Very helpful video. That last bit hurt a little though lol. Instead of going to college I spent 6 years at Walmart. Comparing my life to yours... good call, Hank. Good call.
I'm really, really sorry if the video stung. I know that wasn't the intention. I think Hank was just saying that, in his situation, college was the better option. But y'know, sometimes you've just gotta do what you've gotta do. (For instance, there was a period in my life when I couldn't find a job at all, so I became a test subject in experimental drug studies. Pretty scary, AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET SUPERPOWERS OR ANYTHING.) But again, truly, we're sorry if we hurt you. Thanks for watching (and being so polite in the comment). - Mike
Trust me, I only went to college because it was easy for me. My parents had money to pay for it and would have been SO MAD AT ME otherwise. Nothing pisses me off more than successful people who pretend that they just made all the right decisions and it had nothing to do with all of the amazing advantages they were granted. Also, I have friends who still work at that same Wal Mart and they're doing just fine.
Thanks guys! I didn't mean to imply that I was offended by the video. It was really helpful. It is pretty unfortunate, though, that in this present social climate you would feel the need to apologize for possibly offending someone about their own crappy life choices. But I appreciate it. Thanks for making videos that inspire us to find our awesome!
!!!PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT OUR THEME MUSIC!!! Many people have asked about what our theme music is called and/or where they can buy it. Well, have I got good news for you! The theme is actually just a highly-edited version of a song from the (free) UA-cam Audio Library. It's called "First Day," and it's by Huma-Huma. Thanks for watching! - Mike
Wow, what an excellent video. I've been promoted twice in the last year at my job, and these are spot on. I think probably the biggest one for me is "caring". Taking ownership of your work, seeing it through (no que sera sera attitude), taking pride in the results. It's good to do your best simply because you're proud of the work you put out and people appreciate it.
This is really good advice. Definitely agree with internalizing your boss' goals - it also shows that you are able to think/strategize at a higher level, not just get stuff done (which, really, anyone can be trained to do).
"If you're waiting for someone to die..." I identify with that a little too much. My last "promotion" was when I graduated from high school, I went from an intern to theatre technician; the only change was that I got paid during the school day and became more likely to get called in for summer maintenance work. I'm finishing my tenth paid season with them. (the main reason I've been there so long is my tech boss's policy of allowing us to continue working there until we get work elsewhere; previous attempts at getting other jobs hasn't exactly worked out) In the past year I've added proof-reading, box office, and working on the website to the list of things I do there, which has helped with getting more frequent scheduling, but I'm still as-needed (which is never as much as I need it). NOW the bookkeeper's retiring and they're creating a new position to get some of the public-relations work off my box office boss, and she (box office boss) has expressed that she would like me to take the bookkeeping one, which requires an accounting test. So I've been trying to shove an entire online accounting class into my brain in as short a time as possible so I can be as prepared as possible when they say "okay, come in and take this test on all of this fairly straightforward stuff complicated by jargon you wouldn't know if you haven't studied the subject." (they won't actually say that, but I'm assuming that's the subtext) Basically, I'm trying to say that this, as well as the previous two videos, has been incredibly relevant to current goings-on that I haven't had much of a chance to talk about/have been trying not to talk about in the event that I invoke Murphy's Law.
I'm paying attention to what you're saying, and it's very important, but I can't help but point out that your bookcase is sorted by colour and I love it so much.
I've never been ambitious enough to want for a promotion. All I ever want is to be payed a fair wage to live comfortably off of and be working amongst decent people whom I can get along with.
Very good advice, Hank! I just left a job at a company that wasn't growing (and none of the positions above me were of interest to me anyway) to a place that's growing and already more interesting! I hope I can use your advice to start out there on the right foot.
In my workplace there is are two parallel promotion paths, one into management, and the other into more senior positions of the work you do, with better pay/perks etc. and some additional responsibilities. For example, the most senior member of our team (who is not our manager) has the responsibility of training the newer members of the team and providing support as well as doing his own analysis. We call him our Guru. He is great at his role and greatly dislikes the idea of being in an actual management role.
Wonderful examples. I haven't been in a situation where I want to be promoted at any of my workplaces yet but I'll know what video to watch again if I do.
***** Hahahaha, this made me wonder what "a promotion" would look like for me. I mean, I'm really happy in my current position. Hrmm. I guess maybe a promotion would be making more shows with the Bros. Green? Maybe some-a-day, Pinocchio, maybe some-a-day. :] Thanks for watching! - Mike
How to Adult Well, if you decide that you want a promotion, but you're indispensable in whatever way, feel free to teach me your ways. Something to do with scratching backs... :P
I think you should do a video on how to "be good at people" esp for very introverted ppl such as myself. I know it's something that takes a lot of time but a few tips would be great!
As someone who goes to a weird college that has a program where I can take three six-month internships, that whole alignment of passions/goals is something I learned. I was able to get a third internship at the same company because I sent an email to my boss about my career goals especially in relation to the goals of the project I was on. He was totally on board with it and was able to get a part-time job until I go back for my internship because what I'm doing now is work that is going to lead into something bigger.
Wow. . . Thank you so much!! Work is so different from school. . . in school if you work hard and be the best at what you can do you get rewarded, but work-- well obviously it's different! Thanks for the advice!
HANK this is really good advice, thank you! Sometimes I pretend you're my cool older brother; I've been watching you for like seven years so you might as well be.
