-part annual assessment, according to the records, women’s performance at the company is rated higher than men’s on average, but their potential is rated lower—a pattern that continues even when women exceed those expectations.

“What is commonly talked about in terms of management and potential are characteristics such as assertiveness, execution skills, charisma, leadership, ambition,” Shue said. “These are, I believe, real traits. They’re also highly subjective and stereotypically associated with male leaders. And what we saw in the data is a pretty strong bias against women in assessments of potential.”

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Interestingly, the researchers thought the group that would be least likely to have these stereotypes of male leadership in mind would be female managers. But they also underestimate their high-performing women subordinates.

That means that Shelby and many, many others are stuck playing a rigged game where the odds are stacked against them.

People flocked its comment section to share what they think about the topic

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dntcrossme7 avatar
Beth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could get behind this if it wasn't just for a certain class of people. It's like we are taught to only look up to or praise people who are well off and already high in status. Yet we look down on and criticize people who are not well off and have zero status in this world. If we value, praise, and treat everyone with dignity and decency, as we should. I would be ok with this. It's not only wrong but heartbreaking that we as humans lift up some but not others. All because a person has more money and is more popular. Completely disregarding anyone who is not in that class as if they don't matter and aren't as deserving as the ones we do look up to. Like who started teaching us that that's how we should see human beings? And when are we going to get to a point that we stop doing that and acknowledge it's wrong?

sethmarsh avatar
Seth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Until we arrive at a mostly automated post-scarcity future, the late-stage capitalist wealth-worship is just going to get worse over time.

Load More Replies...
jo_davies2208 avatar
Jo Davies
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Worked corporate until the age of 43. Left, took a job managing a restaurant for roughly 30% of my previous salary. Honed my cooking, gardening and dress making skills. Apparently the universe was waiting for me to discover myself and find contentment. It offered me a few minths of that and then gave me the grand prize. A position as a (work from home) Web content manager where I get to write real words that actual people read and help aspiring writers to reach their potential. Stuff you, glass ceiling egotists!

kathy_1 avatar
Kathy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The corporate world operates pretty much on the Pack system: All Pack members have to make "nice" with the stronger members of the Pack; Everyone is subservient to the Alpha Male (and/or Alpha Female) who rules the Pack; Promotion is obtained only after some very serious sucking-up to the Powers-That-Be; If you've been promoted, it usually means that some other poor sod has been summarily dispensed with and that you are the new patsy; and the lower you are on the totem pole, the more kissing up you have to do just to survive. Any infringement of these rules means that, at best you will get kicked back down the ladder to start again from the bottom, at worst you will find yourself out in the cold - always assuming you survive the experience, that is...

estebangarita avatar
Esteban Garita
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've seen that the vast majority of people who get promoted at the company I work for are people who are "good with the boss", and more often than not, being "good with the boss" means you do nothing but showel dirt onto your coworkers by the truckloads, it means kissing your boss's rear every time they turn around and spending more time worrying about what everyone else is doing rather than yourself, in reality these people accomplish very little but carry around a megaphone for when they actually do something and bosses love it, if you just do your job then your boss will never hear about it and the brown nosers will walk all over you, every time.

michaelpattow avatar
Michael Pattow
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Corporations are whack. I've worked in corporate kitchens and in privately owned restaurants. Corporate kitchens have way too high of expectations and added stress for usually less pay. They make goals unattainable and then don't give you a raise because you didn't meet the goals even though you were one of the best employees. Fine dining and corporate restaurants are such bs to work for.

sethmarsh avatar
Seth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like most corporate workers are completely useless then. If so many people are spending so much time forming toxic highschool cliques (aka "networking") and stroking managers' egos to ensure that promotions are as nepotistic as possible, then when are they actually doing work? Any corporate culture where soft skills and presenteeism are valued over actual ability to do the work is a culture that fosters imposter wage leeches. I remember back in high school I'd observe over half the class just chit-chatting and not doing the assignment, and I'd wonder: "what happens to these people when they become adults?". Well now I know.

