Starting Your First Real Job? Make Sure You Know These 8 Important Things

What are the most important career tips people should know before starting their first real job?originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Sandra Jones, Entrepreneur, Startup Coach, and Former VP of Strategy at a 100M Organization, on Quora:

1. You should know about the company and the industry and field in which you are going to work.
2. You should be capable of living an adult life. That means you understand how to be responsible for your own living conditions. You know how to budget your time and money and live within your means without going into debt or borrowing from others. You should have basic life skills. You should be able to get to work on time, every day.
3. You should be able to relate to other people. Companies like those who can work with others and be team players. The ability to get along with different types of people will help you do well in a job. Learning how to "read" others is a skill.
4. You should know that politics can play a role in some companies. So can gossip. You need to be able to recognize them for what they are and stay away from those negative activities. Those are things that quickly get people fired.
5. You should always be well groomed according to the standards of the company that you are working for. Different companies have different dress codes, and it should be followed.
6. You should have confidence in yourself to know you can learn new things, can meet new people, and can do the job. You should have enough confidence to ask for help and an answer when you need to.
7. And you should always remember who your boss is. Whether you like the person or not, whether you think he/she is skilled or competent is not the issue. Someone in the organization thought enough of them to make them a manager. Learn what you can. Keep them informed. Meet their expectations and take evaluations seriously.
8. Finally, be prepared to understand not everything is business. Life is part fun, part relationships, and part work. Keep each in perspective.

This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:

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