Dress: c/o London Times Melissa Midi Dress in Size 6

June is graduation season. As new graduates toss their caps in the air, they are also dreaming of their future, creating new paths, and dipping their toes in fields that may or may not turn out to be their life-long careers. To many, starting out their career with a big name – getting the shiny Fortune 500 company mark on their resume – seems like the correct entry point. We all know the allure and the vanity reasons why these names are good for those shorter-than-you’d-like-resumes. Sure, bigger companies tend to pay better and provide better benefits and boost your resume with more credibility. But what about the fact that you get to “wear more hats” in a small company environment, where you have more opportunities to apply yourself?

As the title conveys, a new graduate has a ton to gain from a working in corporate America.  Aside from the prestige and credit that the name of a big company carries, it’s the perfect place to build a solid foundation when it comes to interpersonal skills, networking ability, and even work ethics, among others. As for wearing more hats and being able to do more in a small company setting, worry about that when you have 5+ years under your belt. You have plenty of opportunities to wear different hats for the rest of your career. Think about building a house – the depth of your foundation matters more than the width. After you’ve got a solid foundation is when you can start to get fancy with applications or showcasing of your skills.

Definition of Corporate America

Before we dive into what makes corporate America the prime place to start a young professional’s career, let’s define what I mean by corporate America. It doesn’t have to be a publicly traded or conventionally “large” company. But to be considered the right environment, the company should:

• have at least 50-100 employees
• have somewhat defined functional groups & established processes
• have a steady revenue stream (you’re not worried about the company going out of business next month)
• have clearly stated and shared & business goals

The defining features that constitute “corporate America” are critical because they have everything to do with the exact benefits that a new graduate would gain from working at such a company.  If you are one of the graduates of 2018 and are considering beginning your career in the corporate world, here’s what you’re in for.

Why Corporate America Is The Best Place to Start Your Career

1. In the beginning, your employer has a lot more to offer than you do

In the first few years of your career, what you give to your employer will pale in comparison to what they can provide you. Everything that you are going to learn in the first year of work is what will propel you and your career forward. Whether be it learning the technical details on how to master your job, getting people to listen & pay attention to you when you have a great idea, resolving interpersonal conflicts when you work with difficult personalities, or simple time management tactics… the list goes on. This is what I call real-world education. In Corporate America, as opposed to small businesses or start-ups, you’re more likely to find professionals who you can model your behavior after, learn specific lessons from, and ample opportunities to hone in on the skills you’ve acquired. Yes, you will work hard and contribute as much as you can. But in those formative years of your career, soak up as much as you can in your work environment. That’s what will count in the long run.

Dress: c/o London Times Melissa Midi Dress in Size 6

2. Low-risk learning in a sheltered environment

When you are a single person on a big rowboat with a big crew, if your oar breaks or if your arm cramps up for a few minutes, the boat will continue to move forward. It may slow down or lose efficiency for little, but it won’t come to a complete stop. This is what I mean by low-risk learning – in the corporate world, results always come from a team. This environment makes an individual’s learning particularly low-risk and safe from creating actual, lasting, and irreversible damage. Additionally, you are hopefully being mentored and developed by someone, i.e. your boss, who will benefit from your progress and improvement. This was never the case when you were in school.

3. A readily available and rich network for you to tap into

One of the reasons why I emphasize that this has to be at least a 50-100 employee company is because this determines the size of the network that your employment brings you. Outside of your coworkers and managers in the department you are in, there are many more professionals that you could reach out to. If you are the passive type of are unsure of your networking skills, there are always company events and activities that put you in the vicinity of other coworkers in the same company. Talk to people. Get to know folks outside of your own functional group. When you are young, this is how you learn about what other paths there are in the business world and what people do in different fields. Heck, this is where you develop your networking skills by talking to people that work at the same company with whom you don’t regularly interact with.

4. Understanding of how a cog helps the wheel turn

“A cog in a wheel” is often used to describe the insignificance or lack of a single person’s impact in a larger environment. But when you first start out with not a whole lot under your belt, it’s unlikely that you’re going to be revolutionizing the company anyway. So, this is the perfect timing to be learning how, a little and new cog you may be, you can fit into this new and complex ecosystem. Take the time to learn the complexity of the organization, the expectation of each functional group, what the check and balance levers are at, and where dependencies and co-dependencies exist. This way when you are more skilled and equipped, you will more effectively and efficiently create impact.

