I’m happy for you…..sike

Not everyone wants you to succeed. 

You land a sweet job after college and you dominate your first big project. The boss walks in and gives you a compliment in front of the whole team. “I’m happy for you” is something you hear co-workers tell you as the meeting adjorns, but as they walk away you might hear a faint “sike” under their breath.

SIKE - the immediately preceding statement is false and was told to mislead. (Urban Dictionary)

I was fortunate to land a great job right after college graduation. I started in the corporate world a few days after I was handed that very expensive piece of paper they call a diploma.

In the academic world people want you to succeed. I got used to being around professors who wanted to give me knowledge that would help me in my career. I was around academic counselors who wanted me to take the educational path that would lead to my success. I was around peers who were excited for people who landed great internships or jobs. I was around faculty who enjoyed giving out awards to hard working and passionate students at the University.

So as my naive 19 year old confident self started his big boy job he quickly realized that not all people wanted to see him succeed. I worked hard, came in early and left late. I started getting recognized for my work and I started asking challenging questions. My boss liked my work but there were a few others in my department who weren’t as excited about it.

So for you recent college grads, there are two catergories you can fall into quickly.

1. Keep your head down. Don’t ask challenging questions. Do just enough work to get by.
2. Work hard. Ask why things are done the way they are being done. Offer innovative solutions to those problems. And be okay with Category 1 people not liking you…

It was a hard adjustment for me but don’t get me wrong there are still great people who want to see you succeed. You can also be one of those people who are genuinely happy for others. Good luck graduates.

I hope to see you do great things!!!