At this week’s Rose Café, I had the opportunity to learn from Mary Opperman, Vice President and Chief Resource Officer at Cornell, about the do’s and don’ts of the workplace. As a junior looking for internships and eventual full-time positions, it was interesting to hear about what irritates supervisors and how to avoid such behaviors. Out of the many lessons Ms. Opperman discussed, two stood out to me the most: never make excuses, and don’t try to bring down your colleagues in order to enhance your own image.

I have only ever had one paid job in my lifetime, but I was fortunate that my boss was friendly and accommodating. But as I begin my internships and job searching, I realize that I will not necessarily have the same relationship with by boss; therefore, it is important for me to learn the norms and behaviors of the workplace. Ms. Opperman’s lesson to “never make excuses” resonated with me, as my teachers and former athletic coaches used to emphasize the importance of accountability. I now know that, in the workplace, being unaccountable for one’s actions can not only upset a supervisor, but can also decrease one’s image in the work environment. Additionally, Ms. Opperman’s lesson to “not bring down your colleagues in order to enhance your own image” also stood out to me, as I feel that this is a common tactic used not only in the workplace, but also in school and on athletic teams. I appreciate how Ms. Opperman stressed that improving one’s image comes from good work and hard work, while also noting that bashing colleagues can lead to a sour company culture, and can actually end up hurting one’s own image. Thus, I hope to take the lessons from Ms. Opperman’s talk and apply them to my future internships and full-time jobs. I will be cautious to avoid the poor workplace behaviors Ms. Opperman discussed while working diligently to ensure that I am not only an effective worker, but also a good colleague.