So you’ve finally made it to the “real world” and landed your firstjob. Congratulations! Before you dive intothe working world, there are a few common pitfalls youshould try to avoid. Click through to learn about the seven biggest career mistakes youngprofessionals tend to make.

　　1. Being Afraid to Speak Up

　　Whether it’s asking for a raise, time off, or just voicing an opinion, it’s important to stand up foryourself in the office. The more confidence you exude, the more others will have in you, and aslong as you do it in a respectful and professional way, your colleagues will be more impressed thanput-off by your assertiveness. Make sure to know your worth and not let your age or inexperiencedictate how others treat you.

　　2. Goofing Off

　　You may think no one is looking or particularly cares about what you're doing all day, but if you'relike most young professionals, you sit in a cube with your computer screen visible to all who passby. So it's important to limit the amount of time you spend on Facebook, personal email and othernon-work-related sites. Even though your boss may seem relaxed, he's not going to appreciate anemployee who seems to care more about her friend's status updates than her actual work.

　　3. Dressing Inappropriately

　　Sometimes, it can be difficult to be taken seriously as a young professional. One thing that caneither help or hurt you is how you present yourself. If you dress too provocatively, young orcasual, you could be sending the wrong message to your coworkers. Just because you have it,doesn’t mean the office is the place to wear it. If you want to be taken seriously, dress seriously.

　　4. Not Networking

　　Yes, working hard and being seen as a dedicated employee is vital to your professional success,but professional relationships are just as important when it comes to getting your next job orpromotion. Many young people are afraid to network and appear aggressive, but it is anestablished part of the working world. A good way to start is by asking your superiors whom youlook up to for career guidance.

　　5. Gossiping in the Office

　　While networking is the right way to build relationships, gossiping is not. Commiserating withcoworkers over shared office gripes can be a great way to bond, but it’s a dangerous habit to getinto and can cause friction with other colleagues. If others come to you with gossip or complaints,refrain from joining in and stay neutral. In the long run, it will serve you better to not makeenemies at work.

　　6. Being Late for Work

　　Appearance is everything. You could be the hardest worker in the office or do extra work fromhome, but if you are consistently late to work, you give off the impression that you’re a slacker.People notice who stays late and who comes in early and will form an opinion about you, whetherit’s accurate or not. Your professional reputation is a vital part of getting ahead in your industryand being late to work sounds trivial, but it can gradually undermine all your hard work

　　7. Acting Entitled

　　Acting too confident is a common issue with young professionals. It is sometimes hard for recentcollege graduates to transition from top-of-the-food-chain seniors to professional “freshmen.” Nowthat you’re out of the collegiate bubble, you must remember to be humble and know your place inthe company. Just because you might have graduated cum laude, doesn’t mean you’re too goodto make photocopies, and that attitude will hurt your chances of being promoted.

　　重点解析 Key Phrases/Words

　　1. dive into 头朝下跳入水中，溜进，投入

　　2. pitfalls n. 陷阱，圈套，诱惑

　　3. exude v. 使流出，充分显示，显露，发出，散发

　　4. put-off n. 延迟，推脱，借口

　　5. assertiveness n. 过份自信

　　6. goof off <俚>吊儿郎当，游手好闲，不认真工作

　　7. provocatively adv. 挑衅地，刺激性地

　　8. slacker n. <非正>逃避工作的人，偷懒的人，懒鬼

　　9. cum laude n. <拉>以优等，<俚>以优等成绩毕业者

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