The structure of what Hank said about Hiring, Firing, and promoting is the structure you are supposed to give feedback in. Positive, Constructive, Positive. "Constructive" is negative, but with how to do better, because "The factory burned down. That was bad." is not useful feedback, while "Next time, don't smoke near the drums of solvent" is useful feedback. That structure is taught on leadership courses.
Women also need to know to ask for a promotion. Men tend to do this (and request raises) when they think they can learn what is necessary for the new job, whereas women don't tend to toot their own horn until they have actually proved they already can and have done everything that would possibly be required of them in the new position. Consequence? Women are promoted less frequently, have lower salaries, and work more hours. On a cheerier note, happy belated birthday to your wife, Hank!
These are *really* important points. Thanks so much for pointing them out, Zoe. (I think we might actually do a video about this sort of thing in the future.) - Mike
I too forgot this wasnt a vlogbrothers video, Hank, I too forgot. Still, great tips I will be joining the workforce soon and I expect I'll want a promotion soon enough...
I've just realised that I'm at the indispensable stage... and it's partly that I don't want to train others to do my job because I'm scared of them being better at it than me and me getting fired. I guess I need to work on that 'feeling secure' thing.
My problem is everyone always says be good with people, but no one ever really says how. Even in this video, that section was just like, "it's hard, but you have to do it". Yeah, I know, but how? It's really frustrating because I'm introverted, I've been introverted all my life, and I won't to be the kind of person that people like and stuff, but I can't seem to make it happen. In every job I've ever had I always end up as "that shy girl" because I can't stop overthinking most of the time and when I actually do, I can't think of what to say. This is a real problem, btw, and I'm starting a new job very soon, so if anyone actually has solutions that would be great.
From one shy person to another, here's my advice. 1) Being an introvert is not a strike against you. "Introvert" just means you recharge your batteries when you're by yourself. "Shy" just means you feel nervous talking to people. Neither one impacts your actual people skills. If you feel you're behind, it's probably from lack of experience, not lack of innate ability. You can fix that. 2) Get used to being afraid. I used to think that in order to conquer my shyness, I had to change the way I felt. That's a tall order! I couldn't do it. I feel nervous and afraid many times when I'm communicating, but because I've accepted this as a part of "normal," I'm able to do my job anyway. It does get better the more you do it. 3) Be an active listener, who makes eye contact, nods and occasionally says "hmm" and "go on." Active listening is a contribution in itself and people will value you for it. 4) Since you're new at this, start small. Say, "I agree" when you do. Say, "Can you explain this part?" when you're not sure about something. If you don't have anything new to contribute, give a compliment instead. Finally, learn to ask insightful questions (there's a lot of advice you can Google about how to do that). These are the basics; once you've mastered them, you'll probably know what your specific weak areas are, and you can work from there. 5) The best way to learn is to do. Right now, you're not speaking, so you're not learning. Just say *something* and even if it falls flat, you've learned a lot more than if you'd kept your mouth shut. 6) The second best way is to observe. Listen in on others' conversations (when appropriate), watch movies... figure out what makes other people good communicators, and learn from them. 7) If you find yourself experiencing a lot of "mental chatter" that is distracting you from the conversation, or you get mentally ten steps ahead of the speaker so by the time you open your mouth you're lost, look into mindfulness meditation. It will help you practice focusing on one thing at a time. It takes a long time to quiet your mind and keep it from sabotaging you--if this is a problem for you, it's worth doing a lot of reading on mindfulness and meditating a few times a week. Guided meditation may be more helpful for you than the "sit in a room with your eyes shut and do nothing" kind. Don't let other people assume you aren't contributing because you aren't speaking up! Ultimately it's up to you to figure out what works and what doesn't, but in the beginning it's important to just do *something,* or else you'll never learn. Good luck!
It has been three years, did you improve in this? And if so what did you do to improve? I have similar issues to what you described, though im improving im still not that great.
I worked at gamestop for years climbed my way from part time no experience to store manager. I ran my own store for a year and a half and realized that being a DM would require me to move, GS doesn't promote SMs to DMs in their own district for fear of a conflict of interest. On top of that, you basically had to wait for someone to die or get fired and compete with like 200+ people. So it came time for me to move on, I ending up getting a job at a local credit union that has a lot of job mobility and I was able to get a pay raise.
The passion and learning your manager's goals were good points. Making close friends with the person making promotion decisions is the most important thing. If that person wouldn't want to have a beer with you, then you'll never get promoted. You would have done ok with Walmart. College is pretty much worthless and a stupid move unless it gives you a marketable skill.
The only time I've been offered a promotion was when I had received a job offer from another company. I told my boss about it, and he was like, "What can I do to get you to stay?" I said, sort of jokingly, "Uh...give me a bunch of money?" and he was all, "I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO." ...He offered me a 20% raise and a complete restructuring of my job duties that would have put me in a supervisory role. I almost died. I ended up taking the other job anyway for reasons, but thought that would have been an interesting avenue to advancement if I had accepted the promotion.
I would take that as an insult. If my boss suddenly offers a bunch of money when I leave, I just might ask "Why didn't you give me decent raises before this time?" To me, a boss that offers a large raise in response to an employee leaving is like a spouse that suddenly puts on their best when handed divorce papers.
Tom Forge Well, my boss had only recently become The Boss (he had just been promoted from supervisor to head of the organization), and was working on ways to restructure. It's possible he would have offered me the new role eventually even if I hadn't gotten the other job offer, but yeah, probably not right away. But fair point, that is a little sketchy in most circumstances.
I had a boss like that too, except I was in college and he encouraged me to drop out because I could work my way up the ladder quickly at that chain of arts and craft stores. And I was like, nope, pretty sure I want to be a scientist and keep art as a hobby.
