They Don't Teach Corporate in College (12 page)

Find out how long you have to be employed with a company in order to be vested, or qualified to receive a percentage of your company's contribution to your retirement fund. This piece of data could make a difference when deciding whether to stay with a company three full years or two years and 11 months.

If you work for a public company (a corporation that issues shares of stock to members of the general public), you might be lucky enough to get stock options. A stock option gives an employee the right to buy or sell shares of company stock at a specific price for a specific period of time. You can typically get an excellent deal on your company's stock by exercising options—but tread carefully. Some employee stock purchase plans have stringent requirements for exercising options, including narrow windows during which you can buy or sell your stock.

You might think this one is a no-brainer. You spend money on behalf of your company, and then HR pays you back, right? Unfortunately, business expense reimbursement can be fraught with peril. On the one hand, you want to get what's owed you. On the other hand, you must also care for your reputation by keeping company expenses down.

Because navigating most expense-report software programs is a chore, get to know your company's tools before you have items to submit. You should also find out early if job-related expenses must be charged on a particular credit card, or if you are required to use certain vendors in order to be reimbursed. When traveling or eating out on the company's dollar, choose the middle-of-the-road option instead of the most expensive. Most importantly, don't pad your expense reports. Read your policy in detail to determine what you will be reimbursed for, and don't submit anything that doesn't meet these requirements. And please don't lie. As enticing as it is to take your significant other out to dinner on the company after you return from a business trip, don't do it. The $50 you will spend today is a drop in the bucket compared to the months of salary you'll lose if you're caught.

Depending on your position, your new company might offer to pick up the tab for your smartphone and/or tablet. Joining the company plan can save
you big bucks, but you should be prepared for calls and minute usage to be monitored. By paying for your devices, your company assumes that you will be using them for business. If you regularly run up international and roaming charges calling your family in Greece or your friend who owns a dude ranch in Montana, you should probably keep a personal phone as well.

Now that you understand your company's policies, it's time to bid adieu to the Job Gods and get to work. In general, the less HR is reminded of your existence, the better. Think of HR as a sleeping baby you don't want to disturb. Go about your business doing what you're supposed to do, but keep the noise level to a minimum.

During my first week at a financial consulting firm, I didn't have much work to do yet, so I decided to run out and catch up on the errands I'd missed while I was job hunting. I guess I ran over my lunch hour a few times, but I knew I'd be working 80 hours a week soon, so I didn't worry about it. Sure enough, within a few weeks, I was so busy I always ate lunch at my desk. So naturally, I was pretty surprised when my boss brought up attendance as an item of concern in my initial review. That first week, he'd seen me leaving the office a lot during business hours—but he hadn't paid attention to anything since then!

Kyra, 24, Ontario

One of my favorite managers used to say that perception is reality, and there is nothing stronger than a perception formed on the basis of a first impression. Whether you have a clock-watcher as a boss or not, it's crucial that you are on your best behavior during your first month at a new job. Be aware that everyone is watching you, so make sure to arrive on time for work. It's not a bad idea to be seen eating lunch at your desk a few times so that your coworkers keep that image in their minds. If you do go out, don't run over the allotted hour, and refrain from midday workouts at the gym until you're well established at the company.

At the end of the day, carefully watch what time people in your department leave the office. You should aim to depart at the midpoint. You don't want to be the first one out the door, but if you're the last one, you'll set a precedent that you are willing to work late for the rest of your days at that company. Also, because many employers think they are entitled to work twenty-something employees to death, make sure your boss and colleagues see early on that you have a life outside business hours.

In this age of instant accessibility, flexible workplaces, and virtual teams, it may seem ridiculous that anyone should be chained to a desk between 9 and 5 every Monday through Friday, but if your company is one that's still rigid about physical attendance, you may not have a choice. My friend Harry told me that his company's CEO stood at the window of his corner office and watched to see how many cars rolled through the gate one minute after 9 a.m. Remember that half the battle is showing up, so don't get caught on someone's attendance radar.

