You may think you have what it takes to succeed in corporate America but TikToker @liljehu is here to tell you about some behaviors you need to leave behind.
The TikToker has amassed 43,600 views and counting since posting the video to the social media platform on Oct. 17.
“Here are some things you won’t see me doing in corporate America,” the TikTok creator, who boasts over 55,000 followers, starts.
@liljehu I actually do some of these things 😂 #corporatetok #joblife #jobtok #emails #corporatetiktok #worklife #workhabits ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
The first thing, he says, is “joining meetings early only to talk about meaningless small talk.” We’ve all experienced those awkward moments on a corporate Zoom call just before the meeting starts when we find ourselves forced to ask someone what their weekend plans are or how their kid is. “This stuff makes me cringe inside,” he says. According to @liljehu, this can easily be avoided by never logging into a meeting earlier than you have to.
The second is giving out his personal cell number so that he can be reached if there’s an emergency. However, the TikToker clarifies, “you will not be able to reach me in an on call capacity. You will be sent straight to voicemail or completely ignored.”
The third thing he says he won’t do in corporate America is using email like an instant messaging platform. “If you’re watching this and you do this, just know you’re viewed as a psycho,” says the TikToker, straight to the point.
Viewers in the comment section resonated with @liljehu’s points and also had some of their own to add.
“Meeting starts at 9:00:00 am, I’m joining at 9:00:10. No time for small talk,” one user said. “I hate being asked how I’m doing. All the pleasantries are soul crushing,” said another.
“I consistently join meetings 1-2 minutes late so I can avoid the small talk. I do it until my managers complain about it,” said a third user who felt that getting an eventual talking to from their higher-ups in corporate was better than having to engage in unnecessary small talk.
Giving out personal phone numbers was also a common gripe. One person went even further, saying, “I had to get my cell number changed cause I was forced to give it out.”
Excessive emails are another common complaint in the comments. “Yes. The email as an IM platform… hey, did you see the message I sent an hour ago.. seven messages in between. Chill!” one user said, mimicking the back-and-forth he experiences at work. Another said, “I need to send that last one to a client because they need to know that not every email needs 911 in the title!”
But one commenter had the perfect suggestion on how to avoid these annoying behaviors altogether. They said, “There is something you won’t see me do in corporate America… Joining corporate America.”
The Daily Dot reached out to @liljehu via email.
