THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF THE AMERICAN WORKPLACE Berkeley International Office

It’s Nice to Meet You!  Name  Level of Studies  Major(s)  Internship experience?  What kind of internship/job are you looking for?

Cultural Iceberg

Power Distance  Distribution of power in a culture  Value of equality in a workplace  U.S.: Lower Power Distance  Team culture within hierarchy  Interaction with supervisor/boss  How do you address him/her?  How do you get things done?

Office Environment  Meetings  Participate!  Share opinions and ideas  Verbal agreement vs. head nod  Teamwork vs. individual work  Formal & informal office cultures *Every office environment is different*

Time Management at Work  “Time is Money”  Some offices are fluid  Expectations of punctuality  Work Hours  Work Life Balance

Socializing with Co-Workers  Social Events  Birthday celebrations  Staff appreciation gatherings  Holiday parties  “Happy Hour”  Alcohol and non-alcohol after-work activities  Coffee Breaks & Lunch Periods  Small talk  Work vs. Private Life Separation

Interacting with Co-Workers  Personal Space  When in doubt, always ask! Don’t assume.  Dating etiquette  Refrigerator (kitchenette) etiquette  “If you did not buy, please do not try!”  Clean up after yourself

Networking  Develop positive working relationships with colleagues  Colleagues can serve as references  Don’t “burn bridges”  Professional development through conferences

How Can I Prepare?  Student Groups  Interact with Classmates  Develop leadership and teamwork skills  Connect with faculty and staff

Student Panelists  Dongmiao Cui  Senior  Double Major: Economics & Applied Mathematics  Previous Internship: Citigroup  Florian Hecht  Studied PhD in Computer Science  2 Previous Internships at Pixar  Current Job: Technical Director in Global Tech at Pixar  Yi Lu  Senior  Chemical Engineering  Previous Internship: Bayer Healthcare