“Constructive feedback is an investment in your career.” The Success in the Workplace professional development workshop emphasized this key point of feedback as an opportunity to grow from other people.
On February 23rd, I made an investment in myself and attended this final event of Tresata Day. The purpose of this workshop was to gain knowledge into the day-to-day skills of working on a job as opposed to the typical focus of just obtaining a job. It was a unique mix of presentation with consistent input from Tresata employees—and their CEO! This workshop was a great way to observe the true culture of a company and its employers, while also directly learning what employers like and dislike concerning employee and/or student interaction. As an intimidating reminder of the fact that I will be entering the “real” career field soon, I found the event especially beneficial for myself as a junior and thought it could definitely serve as a helpful reminder to graduating seniors as well. However, all of the information and tips provided were useful for any student entering any job or internship, whether it be your on-campus work study or an entry level position.
One key point that I took away from this event was knowing how to balance being an introvert in the workplace. It is very important to know who you are and how that may come across to other people, especially those who may not be introverts. This point ties in very heavily with obtaining feedback from others. People’s impressions of you matter. Being aware of who you are and how you operate/function personally and communicating and obtaining feedback from others will help you navigate the workplace much more efficiently.
Other key points from the workshop included:
- Social media can be used as an extra advantage to you and your company if used properly.
- If not used properly, social media can be detrimental to your career and possibly the company you work for.
- Your body language, speech, appearance, and communication style ALL matter— Get feedback!! And always remember that when you are representing your company all of these things should reflect that.
- One rule to live by when choosing appropriate work attire is if you have to ask if it’s appropriate then you already know the answer… (i.e. No!).
- Constructive feedback is constructive – Google defines it as “serving a useful purpose” and that is exactly what it will do if you so allow.
Final tip from myself: Be sure to keep an eye out (and sign up) for other helpful and insightful events from the Center for Career Development on Handshake!
