Lessons can often come from unexpected places, such as from television shows. If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, The Real Housewives, Arrested Development, or other popular television shows – read on! These 10 tips from popular shows give you perfect career-related advice, ranging from dealing with drama in the workplace to how to craft your personal brand, from dealing with your mistakes at work to how to deal with time management.
The Walking Dead on Job Hunting
‘There aren’t zombies roaming the streets yet, but in some ways, the post-grad climate is not unlike the post-apocalyptic world facing the gang on The Walking Dead. It can be filled with uncertainty, anxiety and the occasional zombie-like former college roommate.’
One lesson from The Walking Dead is to always be on the lookout. In this show, someone in the group is always perched on Dale’s RV looking out for killer zombies. After you graduate college, you won’t need to search for zombies – you’ll need to search for jobs! Job hunting can be exhausting, just like running away from zombies can be exhausting, but your hard work will pay off once you score an interview! (Or kill a zombie!) For other tips on how to survive your post-grad life (or a zombie apocalypse), check out this article, Five Post-Grad Lessons From The Walking Dead.
Mad Men on Working Hard
‘Everyone scoffed when Peggy tried to break into the boys’ club at the agency, but it didn’t take long for her hard work and perseverance to pay off. She had to endure a fair amount of grief, but eventually she surpassed many of her naysayers and landed a role she loved.’
While you probably shouldn’t look up to the men of Mad Men’s conniving ways, you should look up to Peggy and how headstrong she is. Many people didn’t think Peggy could land a prestigious job, for she was only Don Draper’s secretary. But she had a dream in her mind and didn’t give up on it. Work hard for what you want and you’ll eventually climb your way up the ladder at work. For more tips from this show, check out 5 Career Lessons I’ve Learned From Mad Men.
The Big Bang Theory on Grad School
In this popular TV sitcom, four brainy scientists interact with a waitress, Penny, who lives across the hall from them. In this article, What The Big Bang Theory Teaches Us About Grad School, it states that those in the science fields may make fun of you if you stop at a masters degree.
‘Some people will not take you seriously if you stop at a masters. You know the saying, the masters is the new bachelors? Well now it’s becoming, the PhD is the new masters. Soon the post-doc is going to be the new PhD. If you can’t find a job, keep going back to school. But this will also narrow your job search,’ my older sister, Beth, said, who is currently attending grad school in Indianapolis.
If you’re thinking of going to grad school, don’t worry too much about being made fun of. ‘The show’s chemistry is not complex: It’s funny, we laugh. Take the grad school lessons with a grain of salt and a smile.’
Catfish Host on Success
‘When Nev Schulman found himself in the middle of an online fake relationship, he could have either been embarrassed and receded into a dark corner or have made a documentary chronicling his situation for the world to watch. He chose the latter.’ From Catfish Host Shares Advice.
Schulman found success unconventionally. ‘Catfish’ was originally a homemade movie turned into a television series on MTV. ‘‘I failed my way to success’,’ Schulman declared, quoting Thomas Jefferson. ‘I’ve done a lot of things that haven’t worked out.’ It’s okay to fail. Remember to pick yourself up, brush it off or laugh at yourself, and move on. The only way to be successful is to fail. And remember – not everything on the Internet is true!
Jersey Shore on Personal Branding
Jersey Shore. You either hate it or you love it. But if I showed you a group picture of the guidos and the guidettes, you could probably recognize and name every one. There’s Snooki, with her signature hair poof, there’s ‘The Situation,’ with his six-pack abs, and there’s Pauly D, with his spiky hair and cheesy smile.
These celebs have branded themselves by their looks, which is important in the workplace (just remember to take it easy on the tanning and wear professional clothes!), but there are more ways to brand yourself than by appearance. You can brand yourself by what you put on your online profiles, how you walk, talk, and even how you interact with others. You are living your personal brand 24/7. For more tips from our favorite guidos, read 5 Career Lessons From Jersey Shore, or check out The Power of Personal Branding.
The Real Housewives on Drama in the Workplace
‘If there’s one thing you learn from ‘The Real Housewives’ series, it’s that cattiness should be left in high school. We all went through our gossiping, rebel phase in high school, and that phase should not be brought into college or into the workplace.’ via Four Real Life Lessons of Reality TV.
‘The prevalence of reality TV has made it acceptable for almost anyone to ‘act out’ in the office,’ Amanda Mitchell, founder of Our Corporate Life, said. ‘There have always been ‘drama queens’ at work, but it seems that they are more accepted and that there are more of them now.’ via Coping With Drama in the Workplace. If you associate yourself with the workplace drama queen, or if you are the drama queen yourself, your credibility and reputation may suffer. Stay away from the drama and your satisfaction at work will increase.
Keeping Up With the Kardashians on Pushing Through Hard Times
If you feel like you’ve been slacking at work, dropping the ball on projects, or pushing aside work-related problems, if might feel like you are Scott Disick, the boyfriend of Kourtney, who we all love to hate. Scott and Kourtney have had struggles defining their relationship and he has repeatedly bailed on her, according to How The Kardashians Can Help You Succeed In College.
My advice? Don’t become a Scott Disick! Even when you get handed a project you might not be able to handle on your own, or if your coworker is driving you nuts, don’t push things under the rug, and don’t throw a temper tantrum like Mr. Disick. When things get tough at work, there are many ways you can ride it out. Talk to your coworkers to compromise, have a discussion with your supervisor, expand your social circle at work. Things will get a lot better, I promise.
Game of Thrones on Public Relations
‘Drinking while hunting on horseback might not be the wisest of decisions, as King Robert quickly learns. Using one’s better judgment in social media management is certainly not life or death, but a misguided or accidental post can cause problems.’
Make sure you don’t link your work social media accounts with your personal social media accounts, otherwise your tweet about your wild birthday party could do some serious damage to the company you work for. For more social media tips from the Stark family, Daenerys Targaryen, and your other favorite Game of Thrones characters, visit this article, 3 Social Media Lessons From Game of Thrones.
Arrested Development on Admitting When You Make a Mistake
There is rarely an episode that goes by without one of the main characters exclaiming with disdain, ‘I’ve made a huge mistake.’
When you make a mistake at work, own up to it! Your supervisor or boss will appreciate your honesty. The worst part about making a mistake is having to explain to your boss what went wrong. After that, you can learn from it and do better the next time. For more tips from this funny sitcom, check out 7 Career Lessons From Arrested Development.
Duck Dynasty on Time Management
A popular quote that the bearded men on Duck Dynasty like to live by is, ‘If you’re too busy to duck hunt or fish, you’re too busy.’ The Duck Dynasty family will occasionally leave their work to host donut-eating contests. But, at the end of the day, their work always gets done, according to 4 Management Lessons From Duck Dynasty.
Take the Robertson family’s words of wisdom and apply it to your job. Everyone needs a vacation once in a while! While I don’t recommend hosting donut-eating contests during your lunch break, take advantage of your weekends to de-stress and unwind. When you come back to work on Monday, you’ll be refreshed and ready to take on a new project. Your happiness and satisfaction will be sure to increase.
Here’s a bonus tip from Dr. Seuss – ‘You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.’
Take charge of your life! You have so many opportunities to connect with people, volunteer for a good cause, or work for your dream company. Forge your own path and make things happen. ‘You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So … get on your way!’ For more tips from our favorite children’s book author, check out 15 Social Media Tips from Dr. Suess.
Do you have any career-related tips from popular TV shows?
Photo by shellac.
