This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
It's been two weeks since I joined a multinational company, and I've learned more about the corporate world than I ever thought possible. The highlight of my first two weeks was the visit from high-level guests from the head office. They were here to assess our performance and determine who's 'shining' or not.
My colleague Ken warned me that these visits can make or break careers. He advised me to use this opportunity to gain visibility, a concept I was unfamiliar with at the time. As it turned out, visibility was a recurring theme throughout the two weeks.
Our team spent countless hours perfecting our presentations, changing and re-jigging our storyline to impress the visitors. I must admit, I was exasperated by the numerous dry runs and changes. But Ken reassured me that these efforts would pay off in the end.
On the last day of the visit, Ken invited me to join him and the guests for a night out. He claimed it would be good for my visibility, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to learn more about this mysterious concept. As it turned out, the night was a blur of bars, dodgy-looking women, and 'magical stuff' that seemed to work its magic.
The next morning, I woke up at 7:30 am to drop off the kids for swimming lessons. Little did I know that Ken would be the first guest in my office that Monday, greeting me like an old friend. He told me that my new colleagues had loved me, and that I had done a great job of gaining visibility. I couldn't help but wonder if drinking with someone was really the key to career advancement.
As I reflect on my baptism by fire, I realize that there's still much to learn about the corporate world. But one thing is certain: in this world, networking and socializing are key to career advancement.