kevincampphoto avatar
Kevin Camp
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guaranteed there is favoritism and nepotism in the corporate world, but it is also populated by a lot of people who think they are worth more than they really are. Just doing your job to the minimum standard is a guarantee you probably will be passed over for promotion and advancement. 99% of those people blame something else for this problem other than their own lack of work ethic.

johnhuynh avatar
John
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Which is rich coming from an "avid photographer". What promotions have you lined up you're working hard for? I guess maybe you can be head photographer as you try to sell photos to new sites

Load More Replies...
colintimp avatar
Colin Timp
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, you don't want to be the best at your job. Being an **s kisser (or related to someone of status) seems to be the only true requiement. I have never once in my working career seen the best worker get a promotion. The simple fact is that they don't want to promote their top people because they feel they'll lose by having to replace them with someone who doesn't do as much. The problem with this attitude is that there's nothing to motivate workers to do better; especially when they're at or near the top of their "pay scale." This makes most jobs dead-ends. Good workers simply quit for better opportunities; and it's the poor to average workers that stick around.

greywolfarmory avatar
Grey Wolf Armory
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Having a "sponsor" isn't always helpful and can actually hurt your career too. I had a job where the CEO wanted me hired. The manager I reported to then sabotaged my employment because HE didn't have a say in my being hired. Most managers are sociopaths that got there there through backstabbing others. Knowing how to spot and derail sociopathic behavior is more important than any other skillset in "the corporate world."

docdra_1 avatar
ADB
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One thing NOT mentioned that everyone knows happens, but will earn a ton of downvotes - plenty of women in a male led office get underserved promotions and good performance reviews simply because some guy in charge likes them. Not so ironically that same guy won't promote them to a leadership position. Again, may not be popular to state this, but I witnessed this so many times - women that were average or below average at the job getting promotions or pay raises over others in their same work groups - and all you had to do was see who the manager of that group was hanging out with after work.

sethmarsh avatar
Seth
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think it's controversial to say that skeezy male bosses use their power to get closer to women they like; that's a core idea of the meetoo movement. To make your statement more fair though, consider how many women are denied DESERVED promotions because their male boss doesn't find them attractive, or they rebuffed his sexual advances.

Load More Replies...
sethnowai avatar
Seth NoWai
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Kind of depends on company and people who can give you promotion, plus whether you push for it. In most cases they won't just hand it to you, even if you are the best. Skill and experience help to some extent. But most vital thing is just networking and knowing people, it actually matters more than skill, regardless of whether you think it is fair or not. Though sometimes you also will need to push for it regardless, be it by asking fir it or even putting option to change jobs in front of them. Of course make sure you are good enough for them not wanting to lose you. But networking and knowing people will be biggest benefit. Especially if said people believe in you and know you want to learn, further your career and so on. Basically they see your potential. At least that is in corporate world.

randytreadway avatar
Randy Treadway
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you look at today's workers coming into it, they ask walk in tubing they should have a 6 figure salary, some dumb work culture, manage a department immediately and have the life immediately of of school. No work necessary. And they all say they're an introvert, so basically like most young people in that thread, they have no social skills. It's not a*s kissing, it's interacting with coworkers and bosses. How do they know you're skills and personalitytype of just work reports. They need to know you can manage people if you want to be management or whatever promotion you want. If you just want to be left alone, you'll never advance. Sure, some people kiss as*, and some want it too, but the corporate world isn't all that hard. Accountability is the biggest drawback in the workers. Never their fault, their responsibility, their problem, or what they care about. I have had to hire for many years and it's gotten progressively worse over 20 years.

just_for_fb_mari avatar
Mari Scott
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an introvert, I have social skills, I just find being sociable exhausting. I make it through the workday being talkative just fine. When I get home, it's quiet. I think you need to interact with people much different than you. Ask them about their experiences. Open your mind. (You sound like you talk at people, not with them.)

