The views expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
Young professionals need to start saying “CYA”—or “Cover Your Ass.” Why? Because it’s the best way to avoid being taken advantage of, taken for a ride, and taken for granted. One study found 46% of employees they said they took on tasks simply because they couldn’t say no. When you understand how essential it is to deal with yourself and the work you do, you will be untouchable in the eyes of somebody who wants to make you, a young skilled, their scapegoat. I know. It happened to me early in my profession.
My hope for all of humanity is that each of us has positive role models and mentors to help us along the way. Finding good mentors could be difficult. Unfortunately, many seasoned professionals do the opposite. Some of the reasons could also be that they feel threatened by the younger workforce coming up through the ranks. Or perhaps they feel the need to teach the hard way—putting people through the same stress they themselves felt early in their careers. After all, hurt people hurt others. And let’s be honest, it’s easy to pass on the blame or blame to a young one who may not yet have the courage to speak up for themselves. I like to think I speak for the youth.
In my personal life, I had a situation where, as the most junior person in the office, I used to be unknowingly chosen to be the go-to person for all the offended phone calls we got (and consider me, we got a lot of them in my customer support role). My job was to approve or deny requests based on numbers generated by the computer—without regard to the real image of the person behind those numbers.
I quickly learned that the department that really made the final decision was telling applicants that “I” was not approving the application… I used to be bombarded with offended emails and phone calls and even the occasional scary walk-in. When I noticed what was happening, I used to be furious and began gathering all the documents to show applicants that I used to be on their side. I had to secure my very own you-know-what. And I’ve been doing that ever since.
Secure yours today
The skilled world is like a sporting event. You have to play attack. That makes NO to be offensive or offensive in an obscene way. What I mean is that you just have to play offensively at all times. Be able to back up your work and defend your decisions. For example, double-check or fact-check details in your writing or research before sharing notes with your boss or clients. The final thing you would like is for someone to undermine you in a meeting and make you look unprepared. Back up your information with solid data. Keep it in your back pocket in case you ever have to respond to someone who wants to query your credibility.
Another tip: save your emails. In fact, leave a paper trail every time you may. If you’re looking for clarification on something that was said or asked of you, ask for it via email so you may refer to it in writing. So if someone decides they need to backtrack on what they said, you’ll have it in writing. It really all comes down to being prepared with confidence. When you may confidently say “CYA” to your superiors or sometimes clients, you’re not only developing a habit of all the time being ready for what’s coming your way, you’re also establishing your work ethic in front of your leaders—positioning yourself as a leader, too.
Use your resources
Whether you’re writing, creating content, or anything, make certain to use all the resources available to you to make sure your work meets the standards it needs to. Tools like Grammarly can enable you to stay on track with specific writing styles and proofreading. Other tools like GPTZero or QuillBot can protect you from accusations of plagiarism or abusing AI-generated content. There’s no excuse lately for not using the limitless variety of tools available to you on a regular basis. And if you don’t have access to what you wish, ask for it. A superb leader appreciates the initiative and courage it takes for a young skilled to ask for tools and resources that can help them do their job higher.
Your repute – your name – is on the line
At my company, Bear Icebox Communications, we’ve been challenged before about how we create content. I get it. We live in the age of generative AI, and anyone, anywhere can log into ChatGPT and have it spit out words that make sense. But we, like other agencies in the content creation industry, have to be vigilant and in control of how we use these tools. It’s a matter of our integrity as agencies.
The truth is that AI is changing the way agencies operate, and the expectations of the clients we serve. For a young person entering the workforce, my biggest piece of recommendation is to keep your last name private. You’ll be moving from job to job. You’ll be asking for letters of advice. You’ll have a list of references when you apply for latest positions. Your last name is all the pieces. How prepared are you to defend it? Think about that in all the pieces you do.
Follow company policy and document that you just have done so. And keep a close eye on your superiors. Identify individuals who are willing to advise and guide you. Build on those relationships. Likewise, discover when someone doesn’t have your best interests in mind—someone who disrespects you or talks down to you. Learn this now and give you the chance to say “CYA.”