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How Mom's Advice Can Get You Promoted

Oh, mothers. They catch us when we fall, console us when we’re feeling down, and offer us advice – whether we want it or not. As children, we were told to never talk to strangers, look twice before crossing the street, and remember that sharing is caring. But did the Mommy-isms really stop there?

We may have flown the nest for college, a job, and maybe even married life, but some things never change. As it turns out, that sage advice our mothers preached (and sometimes practiced) make for solid career advice too! Take a look at our roundup of motherly advice that you can use for your career.

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

The cardinal sandbox rule of playing nice with others also applies at the office. You’re lucky if your coworkers are also your friends – in most cases, colleagues will remain just your colleagues. Keep unnecessary opinions to yourself and people will respect you for it. Office gossip makes for amazing television, not appropriate work conversation. After all, you never know who could be your boss one day!

‘I don’t know’ is not an answer.

This piece of motherly advice should caution you against coming unprepared to the office. You should always know what your job requires of you, and be aware of current industry trends. Whether it’s familiarizing yourself with the national health care debate, brushing up on company policies, or researching the latest product development in your market, don’t use “I don’t know” as an excuse for not bothering to find out. That said, if you genuinely don’t know, don’t lie! You don’t have to be the resident know-it-all either.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

What’s true for Jack is true for everyone else: Work hard, play hard. Nothing good ever came of working all the time – in fact, you could burn yourself out by never taking a break! Make sure to take a vacation from time to time – a real one. Not only is this important to maintaining your work-life balance, but it’s also a good way to come back to work with more energy, and new ideas. Taking some well-deserved time off isn’t just good for you, it’s great for the company as well!