Load More Replies...
redrustyhill avatar
Matt Rustebakke
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Welcome to the real world kiddo, too bad you had to go into massive student loan debt to figure this out. It doesnt make you a special victim.

dhoppe2001 avatar
DH41144
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This is what happens when growing up, you received a trophy for just showing up

stefan-gogolinski avatar
TheDag
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You know what I was born in the tail end of the 80's and I have never once been ever given a participation trophy so I have no idea where you boomers seem to think they've been handed to everyone for trying? I've been in jobs where I've taken on twice the responsibilities than the standard person to try and stand out and been passed over and have been in companies where many of the above happens so I can understand the OP's frustration

Load More Replies...
dntcrossme7 avatar
Beth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could get behind this if it wasn't just for a certain class of people. It's like we are taught to only look up to or praise people who are well off and already high in status. Yet we look down on and criticize people who are not well off and have zero status in this world. If we value, praise, and treat everyone with dignity and decency, as we should. I would be ok with this. It's not only wrong but heartbreaking that we as humans lift up some but not others. All because a person has more money and is more popular. Completely disregarding anyone who is not in that class as if they don't matter and aren't as deserving as the ones we do look up to. Like who started teaching us that that's how we should see human beings? And when are we going to get to a point that we stop doing that and acknowledge it's wrong?

sethmarsh avatar
Seth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Until we arrive at a mostly automated post-scarcity future, the late-stage capitalist wealth-worship is just going to get worse over time.

Load More Replies...
jo_davies2208 avatar
Jo Davies
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Worked corporate until the age of 43. Left, took a job managing a restaurant for roughly 30% of my previous salary. Honed my cooking, gardening and dress making skills. Apparently the universe was waiting for me to discover myself and find contentment. It offered me a few minths of that and then gave me the grand prize. A position as a (work from home) Web content manager where I get to write real words that actual people read and help aspiring writers to reach their potential. Stuff you, glass ceiling egotists!

kathy_1 avatar
Kathy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The corporate world operates pretty much on the Pack system: All Pack members have to make "nice" with the stronger members of the Pack; Everyone is subservient to the Alpha Male (and/or Alpha Female) who rules the Pack; Promotion is obtained only after some very serious sucking-up to the Powers-That-Be; If you've been promoted, it usually means that some other poor sod has been summarily dispensed with and that you are the new patsy; and the lower you are on the totem pole, the more kissing up you have to do just to survive. Any infringement of these rules means that, at best you will get kicked back down the ladder to start again from the bottom, at worst you will find yourself out in the cold - always assuming you survive the experience, that is...

estebangarita avatar
Esteban Garita
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've seen that the vast majority of people who get promoted at the company I work for are people who are "good with the boss", and more often than not, being "good with the boss" means you do nothing but showel dirt onto your coworkers by the truckloads, it means kissing your boss's rear every time they turn around and spending more time worrying about what everyone else is doing rather than yourself, in reality these people accomplish very little but carry around a megaphone for when they actually do something and bosses love it, if you just do your job then your boss will never hear about it and the brown nosers will walk all over you, every time.

michaelpattow avatar
Michael Pattow
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Corporations are whack. I've worked in corporate kitchens and in privately owned restaurants. Corporate kitchens have way too high of expectations and added stress for usually less pay. They make goals unattainable and then don't give you a raise because you didn't meet the goals even though you were one of the best employees. Fine dining and corporate restaurants are such bs to work for.

sethmarsh avatar
Seth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like most corporate workers are completely useless then. If so many people are spending so much time forming toxic highschool cliques (aka "networking") and stroking managers' egos to ensure that promotions are as nepotistic as possible, then when are they actually doing work? Any corporate culture where soft skills and presenteeism are valued over actual ability to do the work is a culture that fosters imposter wage leeches. I remember back in high school I'd observe over half the class just chit-chatting and not doing the assignment, and I'd wonder: "what happens to these people when they become adults?". Well now I know.

kevincampphoto avatar
Kevin Camp
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guaranteed there is favoritism and nepotism in the corporate world, but it is also populated by a lot of people who think they are worth more than they really are. Just doing your job to the minimum standard is a guarantee you probably will be passed over for promotion and advancement. 99% of those people blame something else for this problem other than their own lack of work ethic.

johnhuynh avatar
John
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Which is rich coming from an "avid photographer". What promotions have you lined up you're working hard for? I guess maybe you can be head photographer as you try to sell photos to new sites