I wish I had known about becoming indispensable a year ago. I've been trying to get promoted for nearly a year now but after two raises and working multiple jobs at the same time in my work day, I think I'm stuck.
I almost knew hank was gonna say the ending of vlogbrothers i was like "he gonna do it is he OH! he almost did" Sherlock is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Interesting video, but I can't even get a job to get promoted in. Also, saying that doing a job well "guarantees" raises when many people in the workforce haven't even seen a cost of living raise in the last few years is kind of insulting. Hard work should always be rewarded, but in the real world, that rarely happens. Also, going to college doesn't automatically mean you'll have a better job when you come out.
Fortunately, that's not something I have to worry about in my current job. The only possible promotion would be to department head, and that would mean having to give up doing the actual work I enjoy and spend my time attending boring meetings and dealing with business politics - no thank you! Still good tips though.
I'm in high school and there isn't an opportunity for me to get promoted where I work but a lot of this applies to band leadership stuff and being a better leader/marcher. I now feel a lot more secure going into next marching season as a section leader!
I think I am in a position where my boss wants to promote me but there is very little budget and I am already doing more than my position requires. It may be time to take that last tip and start looking for other companies.
"In which Hank discusses how to how a job promotion..." Bit of a typo in the description. Wait, do people still read descriptions, or is that not cool anymore?
Sometimes you need to make a horizontal move to realize certain goals. However, it might be worth talking to your manager, depending on your judgement of your situation and work environment.
I would very much like to find someone to replace me when I have 2 years experience in my position and I can find someplace else that does have this upward mobility. The problem is, where I work, most of our employees are either in high school (and so lack daytime availability) and/or about to go into college soon. All of the people who are quality enough that I feel could take over my position I know for sure will not be around when I do want to leave. I've made a very detailed training manual detailing every little thing I know so it can be handy for whoever we do get to do it, but I really feel like I'd be abandoning them to the wolves.
Side note for the if you're not happy and you want to find a different company because there isn't enough growth: talk to your boss about it. They will understand, and it will make you leave on better terms and a good taste so that if they were to be used as a reference, they would be willing to give the good. Maybe they would help you find a new job. Point being, talk to your boss.
I was struck in number 5 for almost 7 months and now that I have been promoted there isn't anyone to take my place :( it m Mes the job that much harder for sure.
I'm so happy this channel exists. Every week the video is right inline with my life situation. Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. I really appreciate it. Hopefully, I'll get the promotion I'm looking into. =D
How to Adult I've had the same situation! I'm a very shy, awkward person, and my job has actually forced me to become more social. I have to take customer's orders, and be friendly and somewhat outgoing, and at first I would blush and talk very quietly, but now I'm almost loud and rarely have the blushing problem. It's just remembering that other people are just as insecure as you are, and if you take charge of the situation you'll feel more confident and at ease. Be loud. Be bold. Yell out an order. Don't worry about being awkward. Tell the customer that you like his Doctor Who shirt. You got this!!!! :)
I actually never wound up doing anything more than bussing tables at my first job because the waitresses didn't want to lose me. I did do pretty much all of the training though.
tip #7: Don't have a crippling anxiety disorder that prevents you from working a traditional job. It's kind of hard to have a job long enough to get a promotion when places like fast food drive you mad.
my mom got the same thing! she basically took like a gap year and was working at a shoe store. she wanted to start taking a few classes so would have needed to leave her job an hour early 2 or 3 days a week. her manager said the whole "no! you have a future here! going back to school would be a bad decision" and she was like....da fuck? and gave her two weeks right there
...kinda odd that I saw this video after getting home from work, where my boss told me she was promoting me to assistant manager :) Not sure if there's an actual monetary promotion, though...
can you guys show us how to ride a bike? im in my early 20s and unfortunately never learned how to ride a bike as public transportation was something i used more.
What about people who do not want to be promoted? The people who truly enjoy what they do and want to continue doing that (and maybe get better at it)? When you get a promotion that entails learning new things to that position (not that that is bad) and possibly doing less of what you enjoy (which is bad). There are companies who try to force promotions on you by putting restrictions on how much money you can make in a given position. I highly disagree with this method. I understand that money is not everything, but it does pay the bills. I also understand that some promotions are good and you will be happier with them, but there are some that you try out and find that it is not right for you. We are looked down upon if we don't take that promotion or we demote ourselves from a position. Or what about the people who care about their job and the quality they put into it while not getting the recognition (be it raises, awards, bonuses, etc) in return? I put a lot of myself into whatever job I have and I feel that I am significantly underpaid and under appreciated for the effort I put in. Many times (though not all) I have co-workers who barely put in half the effort I do into their job yet they make the same hourly wage I do. I know of a couple of people who enjoy to program various things and do it very well. They were given a promotion to manage some of the programers or to lead a design project. They both did not like it. They stepped down from their position. Yet (I believe) some of the co-workers continue to "suggest/recommend" that they "move up" the ladder. This is not their fault though.This is so engrained and accepted in society that it is expected and looked down upon if you do not "comply/conform". How do we deal with the question "What if we don't want to be promoted, but we want and deserve to be compensated for exceptional work in the position that we already have and enjoy?" (NOTE: Sorry about the rant, but this has been a question/concern that has been plaguing my thoughts for a while and this video brought it out. Thanks for reading!)
