One of my young readers, who is overjoyed, sent me a message saying that tomorrow is her first day on the job. She said, "I’m really nervous about meeting my coworkers for the first time. How should I interact with them? Should I get close to my female coworkers and be friendly with them, or should I keep things formal? How should I talk to my manager? And many other questions."

So I told her, "My dear, I recommend the following:

•Work as hard as you can, and if you can, go above and beyond, for a person’s life has no meaning without work.

• Treat your colleagues with kindness and respect, but without crossing boundaries, and maintain an equal distance between yourself and everyone else.

• Stay away from petty matters and gossip in the workplace; avoid arguments with colleagues and raising your voice at work. Always remember that people’s feelings can be scratched just as easily as glass, and it may be difficult for you to repair the damage you’ve caused.

• Don’t rely too much on your beauty to succeed in your career; someone more beautiful than you might come along and knock you off your throne, sending you back to the back rows. Instead, rely on your talents and experience, and always learn something new; a beautiful face with an empty mind is worthless, and a tongue devoid of polite words is of no value.

• Don’t go overboard with your clothes, even if you own luxurious ones; wear only modest attire so as not to provoke jealousy among your colleagues, for the human soul is not free from flaws and shortcomings.

• Keep your personal problems and family disputes—if any, and there are bound to be some—away from your coworkers, and keep work strictly separate from your personal life, so that your personal life doesn’t become a story your coworkers share among themselves without your knowledge. . And only share what is bothering you with those who can help you.

• Do not look down on or be dazzled by anyone, for everyone is equal and has no control over their own fate; so the manager does not deserve flattery or sycophancy—for his position may belong to someone else tomorrow—but you should treat him with respect because he is higher in rank and more experienced than you; nor does the worker deserve contempt because he is lower in rank than you, but rather you should treat him with humanity and compassion.

• Stay completely away from workplace conflicts that arise in some organizations, so that you are not counted among a particular team—you might be the weakest link, and you alone could end up getting hurt.

• Finally, perform your work and fulfill your duties to the best of your ability, and once you’re done, leave without delay or procrastination—work time is for work, and break time is for relaxation.

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