Load More Replies...
colintimp avatar
Colin Timp
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, you don't want to be the best at your job. Being an **s kisser (or related to someone of status) seems to be the only true requiement. I have never once in my working career seen the best worker get a promotion. The simple fact is that they don't want to promote their top people because they feel they'll lose by having to replace them with someone who doesn't do as much. The problem with this attitude is that there's nothing to motivate workers to do better; especially when they're at or near the top of their "pay scale." This makes most jobs dead-ends. Good workers simply quit for better opportunities; and it's the poor to average workers that stick around.

greywolfarmory avatar
Grey Wolf Armory
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Having a "sponsor" isn't always helpful and can actually hurt your career too. I had a job where the CEO wanted me hired. The manager I reported to then sabotaged my employment because HE didn't have a say in my being hired. Most managers are sociopaths that got there there through backstabbing others. Knowing how to spot and derail sociopathic behavior is more important than any other skillset in "the corporate world."

docdra_1 avatar
ADB
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One thing NOT mentioned that everyone knows happens, but will earn a ton of downvotes - plenty of women in a male led office get underserved promotions and good performance reviews simply because some guy in charge likes them. Not so ironically that same guy won't promote them to a leadership position. Again, may not be popular to state this, but I witnessed this so many times - women that were average or below average at the job getting promotions or pay raises over others in their same work groups - and all you had to do was see who the manager of that group was hanging out with after work.

sethmarsh avatar
Seth
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think it's controversial to say that skeezy male bosses use their power to get closer to women they like; that's a core idea of the meetoo movement. To make your statement more fair though, consider how many women are denied DESERVED promotions because their male boss doesn't find them attractive, or they rebuffed his sexual advances.

Load More Replies...
sethnowai avatar
Seth NoWai
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Kind of depends on company and people who can give you promotion, plus whether you push for it. In most cases they won't just hand it to you, even if you are the best. Skill and experience help to some extent. But most vital thing is just networking and knowing people, it actually matters more than skill, regardless of whether you think it is fair or not. Though sometimes you also will need to push for it regardless, be it by asking fir it or even putting option to change jobs in front of them. Of course make sure you are good enough for them not wanting to lose you. But networking and knowing people will be biggest benefit. Especially if said people believe in you and know you want to learn, further your career and so on. Basically they see your potential. At least that is in corporate world.

randytreadway avatar
Randy Treadway
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you look at today's workers coming into it, they ask walk in tubing they should have a 6 figure salary, some dumb work culture, manage a department immediately and have the life immediately of of school. No work necessary. And they all say they're an introvert, so basically like most young people in that thread, they have no social skills. It's not a*s kissing, it's interacting with coworkers and bosses. How do they know you're skills and personalitytype of just work reports. They need to know you can manage people if you want to be management or whatever promotion you want. If you just want to be left alone, you'll never advance. Sure, some people kiss as*, and some want it too, but the corporate world isn't all that hard. Accountability is the biggest drawback in the workers. Never their fault, their responsibility, their problem, or what they care about. I have had to hire for many years and it's gotten progressively worse over 20 years.

just_for_fb_mari avatar
Mari Scott
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an introvert, I have social skills, I just find being sociable exhausting. I make it through the workday being talkative just fine. When I get home, it's quiet. I think you need to interact with people much different than you. Ask them about their experiences. Open your mind. (You sound like you talk at people, not with them.)

Load More Replies...
redrustyhill avatar
Matt Rustebakke
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Welcome to the real world kiddo, too bad you had to go into massive student loan debt to figure this out. It doesnt make you a special victim.

dhoppe2001 avatar
DH41144
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This is what happens when growing up, you received a trophy for just showing up

stefan-gogolinski avatar
TheDag
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You know what I was born in the tail end of the 80's and I have never once been ever given a participation trophy so I have no idea where you boomers seem to think they've been handed to everyone for trying? I've been in jobs where I've taken on twice the responsibilities than the standard person to try and stand out and been passed over and have been in companies where many of the above happens so I can understand the OP's frustration

Load More Replies...
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