Dress: c/o London Times Melissa Midi Dress in Size 6

5. An existing roadmap when you are directionless or lost

In the beginning of your career, where you end up finding employment isn’t always the result of clear-cut decision making, and definitely not an end-all-be-all. If you are ambitious like I was when I started out, you spend a lot of time thinking about what you want to be 5 or 10 years into your career. When you work in a corporate setting, there are many people that have been in your shoes when they started out. So when you “don’t know what you want to do when you grow up”, there are existing roadmaps for you to follow. Junior to senior. Specialist to Manager. Manager to Director. These are defined paths that make up the corporate ladder. When you don’t have a specific direction yet, it’s simple to just follow a defined path.

Dress: c/o London Times Melissa Midi Dress in Size 6

Dress: c/o London Times Melissa Midi Dress in Size 6

Photos by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post Why Corporate America Is The Best Place to Start Your Career As A New Graduate appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Outfit details: Jumpsuit: c/o London Times // Heels: Missguided // Purse: Louis Vuitton Montaigne BB

December is everyone’s favorite month for many reasons. For me, the festivities and getting together with friends and family, amongst all, is definitely the biggest reason! Side note: I am hosting our first ever Friendsmas party in San Diego a week before Christmas this year. I will be sharing some decor, invite, and recipe prep details next week! But back on the original topic – for many of us working in the corporate 9-5 environment, it also means there might be a company holiday party coming up soon.

Earlier this week we discussed style faux-pas to avoid when it comes to what to wear to a company holiday party. Today, I have yet another classic piece to share with you that’s perfect to wear to a company holiday party by London Times. But on top of just outfits, I also rounded up some useful tips to make you enjoy the holiday party with coworkers more.

Outfit details: Jumpsuit: c/o London Times // Heels: Missguided // Purse: Louis Vuitton Montaigne BB

Jumpers make for great #girlboss outfits

Less feminine and conservative than dresses, jumpsuits by nature convey a bit more power and confidence. It’s modern, unconventional, and just a little different. I always feel like a big girl when I wear one. So if you’re in management, and wearing a skirt isn’t your thing, a jumpsuit might be just the outfit for you!

Outfit details: Jumpsuit: c/o London Times // Heels: Missguided // Purse: Louis Vuitton Montaigne BB

Outfit details: Jumpsuit: c/o London Times // Heels: Missguided // Purse: Louis Vuitton Montaigne BB

Here are a few other jumpsuit selections that will be perfect to wear to a company holiday parties.

Outfit details: Jumpsuit: c/o London Times // Heels: Missguided // Purse: Louis Vuitton Montaigne BB

Now that we have your outfit selection squared away, let’s talk about mentally preparing you for the company holiday party. We all know that the company holiday party basically a networking event. So, it means on top of socializing, you should probably watch how much you’re drinking and avoid topics like politics, money, and overly personal topics. But what CAN you talk about?

Be curious about the other person, and limit talking about yourself

A simple tip in having any good conversation is to ask about the person’s life whom you’re talking to. Get the other person to talk about himself /herself. Be curious about the person you’re speaking to if you’re starting a conversation. Reciprocate with your own stories but keep that to a minimal. The rule of thumb to keep talking about yourself under 20 seconds (according to the 20-second rule) and listen more than you talk.

Keep your cell phone out of sight

We all know the signal that you send when you decide to bury your face in your phone and not look up at people – “don’t talk to me” is what it is. But did you know that even having the phone near you even when it’s turned off, it’s still distracting enough to impair people’s decision making and problem-solving skills? Don’t succumb to the temptation of looking up the latest tweet or what your favorite Instagram star is doing. Stay in the present and enjoy – there’s a reason why it’s the “present”!

Prep your talking points

Always have topics ready in your back pockets. For this time of the year, you can ask “Are you done with all the Christmas shopping?” or “Planning any fun trips anytime soon?” One question that worked really well for me in the last few years is to ask for marriage advice since I just got married this year. This one really gets people talking. Of course, be careful who you ask. Make sure you know a little bit about their marital status. You don’t want to spring this question on a recent divorcee. Here are 48 other topics for you to consider in case you want to expand your list.

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post What to Wear to A Company Holiday Party & Easy Small Talk Tips appeared first on Cubicle Chic.