You are simply more valuable to the company when promoted than you are when not, so you will get paid more when promoted than when not. If you are more valuable than your peers in the same position then your company doesnt want to lose you so you can leverage that to get raises but there is a limit to how valuable you can be when you arent willing to do the job they think you’re most valuable in. That’s fine, but that loss in pay is the cost you’re paying in order to have a job you like. People are going to advise you to get promoted because 1: they like you better than their current supervisor and 2: they want you to make more money because money can improve your life. They may be wrong on the second point in your case, but in other cases they will be right and the person they’re advising just needed someone to tell them they could. I think they should respect whatever you choose though.
That's actually excellent advice, nicely done. I think my problem is advise number 6. But I have a good salary and colleagues so right now I'm ok waiting for my boss to die - lol.
huh. last night i was offered a job as a manager at a Walmart and I'm probably gonna take it. I already graduated college and have no plans on going back but that last bit hurt. I'll be making 40+K a year and you made that sound absolutely worthless...
Please let me say emphatically and with 100% sincerity: That is *not* in any way/shape/form worthless. That is frakkin' *awesome*. (And from other comments ***** has made on this video, I know he agrees.) I'll be honest: When I was in high school/college (and for a long time after I graduated), I was convinced that professional success meant being famous or glamorous or blah-blah-blah. (Lord, how that makes me wince to type!) But one of the biggest blessings in my life has been understanding how utterly ridiculous that idea is. Until very recently (like, the last few months), the happiest job I ever had was working the 4AM-noon shift at a bagel shop in Winston-Salem, NC. I loved helping the customers, and I thought our product was super good, and it made me realize that a truer measure of success is how much you're helping people and doing your part to enrich your life and the lives of those around you. And judging from your promotion, you're doing a pretty darn fantastic job in that regard. Thanks for watching. And seriously: Keep Remembering To Be Awesome. :] - Mike
I just can't get passionate about my job. Programming billing software is not exactly exciting stuff. But I don't really want to be promoted either. I wouldn't do well managing people or working more closely with our clients. The less I have to interact with them the better. Ah, the indispensable comment. We have one person, she became lead designer soon after I started. She's been with the company for the longest probably, knows the most about the product's design and expected functionality. When she's on vacation we panic. The day she leaves, we're totally screwed, heh.
I'm just about to graduate college and working for a big company and networking and people managing sounds like hell. Is it worth it to do something I actually want to do and maybe not earn much money? My dad thinks I'm silly. And I guess he has a right to be because he paid for my degree. My point is this is the hardest thing I've had to decide as an adult and could you please give me a step by step or 5 easy points? Or at least reassure me that being fulfilled at work really pays off?
Having been in your position, I'll say that I honestly had NO IDEA what I wanted to do until I did it. The things I thought I wanted to do, it turned out I hated. I thought I wanted to work on my own and manage my own thing, but I got that job and I hated it. I thought I wanted to be analytical, but it turned out I wanted to be creative. I was 22 years old and I managed to completely misunderstand myself. So my advice is...leave room for being wrong...and be open to trying different things...dive in head first, you might surprise yourself.
When the video started, I was really disappointed that Hank showed up. It tells a lot about how fond I'm of Spur videos. Besides, the disclaimer at the end is typical American to me. All it states is basically common sense.
It's so great that Hank flew Emma and Mike to Missoula JUST FOR the end shot.
-J
Very helpful video. That last bit hurt a little though lol. Instead of going to college I spent 6 years at Walmart. Comparing my life to yours... good call, Hank. Good call.
I'm really, really sorry if the video stung. I know that wasn't the intention. I think Hank was just saying that, in his situation, college was the better option. But y'know, sometimes you've just gotta do what you've gotta do. (For instance, there was a period in my life when I couldn't find a job at all, so I became a test subject in experimental drug studies. Pretty scary, AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET SUPERPOWERS OR ANYTHING.)
But again, truly, we're sorry if we hurt you. Thanks for watching (and being so polite in the comment).
- Mike
Trust me, I only went to college because it was easy for me. My parents had money to pay for it and would have been SO MAD AT ME otherwise. Nothing pisses me off more than successful people who pretend that they just made all the right decisions and it had nothing to do with all of the amazing advantages they were granted.
Also, I have friends who still work at that same Wal Mart and they're doing just fine.
Thanks guys! I didn't mean to imply that I was offended by the video. It was really helpful. It is pretty unfortunate, though, that in this present social climate you would feel the need to apologize for possibly offending someone about their own crappy life choices. But I appreciate it.
Thanks for making videos that inspire us to find our awesome!
!!!PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT OUR THEME MUSIC!!!
Many people have asked about what our theme music is called and/or where they can buy it.
Well, have I got good news for you!
The theme is actually just a highly-edited version of a song from the (free) UA-cam Audio Library. It's called "First Day," and it's by Huma-Huma.
Thanks for watching!
- Mike
Hank, your Wal-Mart story explains your love for Target.
Wow, what an excellent video. I've been promoted twice in the last year at my job, and these are spot on. I think probably the biggest one for me is "caring". Taking ownership of your work, seeing it through (no que sera sera attitude), taking pride in the results. It's good to do your best simply because you're proud of the work you put out and people appreciate it.
This is really good advice. Definitely agree with internalizing your boss' goals - it also shows that you are able to think/strategize at a higher level, not just get stuff done (which, really, anyone can be trained to do).
"If you're waiting for someone to die..."
