Neoclassical Physics and Quantum Gravity

I thought I would start a list of career advice.

• never stop learning and developing your skills — it has never been easier or less costly than with the vast internet resources available today.
• don’t be confined by artificial barriers
• don’t outshine your boss – instead cleverly get them to show you off
• don’t talk about other people in the workplace, even if you are saying what you would say to their face
• don’t spread rumors or speculate openly
• I highly advise against dating within your workplace or even your field if you might cross paths professionally.
• don’t flirt in the workplace
• don’t assume anything about anyone. They will tell you what they want you to know.
• ask questions.
• if that little voice in your head is concerned, listen to it before you speak or act
• check your work via multiple methods
• be organized and leverage and re-use your previous work.
• don’t be a workaholic. Keep a work vs. non-work balance.
• have fun
• be creative
• be aware there is zero loyalty from your employer to you. they may drop you like a hot potato with no recourse.
• if it’s legal in your state, always leave your smartphone on voice recording and save the recordings.
• do not trust HR people. they are not on your side.
• let people know if they cross boundaries (e.g., harassment, discrimination, etc.). If egregious or repeated, take the appropriate actions, including document a complaint.
• never mix your personal business on your work computer or vice versa – this includes email, chat, web browsing, etc.
• don’t put your personal devices on employer networks (wifi, vpn)
• never mix your personal cell phone and your work cell phone. Get your own personal phone.
• share your work readily with others.
• keep your work on storage that is backed up nightly. Lots of people work entirely off of cloud, network file servers, wikis, etc. Your laptop may get stolen or crash. I’ve seen so many people lose a tremendous amount of work due to keeping it solely on laptop without a recent backup.
• learn how to talk with people. Learn about EQ and develop your skills.
• avoid email for communication to the largest degree possible — it ends up in isolated islands of information that are inacessible to others. Use shared collaborative media – like wikis, github, etc.
• assume everything you say, write, or do could appear on the front page of the New York Times or YouTube tomorrow or this evening.
• delegate, delegate, delegate

J Mark Morris : San Diego : California