People On Reddit Share The Oddly Helpful Career Advice That Smacked Them Right In The Face
Eugenia Pan | Unsplash The Internet is a great place to find advice from real people going through the same issues, and Reddit career advice threads are the perfect example of that. Searching for career advice can sometimes be a draining process, especially when you’re looking for a quick way to solve workplace issues.
But some people take to Reddit to ask other users if they have any career advice or tips for problems they are having in their work environment. Reddit career advice can sometimes be rather helpful and straightforward — and other times the advice can be quite inadequate and lacking, but still provide a good laugh.
People on Reddit share the oddly helpful career advice that smacked them right in the face:
1. How to find your passion/calling
It can be hard to narrow down what exactly you want to do with your life, as well as trying to find the kind of job that will leave you fulfilled. Most people struggle with pinpointing their passion in life and deciding what kind of career they want to pursue that won’t leave them feeling drained.
- Your profession doesn't necessarily have to be your passion: “When you work, you are doing something you are ok with doing, because it is work after all. Some people's passion has nothing to do with their profession; it is what they do in their free time. I spent so many years not realizing this very important thing,” says Reddit user Poediddy.
- Never stop searching for what fulfills you: “I believe you can go your whole life without finding your drive. We, humans, are naturals at self-fulfilling prophecies, even if that prophecy is to never find your passion. But my advice to you would be to keep on searching, and treat the search as your passion for now,” says Reddit user, Trevchart
- Your passion is created, not found: “Don't find your passion, make your passion. I've always said that it's hard not to be at least a little bit passionate about something you're REALLY good at. So go out there and get really good at something, and chances are you'll become passionate about it,” says Reddit user Scottious
2. Quitting your job
Nataliya Vaitkevich / Pexels
Sometimes it can be difficult to decide when to quit your job, and also how to go about quitting a job that isn’t fulfilling you anymore. It can be even more challenging when you don’t have anything lined up for after you quit.
- Have some financial stability: “Ensure you have at least 2 - 3 months of expenses covered. Ideally, you want at least 6 months. This does not include any money you have in a retirement savings account, and ideally no investments or bonds,” says one Reddit user.
- Take time between jobs: “If you really hated your job and it affected your mental peace, don’t immediately jump to another one. Take a month off and do a retrospective. In fact, try to find out what made you hate it: Was it the work, the people, or office politics, etc. Once you know these, analyze what your mistakes were - were you careless, or just lazy, or didn’t take up an opportunity to improve your situation,” says Reddit user, Addicted_dude
- Don't throw all your energy into a job hunt: “First of all, find some sort of side project to work on in addition to interviewing. It will help keep your skills sharp and show employers that you are doing something useful,” says Reddit user, IronicFerrousWheel
3. Dealing with customers
Working in any job that involves customer service can be draining. It’s important to keep a professional attitude, and some people are constantly looking for tips and tricks on how to continuously deal with customers.
- Know your limits: “Don't take things personally, even when it feels you're being personally targeted by their attitude. That said, don't accept outright abuse. Feeling abused is a relative concept for each person and will change over time with their level of experience. My personal rule of thumb is if I begin to get a significantly elevated heart rate and start stumbling over my words, it's time to hit the brakes and either approach things from a different angle, or get in touch with a supervisor,” says Reddit user Tallest_Waldo
- Don't let your job define you: “The biggest thing to remind yourself, co-workers, and sometimes customers is that at the end of the day it's just <whatever you're selling>. 'It's just a cup of coffee, not the end of the world.' 'It's just a book.' 'It's just a shirt'. Don't get too stressed over a retail job,” says Reddit user IDontCareAboutUpvote
- Keep an upbeat tone: “If you are a phone rep where the customer can't see you, place a mirror where you can see yourself and always smile while you talk. It legitimately changes the tone of your voice, and customers will appreciate your friendliness,” says Reddit user DisfunkyMonkey
4. How to prepare for an interview
Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels
Prepping for an interview can be a stressful time. You don’t want to say the wrong thing, but you don’t want to come off as inauthentic. Though not all Reddit users have helpful advice on the fact.
- Make the interview a staring contest: “Never break eye contact ever,” says one Reddit user.
- Ask the wrong questions: “Interview them,” says Reddit user Boyerman. Which was followed by a reply in the thread from Reddit user AustinThompson, saying, “For instance, ask them, 'How much money do you make before taxes?'"
5. How to prepare for the first day on the job
Walking into an environment with all new people can be nerve-wracking. Usually, when people start at new companies/jobs, they will sometimes seek out advice for ways to stand out. Just not this kind of advice.
- Don't set the bar too high: “Don't work too hard on your first day. They'll expect it on all your other days,” says Reddit user Twh1114.
- Impress the team: “Take at least a dozen donuts for your co-workers,” says Reddit user E42343.
- Know when to join in: “My dad told me when I started my working career, ‘Keep your mouth shut and laugh when the boys laugh,’” says Reddit user, Okaychalet.
It's important when searching for career advice to find something that resonates with you and the issues you are facing in your work environment. At the end of the day, only take the advice that will create a positive change and will essentially make you happy.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