I identify with that a little too much. My last "promotion" was when I graduated from high school, I went from an intern to theatre technician; the only change was that I got paid during the school day and became more likely to get called in for summer maintenance work. I'm finishing my tenth paid season with them. (the main reason I've been there so long is my tech boss's policy of allowing us to continue working there until we get work elsewhere; previous attempts at getting other jobs hasn't exactly worked out)
In the past year I've added proof-reading, box office, and working on the website to the list of things I do there, which has helped with getting more frequent scheduling, but I'm still as-needed (which is never as much as I need it).
NOW the bookkeeper's retiring and they're creating a new position to get some of the public-relations work off my box office boss, and she (box office boss) has expressed that she would like me to take the bookkeeping one, which requires an accounting test. So I've been trying to shove an entire online accounting class into my brain in as short a time as possible so I can be as prepared as possible when they say "okay, come in and take this test on all of this fairly straightforward stuff complicated by jargon you wouldn't know if you haven't studied the subject." (they won't actually say that, but I'm assuming that's the subtext)
Basically, I'm trying to say that this, as well as the previous two videos, has been incredibly relevant to current goings-on that I haven't had much of a chance to talk about/have been trying not to talk about in the event that I invoke Murphy's Law.
I'm paying attention to what you're saying, and it's very important, but I can't help but point out that your bookcase is sorted by colour and I love it so much.
The end bit with the sitting around and talking was priceless!
I've never been ambitious enough to want for a promotion. All I ever want is to be payed a fair wage to live comfortably off of and be working amongst decent people whom I can get along with.
Very good advice, Hank! I just left a job at a company that wasn't growing (and none of the positions above me were of interest to me anyway) to a place that's growing and already more interesting! I hope I can use your advice to start out there on the right foot.
As a biz owner myself, I couldn't agree more with these tips!!
That's second tip is fantastic. "CHOOSE to be passionate!"
I really appreciate how Hank color-coded his books
In my workplace there is are two parallel promotion paths, one into management, and the other into more senior positions of the work you do, with better pay/perks etc. and some additional responsibilities. For example, the most senior member of our team (who is not our manager) has the responsibility of training the newer members of the team and providing support as well as doing his own analysis. We call him our Guru. He is great at his role and greatly dislikes the idea of being in an actual management role.
Wonderful examples. I haven't been in a situation where I want to be promoted at any of my workplaces yet but I'll know what video to watch again if I do.
omg haha the end lol!
Thank you! :]
- Mike
How to Adult So, when are you getting promoted Mike? Or are you indispendable?
***** Hahahaha, this made me wonder what "a promotion" would look like for me. I mean, I'm really happy in my current position. Hrmm. I guess maybe a promotion would be making more shows with the Bros. Green? Maybe some-a-day, Pinocchio, maybe some-a-day. :]
Thanks for watching!
- Mike
How to Adult Well, if you decide that you want a promotion, but you're indispensable in whatever way, feel free to teach me your ways.
Something to do with scratching backs... :P
Hey Hank! glad to see u here =D
I think you should do a video on how to "be good at people" esp for very introverted ppl such as myself. I know it's something that takes a lot of time but a few tips would be great!
tiSoCOOL9 YESS
As someone who goes to a weird college that has a program where I can take three six-month internships, that whole alignment of passions/goals is something I learned. I was able to get a third internship at the same company because I sent an email to my boss about my career goals especially in relation to the goals of the project I was on. He was totally on board with it and was able to get a part-time job until I go back for my internship because what I'm doing now is work that is going to lead into something bigger.
Wow. . . Thank you so much!! Work is so different from school. . . in school if you work hard and be the best at what you can do you get rewarded, but work-- well obviously it's different! Thanks for the advice!
Great video! I promise I was paying attention to the content, but I've noticed in two videos now that Hank's camera has a couple spots on its lens.
Hank! It was so nice to see your face on my UA-cam feed on a Monday. :-)
"John, I will see you on Tuesd… that's not this show" hahaha perfect ending to a great video XD
Hank was the assistant manager of the Sports Department. LOL
HANK this is really good advice, thank you! Sometimes I pretend you're my cool older brother; I've been watching you for like seven years so you might as well be.
HE WORKED AT WALMART!
"Be good at people" - **something not taught in school** - Truer words have never been spoken ❤️🧡💛💚💙
This is one of the best and most useful videos I saw in the last few weeks. Thank you.
The structure of what Hank said about Hiring, Firing, and promoting is the structure you are supposed to give feedback in. Positive, Constructive, Positive. "Constructive" is negative, but with how to do better, because "The factory burned down. That was bad." is not useful feedback, while "Next time, don't smoke near the drums of solvent" is useful feedback. That structure is taught on leadership courses.
Women also need to know to ask for a promotion. Men tend to do this (and request raises) when they think they can learn what is necessary for the new job, whereas women don't tend to toot their own horn until they have actually proved they already can and have done everything that would possibly be required of them in the new position. Consequence? Women are promoted less frequently, have lower salaries, and work more hours. On a cheerier note, happy belated birthday to your wife, Hank!
These are *really* important points. Thanks so much for pointing them out, Zoe. (I think we might actually do a video about this sort of thing in the future.)
- Mike
How to Adult Could you also do a video about reverse discrimination, and how to handle it appropriately?
Great video! Not really something I have thought about before, being that i'm still in college but i'll keep these points in mind in the future
I too forgot this wasnt a vlogbrothers video, Hank, I too forgot. Still, great tips I will be joining the workforce soon and I expect I'll want a promotion soon enough...
I've just realised that I'm at the indispensable stage... and it's partly that I don't want to train others to do my job because I'm scared of them being better at it than me and me getting fired. I guess I need to work on that 'feeling secure' thing.
