My 14 Pieces of 9-5 Advice

During my two years out of college, I have been given many pieces of advice for surviving in the real world (of internships and work). Below you will find a list of the 14 number of pieces that I've held onto and used in my 9-5 life.

When you get dressed in the morning, dress like you're going into a meeting. This could vary depending on your office atmosphere but try to dress up, rather than down, for the office.

Don't give too many details about your personal life. I'm not saying that being the anti-socialite of the office is the way to go but it is often a good idea to keep personal details to yourself. Keep in mind that the details you may divulge to your boss and/or co-workers could have a direct affect on how your work is judged (i.e. a Thursday night out or a medical emergency). If necessary, tell someone in HR and/or your boss about the situation but not your co-workers.

There are two types of people in this world: people who ask and those who are afraid to ask. You may not be one to ask but remember that the worst anyone can do is say "no."

If you have to cry, go outside. My love for Ms. Cutrone aside, she has a very valid point. If you feel that you're going to be blacklisted for a mistake you've made and need to collect yourself, take 10 very deep breaths. If you need to, excuse yourself and go to the ladies' or gents' room.

It's probably not as bad as you think. I cannot tell you how many times I have built up a minor situation at work in my head to be a catastrophe. If you make a mistake in the office, bring it up to the person it directly involves, be honest about what happened and see if there is something you can do to mend the situation.

You do not have to apologize. I typically apologize for any mistake, no matter how small. One day, I was sitting with a boss and apologized for clicking on the wrong folder while she was guiding me to a document. She said, "V, you do not have to apologize." It may sound like a small step in my career, but from that moment, I realized that I don't have to apologize for the small mistakes because everyone makes them. And as for larger mistakes, I quickly apologize then fix the situation. Dwelling on the situation or over-apologizing might often makes things seem worse than they are.

Don't spend more than 15 minutes [of the company's time] trying to find something on your own. Whether it is an old file or something around the office, don't spend more than 15 minutes searching for it before asking for assistance.

When given a new project, ask if there's a project that might be similar to use as a reference. This will often save you the time and headache of starting a project from scratch.

Don't regret it, shred it. Yes, I saw this written on the side of a truck, but the point still stands. If you have documents to toss that could be considered confidential, etc. make sure you shred them. Better to be safe than sorry.

"I don't know" is no longer an acceptable answer. With the world at our fingertips, both inside of the office/home and outside on our smartphones, it is no longer acceptable to answer a question with "I don't know." You may not know the answer at that particular moment, but within seconds you'll be able to give the answer.

Always open and close your emails. Don't be a millennial. Make sure you begin your emails with a greeting and close with your regards to the recipient.

Don't invite your co-workers to your wedding. Unless you want to pay for 40 extra dinners and/or have 38 angry co-workers (because only 2/40 were invited, leave them off the list.

And a couple of work tips for your physical health...

Remember the Rule of 20-20-20 If you have a job that involves spending a heavy amount of time on the computer try to look at something that is at least 20 feet away, every 20 minutes for at least 20 seconds.

Sitting is Killing You Try to get up every hour and walk around, even if it's just to the restroom, the kitchen or the copier. And if you have the time (and the weather permits) try to walk around outside during your lunch break.