when opportunity knocks, be pro-active

Serena, 24, grew up watching her parents and their friends being hired and fired at whim and, as a result, her memory bank was etched with the simple fact that when a manager or boss wants to get rid of you then he or she will do so, no matter how good your work and behavior – so, when an opportunity to move up in her company arose she went for it, knowing that survival depends upon being pro-active.

“Despite being told at the interview stage that promotions are normal after you’ve been with the company for twelve months,” explains Serena, “I just went for it and got the new position.”

"The mistake many girls make when they've found their perfect job," says Serena, "is to relax and enjoy it - even to the extent of committing to financial obligations on the strength that the job is going to be lasting.”

"Becoming comfortable in a job leads to becoming emotionally attached to what you're doing and becoming vulnerable to change," says Serena. "I aim on being versatile, learning new skills, keeping up to date, embracing change and growing as fast as I can!"

"I know that I’d probably have a lot more job security if I stayed at the bottom of the food chain," says Serena, "but not necessarily so. No job is secure. I didn’t want to stay too long anywhere. I didn’t want to be a sitting duck. I wanted to move so fast that nobody could shoot me down.”

“I wanted to move so fast that nobody would become tired of my face,” says Serena, “I don't just want to survive at work, I want to thrive!”

Read more by Serena:

Find a ladder to climb!

don't be a sitting duck

deal with workplace change