Workplace

Make the most of your first job

Ready to start your first job? First, congratulations! The novel coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the job market in a wide range of industries, so the fact that you’ve landed a full-time job is a huge accomplishment, and it’s something worth celebrating. Meaning, take full advantage of this opportunity to kick-start your professional development. Here are a number of steps you should take to make the most of your first job and set yourself up for a successful career.

How to tell if job cuts are coming

Getting handed a pink slip and being told to pack up your desk and exit your office is a terrible experience, no doubt—but it happens. Companies have job cuts for a number of reasons, and oftentimes these layoffs aren’t a reflection of a worker’s performance, which means there’s little you can do to prevent the inevitable. The people who land on their feet, though, are the ones who can spot a layoff before it happens.

Yes, you can still burn out—even while working from home

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Being overworked doesn’t lead to increased productivity. In fact, it usually leads to a poorer quality of work to go along with a poorer quality of life. You might think your risk of overworking is lower now that you’re working from home to stop the spread of coronavirus. You’d be wrong. Even though you have access to all the comforts of home—your pajamas, dog, and fridge for starters—you’re still incredibly prone to burnout. Maybe even more so.

Are you a people pleaser? (And if so, why is that an issue?)

Do you describe yourself as a team player? A rule follower? Someone who goes above and beyond and gives 110% at work? While those all sound like favorable attributes, sometimes those are just euphemisms for “people pleaser,” which could be unhealthy for your career. In fact, being a people pleaser could result in others taking advantage of you in the workplace and eventually lead to burnout. The main way to recognize if you’ve crossed the line from dependable worker to people pleaser is if you find yourself doing things simply to appease others even when something in your gut feels off.

10 productivity tricks successful people use every day

Not sure how to be more productive nowadays? It's definitely a modern challenge. The workers of yore didn't have to contend with distractions like Instagram, news alerts, and the like, not to mention the concept of multitasking to throw you for a real loop. To help you stay focused and crush your to-do list, Monster spoke to experts to learn their best tips for maximum productivity.