If you are fortunate to have a flextime policy, don't take advantage. Work the requisite number of hours, and while you're on the clock, either in the office or at home, stay busy doing the company's business. This includes resisting the temptation to be navigating between two Pinterest windows, your Facebook profile, and Spotify. I hear that you are an excellent multi-tasker, but your boss, who could be looking over your shoulder, doesn't know you that well yet. Staying away from distractions will be difficult in the beginning, particularly because most managers have no clue what to do with new employees—it's too late to involve you in an existing project, they do not trust you to handle anything that's on fire, or they do not have time to show you the ropes. Nevertheless, you don't have to sit at your desk twiddling your thumbs. Offer assistance to your managers and colleagues, and if anyone takes you up on the offer, make sure you do a better job than expected.

Inevitably, your days at a new job will involve administrative work in some shape or form. If you're a recent graduate, there is a good chance the company sold you on using your existing skills to do meaningful work. Therefore, you are probably insulted to be answering phones for the price of a college education. My best advice is to think of your time as an administrative assistant as a rite of passage. Everyone must do it, and by the time you emerge from your mountain of executive emails, you will appreciate the mundane tasks that go into running a business, and you will also have the knowledge and experience to contribute in a consequential way. If you're a mid-level employee and someone requests that you assist with administrative work, do it with a smile. Yes,
I realize that you paid your dues a long time ago, but that person might not know you blistered your fingers making 7 million photocopies as an admin. Trust me, you won't be doing it forever. Provided you command a higher salary than an admin, the company will want to leverage your skills elsewhere.

When your manager involves you in a project that includes coworkers, don't jump in and take over. Do more than your share of listening and ask for direction from your teammates rather than suggesting your own course of action. Nothing turns people off like a newbie who waltzes in and says, “Well, at my old company, we did it like this.” The second this comes out of your mouth, people will think that if things were so swell at your old company, maybe you should go back. This is the last thing you want. For the sake of your professional persona, use your first projects as an opportunity to observe how things are done at your new company. You'll have your time in the sun soon enough.

During your first weeks, be especially careful about using company resources such as FedEx and international calling for personal reasons. Use any free time to research your position and brainstorm project concepts. Reading is fine too, but keep the content to industry publications, human resources material, or anything related to the company or your job. Show your boss what you've learned by sharing ideas, highlighting key points in printed articles, and asking questions. She will think that you are hungry and prepared to hit the ground running—which, my friend, is exactly how stellar reputations are made.

Your new position may require business travel, and the first time your boss tells you that you're shipping out of town, you'll probably jump for joy. After all, this is exciting stuff. Not only will you be escaping the office, but you'll also be spending your company's dime to sleep in a king-sized bed by yourself and sample cuisine from a new city's finest restaurants. And don't forget about those free mini-shampoos in the hotel!

After a while, the magic of business travel wears off. You find that your trips away from the office involve working more hours, not less. You return, exhausted, with a bag full of dry cleaning and a week's worth of emails to catch up on. But for better or worse, business travel is a part of life for many corporate employees. Here are a few tips to make your trips more bearable.

1. Revisit your company's expense rules.
Expense policies are riddled with fine print and change constantly. Some companies won't allow you to take a taxi to the airport. Others won't pay for your lunch because you'd be buying it yourself if you were in the office.

2. Keep a bag packed at home.
You never know when you're going to need to travel out of town on short notice. Prevent frazzled, last-minute rushing around by keeping a travel bag packed and ready to go in your closet. Besides a suit and comfortable business shoes, include toiletries, regular medications, mints, business cards, and power cords for your devices.

3. Remember your professional persona.
“Out of the office” does not mean “off the job.” Resist the urge to let your hair down and party during a business trip. There's nothing wrong with having fun, but you should behave appropriately, no matter whom you're with or what you're doing. You never know who's watching.