Yay! Two hank videos this week!
My problem is everyone always says be good with people, but no one ever really says how. Even in this video, that section was just like, "it's hard, but you have to do it". Yeah, I know, but how? It's really frustrating because I'm introverted, I've been introverted all my life, and I won't to be the kind of person that people like and stuff, but I can't seem to make it happen. In every job I've ever had I always end up as "that shy girl" because I can't stop overthinking most of the time and when I actually do, I can't think of what to say.
This is a real problem, btw, and I'm starting a new job very soon, so if anyone actually has solutions that would be great.
From one shy person to another, here's my advice.
1) Being an introvert is not a strike against you. "Introvert" just means you recharge your batteries when you're by yourself. "Shy" just means you feel nervous talking to people. Neither one impacts your actual people skills. If you feel you're behind, it's probably from lack of experience, not lack of innate ability. You can fix that.
2) Get used to being afraid. I used to think that in order to conquer my shyness, I had to change the way I felt. That's a tall order! I couldn't do it. I feel nervous and afraid many times when I'm communicating, but because I've accepted this as a part of "normal," I'm able to do my job anyway. It does get better the more you do it.
3) Be an active listener, who makes eye contact, nods and occasionally says "hmm" and "go on." Active listening is a contribution in itself and people will value you for it.
4) Since you're new at this, start small. Say, "I agree" when you do. Say, "Can you explain this part?" when you're not sure about something. If you don't have anything new to contribute, give a compliment instead. Finally, learn to ask insightful questions (there's a lot of advice you can Google about how to do that). These are the basics; once you've mastered them, you'll probably know what your specific weak areas are, and you can work from there.
5) The best way to learn is to do. Right now, you're not speaking, so you're not learning. Just say *something* and even if it falls flat, you've learned a lot more than if you'd kept your mouth shut.
6) The second best way is to observe. Listen in on others' conversations (when appropriate), watch movies... figure out what makes other people good communicators, and learn from them.
7) If you find yourself experiencing a lot of "mental chatter" that is distracting you from the conversation, or you get mentally ten steps ahead of the speaker so by the time you open your mouth you're lost, look into mindfulness meditation. It will help you practice focusing on one thing at a time. It takes a long time to quiet your mind and keep it from sabotaging you--if this is a problem for you, it's worth doing a lot of reading on mindfulness and meditating a few times a week. Guided meditation may be more helpful for you than the "sit in a room with your eyes shut and do nothing" kind.
Don't let other people assume you aren't contributing because you aren't speaking up! Ultimately it's up to you to figure out what works and what doesn't, but in the beginning it's important to just do *something,* or else you'll never learn. Good luck!
Thanks so much Evan Jeshka! This was really helpful, from one shy person to another ^_^
and smile
Evan Jeshka Brilliant advice!
It has been three years, did you improve in this? And if so what did you do to improve?
I have similar issues to what you described, though im improving im still not that great.
That was a great video! Really useful for any worker really. 👍
Thank you! So glad it was helpful!
- Mike
I worked at gamestop for years climbed my way from part time no experience to store manager. I ran my own store for a year and a half and realized that being a DM would require me to move, GS doesn't promote SMs to DMs in their own district for fear of a conflict of interest. On top of that, you basically had to wait for someone to die or get fired and compete with like 200+ people.
So it came time for me to move on, I ending up getting a job at a local credit union that has a lot of job mobility and I was able to get a pay raise.
The passion and learning your manager's goals were good points. Making close friends with the person making promotion decisions is the most important thing. If that person wouldn't want to have a beer with you, then you'll never get promoted. You would have done ok with Walmart. College is pretty much worthless and a stupid move unless it gives you a marketable skill.
How to get a promotion:
Step 1: Become the manager
Step 2: Give yourself a promotion
The only time I've been offered a promotion was when I had received a job offer from another company. I told my boss about it, and he was like, "What can I do to get you to stay?" I said, sort of jokingly, "Uh...give me a bunch of money?" and he was all, "I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO." ...He offered me a 20% raise and a complete restructuring of my job duties that would have put me in a supervisory role. I almost died. I ended up taking the other job anyway for reasons, but thought that would have been an interesting avenue to advancement if I had accepted the promotion.
I would take that as an insult. If my boss suddenly offers a bunch of money when I leave, I just might ask "Why didn't you give me decent raises before this time?"
To me, a boss that offers a large raise in response to an employee leaving is like a spouse that suddenly puts on their best when handed divorce papers.
Tom Forge
Well, my boss had only recently become The Boss (he had just been promoted from supervisor to head of the organization), and was working on ways to restructure. It's possible he would have offered me the new role eventually even if I hadn't gotten the other job offer, but yeah, probably not right away.
But fair point, that is a little sketchy in most circumstances.
"That's not this show" I laughed so hard at that. For a minute there I was about to scroll down and check what channel I was on.
Great video. I am a better person after listening to this.
'John I will see you on Tues.... oh that's not this show' XD
Gah, I love your theme tune. Also, fantastic tips!
I had a boss like that too, except I was in college and he encouraged me to drop out because I could work my way up the ladder quickly at that chain of arts and craft stores. And I was like, nope, pretty sure I want to be a scientist and keep art as a hobby.
I wish I had known about becoming indispensable a year ago. I've been trying to get promoted for nearly a year now but after two raises and working multiple jobs at the same time in my work day, I think I'm stuck.
"How to people" (i.e social interaction) is something that should definitely be taught in schools.
