Top 5 Mistakes Millennials make in the workplace

1.       First Impressions

How you dress and groom yourself makes a huge statement.  If you show up with baggy clothes and messy hair, you are not making a great first impression.  Some interviewees have even shown up late and still expected to be interviewed. 

If you turn up late without notifying the interviewer do not expect to be interviewed as there is plenty of competition from others who will make it a point to arrive early or had notified them in advance of running
late.

If you happen to be running late, make sure you call the person you are interviewing with to let them know.

2.       Teamwork

Even if you don’t have prior job experience, don’t forget to relate what it’s like being part of team when you were at school.  How you conducted yourself within a sports team or even a music group, reveals much more about you than a week you did at Work Experience filing papers.  There aren’t many roles where you’re not having to work in a team, so be sure to have a positive teamwork story ready to answer this question.

3. Menial Work

Some people are asked to vacuum the store, and admit they don’t know how!  That’s okay, it is better to ask rather than try to get out of it.  People that are prepared to do the hard yards, show up, and get it done are the first to be rewarded with more shifts or better pay.

4. Respect

Sometimes you might find yourself working for a younger person, and you might think “I can kick back a bit”.  Mistake!  The very person you are disrespecting is the person who will recommend you for future opportunities when they become available.

People are always watching, so whether you like the boss or not, you need to show respect and do as they ask and not debate stuff like you might do at home.

5. Expectations vs Reality

Some people have the wrong expectations at the start.  One Christmas we hired a young man who asked us in the interview would the job role allow for back room duties. He was told “No, this is a floor sales role.”  He still said he was interested, took the job, and then quit after completing the training and working one day.  Bottom line is it’s better to do a bit of homework and ask others about the job before you apply, but also work out for yourself what are your work style preferences. Ask the person interviewing you what you might expect to be doing in the workplace, more often than not the interviewer will be more than happy to talk through what is expected.

About Sophie Stewart, Founder of Got You Girl

Sophie has worked in retail management for over 8 years with various companies.  She’s also the founder of an amazing organisation called Got You Girl, a sisterhood community to provide young girls and women of all ages with a greater understanding of Mental Health, Sex, Education, Relationships, Positive Body Image, Personal Development, Careers, Social Media, Social Issues and concerns, Travel, Periods, Finance, Book club, Health, Fitness and Nutrition. 
Find out more here:  https://www.gotyougirlau.com/