Today’s Twitter roundup recaps three of last week’s trending topics: #ThingsThatIrritateMe, #Powerball, and #TheOfficeFinale. Why should the consummate professional keep hitting the refresh button on their Twitter feed? Well, somewhere amongst the snark and the manic updates, you might just find some timely lessons to apply to your career. Read on to find out how the above trending hashtags relate to common grammatical errors, job satisfaction, and corporate culture, respectively.
#ThingsThatIrritateMe
In the workplace, it’s especially important to proof all forms of communication before sending them off to their intended recipients, because misspellings and grammatical errors make one appear non-smart. (You see what I did there?)
The most typical grammatical “oopsies” are:
- Their, there, and they’re
- Your and you’re
- Where, were, we’re
- It’s, its
- Effect, affect
- Whether, weather
- To, too, two
Poor writing can be found all over the internet and social media sites, especially Twitter with its 140 character limit for posts. The internet seems to have transformed into a world where it’s acceptable to communicate in a hybrid-like language where vowels seem to be completely forgotten, numbers replace letters (e.g. “later” = “l8r”), and abbreviations have abbreviations. It may be “kool” to throw your grammatical inhibitions out the window when you’re online, but remember to be a bit more cautious when you’re communicating in a professional setting, because it may be the difference between landing that promotion/job and not. If you’re still feeling uncertain, use this free resource to double check your grammar before embarrassing yourself for the last time: Grammarly.
#Powerball
The latest Powerball jackpot reached $590.5 million and the winning ticket still remains unclaimed by one lucky person or group who bought the ticket at a grocery store in the small town of Zephyrhills, Florida. For someone, life itself is about to change … that is, IF the ticket is ever found and claimed. So, what would you do if you won $590.5 million today? Would you quit your current job? If so, would you choose the entrepreneurial route or just quit working all together?
Don’t rush off to draft your resignation letter just yet, because the chances of winning the mega Powerball jackpot were 1 in 175.2 million, that basically translates to, “Don’t quit your day job.” Sorry to burst your dreams of becoming a mega-millionaire overnight, but this invites the question: Are you satisfied with the line of work you’re in (or working towards) regardless of what your financial luck may bring? Too often, people seek out jobs that will guarantee a hefty paycheck, but despise the work that’s required to earn it. Then, after three months of working for the man, job satisfaction plummets and, all of a sudden, the position isn’t worth it anymore. Not to mention the commute, but I digress…
Where does this leave you? Don’t fret if you miss out on the jackpot millions because you probably would have ended up like many of the other lottery winners … BANKRUPT! (Read more about past winners who went from broke, to millionaires, to bankrupt here.) In all seriousness, find what it is that you love to do in life and make a career out of it, whether you’re currently employed or job searching.
#TheOfficeFinale
The hit NBC TV show, The Office, became a trending topic on Twitter after airing its final show last week, ending nine years of hilarious “behind-the-scenes” workplace comedy. If you watched the show, you know that it hits all the sweet spots of the corporate world: good and bad work relationships, HR nightmares, know-it-alls, dimwits, awkward situations, and the list goes on.
The Office turned the realistic work situations that a vast majority of the workforce experiences and portrayed them in the most amusing manner possible, making the daily grind a bit more humorous in hindsight. Despite the program being a scripted sitcom, there is a lot that businesses and employees can learn from The Office. For example, the character that plays the original manager, Michael Scott, is often inappropriate and seen putting his foot in his mouth. When a manager exhibits inappropriate behavior similar to Michael Scott’s, it can cost a company quality employees or even a lawsuit.
Businesses can implement preventative measures like hiring quality talent, conducting routine performance evaluations of all staff, ensuring that HR is compliant, and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for anything and everything that could wind up with the company in a legal battle. Likewise, job seekers should beware of firms that pay little attention to or neglect a healthy corporate culture. In TheLadders.com’s article, “7 Interview Questions to Uncover Corporate Culture,” there are suggested questions for candidates to ask the interviewer such as, “If you could describe your corporate culture in three words, what would you say?” to help reveal whether a company is the right fit or not.
Tell Us What You Think
Are you plagued with friends or colleagues with terrible grammar? Or, do you know someone who struck it rich by winning the lottery? What about an awkward work situation? Share your little heart out on Twitter or in the comments section below. Humor us all on this Monday morning!
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(Photo credits: Twitter, rockinfree/Flickr, Robert Scoble/Flickr)
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