Getting ahead requires you to successfully market your life, besting the pool of idiocracy.

Good things no longer happen to those who wait, but to those who take initiative. Getting ahead requires you to successfully market your life, besting the pool of idiocracy.

CLEAN YOUR SHIT UP.

What happens in Vegas no longer stays in Vegas. Someone tagged you in a video drinking mango-ritas while backstroking through the Bellagio fountains and now you’re wondering why you never got that call to set up an interview? Hint: It wasn’t the white-tiger-print speedo. Maintaining a clean social media presence is more important than ever, as most employers readily admit to checking out potential employees’ social media accounts during the hiring process.

Tip: Use Facebook’s “Memories” feature daily to delete and untag every idiotic post from years ago.

SPELL CHECK EVERYTHING. LIKE, FOR REAL.

Don’t be the person that spells “definately” wrong, uses an absurd form of “there” in a cover letter, or changes your phone’s signature to read, “Sent from my iPhone, sorry for the spelling mistakes. lolz” Nothing discredits someone faster than being a bumbling incoherent jackass, emails included. While this seems obvious, we’re shocked at how common this is in applications and submissions to the magazine.

Tip: Slow down and read everything thrice before it goes out. Learn proper grammar.

BECOME HOMIES WITH EVERYONE.

At some point you’ve probably worked with someone like “Bob from accounting” who always sports a natural ability to recite every movie line for any scenario. Whatever you do, try not to be Bob. Being a co-worker that’s enjoyable to be around is essential in surviving the working world, and makes someone stand out in a crowd of office drones.

Tip: Communicate with everyone freely and be confident in your demeanor. Take initiative.

OWN THAT BRAND.

Though the whole “own your brand” buzz is reminiscent of something you’d hear from a kitschy self-improvement seminar in a Best Western grand ballroom, it’s still solid advice. Look at yourself and what you have to offer from the perspective of a hiring manager. Is the image you put out consistent with someone you’d hire? If you answer no, you need to flip your approach and do something different.

Tip: You’re a personal tool box. Fill your mind and body with valuable accessories other people need. Knowledge is currency.

Expert Advice
From mouths of the elite.

"Never hire someone who knows less than you do about what he's hired to do." – Malcolm Forbes, publisher Forbes Magazine

“At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies.” – Lawrence Bossidy, Former COO of GE

“I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way” – Lee Iacocca, Former  Chrysler President and CEO

“People who don’t go to school and make their way in the world, those are exceptional human beings. We should do everything we can to find those people.”