I almost knew hank was gonna say the ending of vlogbrothers
i was like "he gonna do it
is he
OH! he almost did"
Sherlock is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Interesting video, but I can't even get a job to get promoted in. Also, saying that doing a job well "guarantees" raises when many people in the workforce haven't even seen a cost of living raise in the last few years is kind of insulting. Hard work should always be rewarded, but in the real world, that rarely happens. Also, going to college doesn't automatically mean you'll have a better job when you come out.
Itty bitty baby Hank! 👶👵🏼
Awesome video! Thanks, Hank. I really needed this. DFTBA!!! :)
Fortunately, that's not something I have to worry about in my current job. The only possible promotion would be to department head, and that would mean having to give up doing the actual work I enjoy and spend my time attending boring meetings and dealing with business politics - no thank you! Still good tips though.
i spent my years in college, i worked in related jobs and now that my country is in crisis, all i get is offers for part-time jobs...What promotion?
Part time jobs can lead to promotions. I have promoted like six part time workers to full time jobs.
I think managers forget sometimes that it's a two-way street. And they just think they're there to be a hawk watching your every move.
A video on how to register to vote would be helpful.
I'm in high school and there isn't an opportunity for me to get promoted where I work but a lot of this applies to band leadership stuff and being a better leader/marcher. I now feel a lot more secure going into next marching season as a section leader!
I think I am in a position where my boss wants to promote me but there is very little budget and I am already doing more than my position requires. It may be time to take that last tip and start looking for other companies.
"In which Hank discusses how to how a job promotion..."
Bit of a typo in the description.
Wait, do people still read descriptions, or is that not cool anymore?
This is why I like Hank better.
I was promoted at my work, but the pay increase has not been as much as many of my peers in my industry :(
Sometimes you need to make a horizontal move to realize certain goals. However, it might be worth talking to your manager, depending on your judgement of your situation and work environment.
I would very much like to find someone to replace me when I have 2 years experience in my position and I can find someplace else that does have this upward mobility. The problem is, where I work, most of our employees are either in high school (and so lack daytime availability) and/or about to go into college soon. All of the people who are quality enough that I feel could take over my position I know for sure will not be around when I do want to leave. I've made a very detailed training manual detailing every little thing I know so it can be handy for whoever we do get to do it, but I really feel like I'd be abandoning them to the wolves.
Side note for the if you're not happy and you want to find a different company because there isn't enough growth: talk to your boss about it. They will understand, and it will make you leave on better terms and a good taste so that if they were to be used as a reference, they would be willing to give the good. Maybe they would help you find a new job. Point being, talk to your boss.
If I trusted my boss enough to talk to him about these things, I wouldn't be looking for a new job, LOL.
I still have no idea what the balls I am doing Hank. Lucky you.
Thanks for the tips;
Emma and Mike are really good listeners, I guess ;)
Ha, I liked Hank's awkward "I'm not used to being on this channel" stuff at the end.
Me, too! When he sent me this video, I lol'd many times at the end. Thanks for watching!
- Mike
Very useful yay
I find it really hard to think of Hank making the decision to fire someone.. but I feel like he'd be respectful about it :P
I was struck in number 5 for almost 7 months and now that I have been promoted there isn't anyone to take my place :( it m Mes the job that much harder for sure.
i jus noticed the expensive desktop trash can in the corner. cool. bTW whats the legend on the guitar signify?
I'm so happy this channel exists. Every week the video is right inline with my life situation. Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. I really appreciate it. Hopefully, I'll get the promotion I'm looking into. =D
Thank you, and GOOD LUCK! We'll be rootin' for ya.
- Mike
How to Adult I got the job! I'm officially a Technology Coach for middle and high school teachers!
The people bit scares me a bit but in the last 10 months, in my first proper job, I've become way better at communicating with people.
That's awesome, Rachel. Do you have any tips? Would love to hear!
- Mike
How to Adult I've had the same situation! I'm a very shy, awkward person, and my job has actually forced me to become more social. I have to take customer's orders, and be friendly and somewhat outgoing, and at first I would blush and talk very quietly, but now I'm almost loud and rarely have the blushing problem.
It's just remembering that other people are just as insecure as you are, and if you take charge of the situation you'll feel more confident and at ease. Be loud. Be bold. Yell out an order. Don't worry about being awkward. Tell the customer that you like his Doctor Who shirt. You got this!!!! :)
I actually never wound up doing anything more than bussing tables at my first job because the waitresses didn't want to lose me. I did do pretty much all of the training though.
Good video.
It's all good.
Wait Wait Wait Wait Wait, is that a Mac Pro on your Desk??? I approve!
tip #7: Don't have a crippling anxiety disorder that prevents you from working a traditional job. It's kind of hard to have a job long enough to get a promotion when places like fast food drive you mad.
my mom got the same thing! she basically took like a gap year and was working at a shoe store. she wanted to start taking a few classes so would have needed to leave her job an hour early 2 or 3 days a week. her manager said the whole "no! you have a future here! going back to school would be a bad decision" and she was like....da fuck? and gave her two weeks right there
...kinda odd that I saw this video after getting home from work, where my boss told me she was promoting me to assistant manager :) Not sure if there's an actual monetary promotion, though...
can you guys show us how to ride a bike? im in my early 20s and unfortunately never learned how to ride a bike as public transportation was something i used more.
I'm Hank Green!
But how can you direct your passion?
Hank, is it me, or is there a speck on your camera lens? It's in the third quadrant, between his headphone cord and the bookcase. . _ .
There's another one on the guitar.
