Michael Hasler, a lecturer at UT Austin's McCombs School of Business and a seasoned executive, shares essential career rules for new professionals. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships, maintaining confidentiality, punctuality, and presenting bad news with solutions. His advice aims to help individuals navigate their careers successfully and avoid common pitfalls.

1. Michael Hasler
Lecturer, UT Austin McCombs School of Business
20+ Years in leadership at Applied Materials, General Motors, & Nissan
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

2. YOU HAVE A NEW JOB. CONGRATULATIONS!

3. DON’T BLOW IT.

4. § Our source: Mike Hasler
§ UT Austin McCombs School of Business, operations management
lecturer
§ More than 20 years as an executive at General Motors, Nissan, and
Applied Materials
§ Helped create Applied Materials’ Leadership Development Program
§ Ph.D. in Human Resource Development
§ “I created these rules after making the mistakes myself.”
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/
FOLLOW THESE RULES, KEEP YOUR CAREER ON TRACK

6. § Know your manager’s assistant
by name. He or she is the
gatekeeper.
§ Never think of yourself as
superior.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

8. § Respect personal boundaries.
§ At some point you will work for
someone who was previously a
peer. Don’t overstep your friendship
or put your boss in a position of
having to defend your friendship.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

10. § Business requires confidentiality.
§ Starting a sentence with, “Don’t
tell anyone, but …” should sound
your internal alarm to keep quiet.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

12. § List action items and deadlines
up front or in the subject line, not
buried in a rambling message.
§ Avoid “Reply to All.”
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

14. § You’ll be happier and more
successful in an organization that
fits you best, even if you start at a
lower salary.
§ Don’t be surprised if it takes a few
tries to discover what you like.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

16. § If you’re habitually late, you will
lose credibility.
§ Make punctuality a priority now.
It’s more difficult to break a bad
habit later in your career.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

18. § Applied Materials chairman emeritus Jim Morgan’s
philosophy as a manager:
§ Good news is no news. In other words, it shouldn’t be news that things
are going well.
§ No news is bad news. That means the manager is in the dark.
§ Bad news is good news. The problem has been identified and now we
can fix it.
§ Make sure the boss doesn’t hear your bad news from
someone else first. Never let your boss be blindsided.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

20. § Bad news should be followed by solutions.
§ Unloading your problem on your boss’s
shoulders doesn’t help him or her solve it.
§ Think of multiple options and your
recommended course of action before you
go in.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

22. § Back up your position with data,
not random opinions.
§ If the data goes against your
intuition, don’t ignore it. Gather
additional or different data.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

24. § Try to work for someone who develops and promotes staff.
§ As a manager, be the person people want to work for
because they know they will be developed.
§ Train your own replacement so that your department can
promote you without suffering.
§ Be an expert, the go-to person, at something, especially early
in your career.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

26. § Don’t ever be that person who goes
too far. Know your drink limit, and
never exceed it with business
colleagues.
§ Your reputation is always on the
line.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

28. § A lot of people work hard and get good results.
§ Learn about other departments and companies. Be the person your
boss turns to for information.
§ Participate in company charity events, volunteer for committees. Be
known. But be genuine.
§ “Successful networking is not how many people you know, it’s how
many people know you.” --John Daly, communications and
management professor, University of Texas at Austin
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

30. § Say “Good morning” to everyone.
§ Write hand-written notes of congratulations,
appreciation, and condolences.
§ You will meet thousands of miserable people
in your career. Don’t be one of them.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

31. GOOD LUCK OUT THERE. YOU’LL BE GREAT.

32. Thanks for reading. Get more faculty expertise, career advice, alumni and
student success stories, CEO insights, business school news and more:
McCombs TODAY blog
UT McCombs School of Business
@UTexasMcCombs