What is less anyhow? As long as you can look yourself in the eye every morning (with a lump in your throat and the words of Dolly Parton’s ’9-5′ ringing in your ears) you have nothing to move onwards and upwards for.

There is certainly the air of a new Britain coming into force, with nobody wanting to work hard but still reap the rewards of the golden generation from back when there was something worth fighting for. I say just enjoy yourself and thank your lucky stars you still have your job (for life) and haven’t been sacked yet.

Many graduates do have to take a lower level job than what they would have expected after their degree but it is what you do with the job that can define your future. Plus, most people do not end up in the same career area all their lives like it was common to do in the past.

Make sure you are proactive and plan a job strategy and something should turn up sooner or later.

Some people think that business cards are only there to be exchanged at trade shows and exhibitions for networking functions and that’s it. And while they are a great way of gaining new business by keeping your name (and company) in the minds of the recipient, they can prove to be much more than that.

There is no restriction to the types of situations where business cards can be useful. Even if you do not have an employment position at present, business cards can still make you look more professional in the eyes of potential employers who will be impressed by your forward thinking.

Business cards can be taken with you on opportunistic visits to companies that you wouldn’t mind working for and they make for an effective compliment to your C.V. Business cards can be personalised to the exact specifications of how you want them to look and will reflect you as an individual.

A good start is to take a watching brief. Watch the people who are widely considered ‘massive tools’ and make note of what they do to achieve this reputation. If a person regularly walks into your room and insults one of your colleagues and then attempts to get everyone else to join in with them in some group bullying, try that. A person like this thinks that everyone is on their side. They think that everyone’s against their chosen target.

But they’re not.

First of all, promotion is NOT about the quality of your work, your attitude or the number of years since the last knife-related fatality. Ignore these elements. You’re kidding yourself and it will only cause you frustration.

Promotion is actually about golf. Take up the sport of golf and try and play against your immediate superior and preferably someone from another department as well. If you can create a situation where someone says to your boss that you’re good at golf, you are guaranteed to climb the corporate ladder.

First of all, you should always pick the phone up. No-one wants to pick the phone up, because there is almost always someone on the other end of it, but pick it up you must. Having done so, utter a greeting. Don’t just sigh at length, like a deflating air bed.

When addressing the boss, never so much as allude to the fact that the menial, repetitive tasks that you have to carry out corrode your soul. Soul corrosion is an occupational hazard in the modern workplace and to complain about it would make you seem like a whinger.

Also, never go overboard and refer to the boss as being an emperor or king. While they might act like this is the case, they won’t believe that you feel the same way.

• Full pirate regalia – piracy in all its forms is frowned upon in most workplaces
• A Spider-man outfit – it is difficult for people to know whether they are dreaming or not if you’re wandering around dressed as Spider-man. Many people consider the appearance of Spider-man to be a sure sign that they are asleep
• Filing cabinet camouflage – you want people to be able to find you at work and you don’t want people stuffing stuff in you