2:16 yeaaaa!!!1
Wait for him do die? huh I was waiting for him to retire... but if he were to die... you just gave me a brilliant idea..thanks Hank!
My boss wants to crush the competition.
Did you arrange your bookshelves on the color scale?
I notice the Saltire on the bookcase... Tacit support for Scottish Independence?
Or a fanboy of Braveheart or whisky
I literally worked for Walmart. It's a cart-pusher.
What about people who do not want to be promoted? The people who truly enjoy what they do and want to continue doing that (and maybe get better at it)? When you get a promotion that entails learning new things to that position (not that that is bad) and possibly doing less of what you enjoy (which is bad). There are companies who try to force promotions on you by putting restrictions on how much money you can make in a given position. I highly disagree with this method. I understand that money is not everything, but it does pay the bills. I also understand that some promotions are good and you will be happier with them, but there are some that you try out and find that it is not right for you. We are looked down upon if we don't take that promotion or we demote ourselves from a position. Or what about the people who care about their job and the quality they put into it while not getting the recognition (be it raises, awards, bonuses, etc) in return? I put a lot of myself into whatever job I have and I feel that I am significantly underpaid and under appreciated for the effort I put in. Many times (though not all) I have co-workers who barely put in half the effort I do into their job yet they make the same hourly wage I do. I know of a couple of people who enjoy to program various things and do it very well. They were given a promotion to manage some of the programers or to lead a design project. They both did not like it. They stepped down from their position. Yet (I believe) some of the co-workers continue to "suggest/recommend" that they "move up" the ladder. This is not their fault though.This is so engrained and accepted in society that it is expected and looked down upon if you do not "comply/conform". How do we deal with the question "What if we don't want to be promoted, but we want and deserve to be compensated for exceptional work in the position that we already have and enjoy?" (NOTE: Sorry about the rant, but this has been a question/concern that has been plaguing my thoughts for a while and this video brought it out. Thanks for reading!)
You are simply more valuable to the company when promoted than you are when not, so you will get paid more when promoted than when not. If you are more valuable than your peers in the same position then your company doesnt want to lose you so you can leverage that to get raises but there is a limit to how valuable you can be when you arent willing to do the job they think you’re most valuable in. That’s fine, but that loss in pay is the cost you’re paying in order to have a job you like.
People are going to advise you to get promoted because 1: they like you better than their current supervisor and 2: they want you to make more money because money can improve your life. They may be wrong on the second point in your case, but in other cases they will be right and the person they’re advising just needed someone to tell them they could. I think they should respect whatever you choose though.
Okay so, what if you're your own boss, like in the case of business owners? Would you consider that immobility?
That's actually excellent advice, nicely done.
I think my problem is advise number 6. But I have a good salary and colleagues so right now I'm ok waiting for my boss to die - lol.
Next video is the Peter Principle?
huh. last night i was offered a job as a manager at a Walmart and I'm probably gonna take it. I already graduated college and have no plans on going back but that last bit hurt. I'll be making 40+K a year and you made that sound absolutely worthless...
Please let me say emphatically and with 100% sincerity: That is *not* in any way/shape/form worthless. That is frakkin' *awesome*. (And from other comments ***** has made on this video, I know he agrees.)
I'll be honest: When I was in high school/college (and for a long time after I graduated), I was convinced that professional success meant being famous or glamorous or blah-blah-blah. (Lord, how that makes me wince to type!) But one of the biggest blessings in my life has been understanding how utterly ridiculous that idea is.
Until very recently (like, the last few months), the happiest job I ever had was working the 4AM-noon shift at a bagel shop in Winston-Salem, NC. I loved helping the customers, and I thought our product was super good, and it made me realize that a truer measure of success is how much you're helping people and doing your part to enrich your life and the lives of those around you. And judging from your promotion, you're doing a pretty darn fantastic job in that regard.
Thanks for watching. And seriously: Keep Remembering To Be Awesome. :]
- Mike
I would never forget to be awesome, but the daily reminders are appreciated. :)
I just can't get passionate about my job. Programming billing software is not exactly exciting stuff. But I don't really want to be promoted either. I wouldn't do well managing people or working more closely with our clients. The less I have to interact with them the better.
Ah, the indispensable comment. We have one person, she became lead designer soon after I started. She's been with the company for the longest probably, knows the most about the product's design and expected functionality. When she's on vacation we panic. The day she leaves, we're totally screwed, heh.
I'm just about to graduate college and working for a big company and networking and people managing sounds like hell. Is it worth it to do something I actually want to do and maybe not earn much money? My dad thinks I'm silly. And I guess he has a right to be because he paid for my degree. My point is this is the hardest thing I've had to decide as an adult and could you please give me a step by step or 5 easy points? Or at least reassure me that being fulfilled at work really pays off?
Having been in your position, I'll say that I honestly had NO IDEA what I wanted to do until I did it. The things I thought I wanted to do, it turned out I hated. I thought I wanted to work on my own and manage my own thing, but I got that job and I hated it. I thought I wanted to be analytical, but it turned out I wanted to be creative. I was 22 years old and I managed to completely misunderstand myself.
So my advice is...leave room for being wrong...and be open to trying different things...dive in head first, you might surprise yourself.
***** Thank you
E-dubble reference? "A businessman and a business, man".
lol "That's not this show" I kinda forgot it wasn't too. Good advice though!
When the video started, I was really disappointed that Hank showed up. It tells a lot about how fond I'm of Spur videos.
Besides, the disclaimer at the end is typical American to me. All it states is basically common sense.