May is graduation season. Soon, many beautiful Black students will be leaving their undergraduate institutions and, if not going to graduate school, starting the process of looking for a job. It’s an exciting time for so many to start the next step of their lives…but I need to issue a warning.
It seems like this generation of Black students are not ready for life in corporate America, a graduate program or anywhere on God’s green earth where they must report to someone. As a professor at Oklahoma State University, I’ve seen it firsthand.
Many of my students have unrealistic expectations of what it is like to work in the real world. Social media work influencers are giving such bad advice that they will have Black kids starting jobs on a Monday and end up fired by Thursday afternoon.
I want the next generation of Black folks to be successful. So, if you are a student who is about to hit the job market (or know someone who will), let me help you out. Below are five of the most common pieces of terrible advice about work my students believe to be good advice.
You don’t need to go into the office…even if the boss expects you to
Before COVID, most people went into some kind of office regularly. Believe it or not, many worked in these things called cubicles. Working from home was a luxury few enjoyed, then the world shut down and Zoom took over. (What happened to Skype?) Now, many have an expectation that they don’t have to go into an office and can just do their work at home.
Research shows that when people are in offices, they are more productive. That’s why many employers like to have workers come into an office and physically interact with their coworkers. This is not to say that there will never be days you work from home, but don’t expect to do that every day.
You don’t have to listen to criticism from your boss
You are not perfect. You don’t know everything. A major reason why your boss is in the position they are in might be because they have something to teach you. Humble yourself and listen to them.
You can clap back at work
No, you cannot. Simple as that. Go to HR if there is a problem.
You don’t have to be inconvenienced at work
Not true. To work is to be inconvenienced. You would much rather sleep or be on a beach. But you must go to work if you want to eat. So, of course, this is not true. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you this.
You don’t have to stay late at work
This also ain’t true. (Yeah, I know I’m a professor, but this called for an “ain’t.”) If you get paid hourly, they should give you overtime. But if you have a salary, you just need to accept that you might have to work late some days. You absolutely will need to stay at work after hours sometimes. And yes, you will hate it..but welcome to the world of employment.
Graduating from college is a major achievement. Now, don’t get fired on your first week of work walking into your job with unrealistic expectations. Your parents certainly want you to read this. They’ve been waiting for you to get a job.