Greetings dear family in Zevism,
I am making this thread for everybody to share their helpful expertise and work advice; this should mostly help you be more professional in your everyday life, whether you are a white or blue collar worker, an Entrepreneur, or just want to have healthy and balanced relationships with others and yourself. Professionalism is a highly valuable skill.
Real, lived Corporate experience is completely different to what you'll learn in most educational institutions (school and work are totally alien worlds from each other). A degree shows perseverance and follow-through which is important and reliable, but I believe what really what matters most is if you have the ability and know-how to navigate interactions with Business and the Client (all Stakeholders, really), professional conduct, office politics (which can be layered and quite difficult for some), and understanding and delivering in your role in the organization.
I have mentored and trained many new hires ranging from Full-time employees and Contractors to Interns and I'll be touching on problem areas I've noticed. The advice in here is mostly aimed at young adults trying to find their footing (but everybody can benefit from learning these skills!), if you are coming from a background of no formal or corporate experience with no one around you to provide this kind of guidance and expertise, I promise you are not alone. Everybody starts somewhere, and the important thing is to start - even better if that beginning is on the right footing!
Career Coaches also exist, and I would recommend them if you have the funds to spare as they are pricey, however I want this thread to function as a valid alternative to expensive professionals, especially if you don't have the time to schedule for sessions or need immediate help.
First and foremost...
🌟🙏 I want to take the time to give all due credit to and highlight the utmost invaluable resource that we Zevists and Zevistas have available to us - which is the Hall of Osiris. This is where we are able to not only donate to and support the Temple of Zeus, but also gain access to many helpful resources as thanks! (such as the Astrology Calendar, a Questionnaire to help track and guide your Life Progress, and many additional Blessings that may interest you - all of which have been a massive convenience in my daily life to keep myself accountable and help me get back on track to achieve my goals whenever I feel lost or overwhelmed in life.) The ToZ and HoO have been the biggest aide for me in my professional career and my own personal development and I genuinely don't think my words do the sheer magnitude of appreciation I have justice. It is always evolving and improving, and I cannot recommend enough giving back to the Temple, as the Gods will give back to you in blessings tenfold! I can absolutely attest to this, both the ToZ and HoO have all of my thanks and gratitude and has absolutely changed me and my life for the better 🙏🌟
Now, on to some helpful advice!
You may or may not have heard of the phrase "Baptism by fire" before, you'll find it in a lot of offices, it's part of the whole "thrives in fast paced environments" thing. As much we we may feel averse to it, this is actually highly conducive to the rapid building of character, skills, and knowledge on systems, etc. - given that your coworkers and managers provide you with a lighter load and steady-paced introduction, especially if you are newly graduated and just entering the workforce.
As important Hard Skills are, Soft Skills are even more so crucial to build and practice. Learn Business English; it's a tool you can use to help persuade clients, as well as advocate for yourself in professional settings. You won't have it all figured out overnight, but just being conscious of these skills and working on them daily will make all of your interactions easier. If you struggle with social cues, many people utilize generative AI to help draft emails, etc. and you can even ask more in depth about things you don't understand (but please don't develop a reliance on it, try to write things yourself and run it through the tool for adjustments, etc., you actually practice and learn this way) - There is a free online tool called Goblin Tools which has been used by those who are neurodivergent for years, the "Judge" feature in particular helps gauge the tone being conveyed in a message to prevent the reader from misunderstanding the emotional context before responding if this is something you struggle with.
The Wizard of Words on YouTube has hundreds of videos with practical advice you can go through - he explains the situation, how you may be feeling and how it's being perceived by those around you, and he provides practical advice on how to respond and think instead; mindfully, with authenticity and strengthening your ability to earn trust, gracefully advocate for yourself and improve your interactions with those you work with.
If you are ever unsure about something, talk to your manager (or someone you really trust, but your manager should always have your best interests at heart), and if you've been assigned a Senior for a knowledge transfer, they should also be able to help if one or the other is busy. Please always remember, there is NO such thing as a stupid question (asking for help shows that you care and want to do the job right). We are all always learning, no matter what role we're in. Taking notes is important, our brains can only hold on to so much information at a time and knowing you have your notes at hand, you'll feel more comfortable and able to focus on what needs to be done instead of worrying about remembering new processes and names, etc.
Something deceptively simple that I have personally learned recently... Balance.
Our esteemed High Priest Zevios Metathronos has previously discussed the scales of Libra in a past AMA and it has resonated with me ever since. Libra is the only constellation in the Zodiac that is not represented by a living being, and it points to divine justice and moral and cosmic order. Think about what it would be like if we all had more balance in our lives... You hear about burnout all the time, causing autoimmune issues, etc. I had an issue come up where I had to take some time off work (much to my chagrin) and had to use my days off - but I have been surprisingly better off for it. What is the point of accruing so much overtime because you are such a hard worker? (which is great, by all means work hard! But use those days off to rest and live a full life)
I work with a highly knowledgeable and respectable older man and the people around me always remark about how he doesn't have a family or kids but he's always helping those around him and their families, he's always present and taking charge of things at work and never takes a day off. Not too long ago he made an announcement that he'll be finally taking one of his many days off to attend a funeral. He still worked that day and left around midday... He could be consciously living his life this way and happy to do so, but I can see how easy it is to build your entire life around work. You can't be the best version of yourself if you don't let go even just a bit. That's the irony of things, the more you want something, you have to let it go and it will come to you. You can't pick up on little mistakes if you aren't well rested, you can't bring unique perspectives to projects if you aren't living a little - read, have fun and watch movies with your friends if you want to. Just balance out the hard work with rest and things that bring you joy.
To conclude...
Our Virtues and Ethics certainly tie in with professionalism, just to quote from the Zeus Virtues, the Ethic of Society: We cannot live in separation, nor fulfill our tasks, greater or lesser, without society. Therefore, we must do our best to be lights within society.
The Ascent of the Soul page is a highly recommended read as well and helps you understand personal growth and certainly influences how we can carry ourselves professionally.
I will come back to this to post more information but for now do please feel free to add any advice you feel may be beneficial to those in professional settings, Soft and/or Hard Skills, any and all guidance on personal and professional development is also appreciated!
Let's help our fellow Zevists and Zevistas grow into their best selves 🙏⭐️