Young professionals entering the workforce likely have all the skills they need to be successful — but do they have the tools? Some likely do, but others don’t. While each industry has its own standards and conventions for how employees look, dress, act, and eat, some tools are applicable to just about every every job. For white collar workers specifically, some of the timeless tools listed below should be considered essentials for every employee’s first day.
1. A Nice Suit
Useful for interviews, big presentations, and impressing your boss, a nice suit that’s both well-fitting and comfortable will make you look — and feel — like a million bucks. Be sure to wear your size, ask a salesperson for help, and, importantly, get tailored.
2. A Comfortable Work Bag
You’ll probably be carrying at least a few things to and from the office each day, so you may as well accessorize with a bag that fits your image. Consider, for example, leather laptop bags that carry a classic, timeless veneer into your workspace (as well as all your technology).
3. Portable Charger(s)
Yes, you may need more than one. Sometimes, a portable charger is the only tool that saves you from hangry-dialing your colleague (by helping you order takeout, of course) or mispronouncing a word in a big end-of-the-day meeting. They’re worth investing in.
4. Extra Paper and Pens — Always
You’ll probably run out of both just when you need them most. And if you’re one of the lucky fools who never runs out of either, well, then at least you’re prepared to make a friend who’s desperate to borrow from you. With paper on hand, you can write impromptu memos to yourself, take notes in an important meeting, or even doodle in the margins to clear your head. The potential uses are endless.
5. Reusable Food Containers
Save the environment while snacking on the job. Everyone gets hungry at different times, and whether you’ve packed for your lunch break or prepared for your daily three o’clock hunger pains, you’ll feel lucky if you arrive prepared.
6. Confidence
Sure, this isn’t strictly a tool the way other items on this list are, but it’ll still carry you far. And hopefully, the previous items will help build your confidence — by arriving to work prepared and ready for action, your days will be that much easier.
Young, white collar professionals would do well to have these tools in their workplace toolkit. By arriving to prepared, thoughtful, and stylish, you’ll be sending your bosses a message: that you’re a boss employee.
