The Way of the Wall Street Warrior

CHAPTER 8Your Career Isn't Just a Job; It's an Adventure: Stay to Win

Now that you're in the door, it's time to dance the dance and go the distance so that you'll be showered with financial rewards and prestige when you reach the top. Contrary to what your frontal lobe may be telling you, the name of the game is not speed, but longevity, and that means making the best possible decisions early in your career to ensure your rise.

The best way to approach any intense, competitive workplace is to think of it as a game—a game that's played by rules that include a few explicit ones, but a lot that are unwritten and lurk in the shadows. These may include why some coworkers seem to do so little and yet get the plumb promotions and why some office assistants seem to wield more power than VPs.

Every workplace is different, but the fastest (and easiest) way to discern these rules is to find that seasoned veteran who seems to have an outgoing exterior masking an undercurrent of cynicism. We all know them. They're that mid- to senior-level person who appeared to be on the fast track, but now seems to be stuck in Dante's Purgatory. They've clearly been there long enough to know the unwritten rules of the office, and if you play your cards right and demonstrate fealty to them, they may just take you under their wing and spill the beans. But what's in it for them? Therapy of course! We all need someone to commiserate with and explain our station in life, and who better than a young apprentice ...