Things corporate world taught me

As many of you know I am Bosnian; In my culture school is very important. I ended up going to get my Bachelor Of Commerce, majoring in International Business, after my fathers "strong" suggestions and influence. After graduating I hit a little bit of an identity crisis; here I was with a degree and no desire to work in anything to do with said degree. I turned down some good job offers right out of school and did what most 22 year old graduates do; I took off to Europe with a one way ticket. 

After nearly six months of what my parents refer to as "gallivanting in Europe" I was forced strongly encouraged to get a job and figure it out. I applied for an entry position with the company I'm currently working with. This, for the most part, turned into a great way to start out in the corporate world. Since then, I've moved up numerous times; gotten better jobs with better pay; traveled and most importantly learned a lot.

During this time I have learned invaluable lessons that will last for the rest of my life. I am still a young woman with lots of things to learn, places to visit and bureaucracy  to fight with to make it where most men just get to with no special skills or talents. I want to share what I have learned so far…

1) Stay true who you are; Knowing your worth is very important.

2) Patience is a virtue. I mean this; nothing happens over night.

3) Respect in a company is earned; not given.

4) Be knowledgeable  You are not always gonna be the smartest but do your work; Especially as a woman, you will have to work your butt off , learn more then the rest, learn faster then the rest and find a way to apply the knowledge in the most practical ways.

5) You need game. That sounds funny but its the truth. You have to be able to "sell" anything and get people to believe in you or your product. Confidence is a powerful tool that can open many doors.

6) Be a leader, NOT a manager. You are never making it to the top without standing out. Without stepping on any toes; show them you can be an alpha and take the lead.

Do you have any tips on the corporate world?