I doubt anyone goes onto The Bachelorette or The Bachelor hoping to be the "villain." Doing so usually wrecks your odds of walking away with your one true love. And, even if you do win (like Courtney Robertson or Vienna Girardi), the ensuing negative public reaction can make it hard to keep that relationship alive. There is one place, though, where following in the footsteps of these supposed villainous contestants can actually get you ahead in life. In fact, I think you should act like a Bachelor villain at work, because some of these attention-seeking methods can really boost your career.
Obviously, not everything these contestants do and say should be mirrored. For example, no one should repeat anything Chad Johnson does, and I do think making friends is a nice side effect to being a good employee. But, some villains' attitudes are really adept for the working world — clearly they were just making their moves in the wrong setting.
Haters are gonna hate when it comes to people like Corinne Olympios or Olivia Caridi, but I'm just taking copious notes so I can get that next big promotion. Here's some of the villainous advice we can all learn from when it comes to our professional lives.
"Can I Steal You For A Second?"
This is among the number one complaints contestants have about their seasons' villains. The other men and women hate it when someone "unfairly" takes away from other contestants' time by asking the lead if they can speak with them for a moment. But, this is actually a great tool to use in the workplace.
Want to confirm that the direction you're taking on a project is the right one? Steal your coworker for a sec. Want to form a working relationship with someone? Steal them for a sec and take them to lunch. Want to pitch an idea? Steal your boss for a sec and see what they think. Speaking up at a company is important. And, just remember, even if you had face time last week, it doesn't mean you can't ask for it again.
Put It All Out There
You have to hand it to the Courtneys and Corinnes of the world, they know what they want and they're not afraid to work hard to get it. On Ben Flajnik's season, Courtney snuck out to grab Ben for a late-night naked swim — further cementing their relationship. Corinne has clearly piqued Nick's interest with her whipped cream and bouncy house antics. Now, I'm not suggesting repeating those exact behaviors at work, but the lesson that can be extracted here is that hard work pays off.
Don't be like the other men or women in the house sitting around waiting for love (or, in this case, a promotion) to come to you. Instead, get up every day and make a real effort at your job. Whether that's trying for extra face time with your boss, taking the lead on a project, or networking in the evening instead of just going home, there are so many circumstances where putting in a little extra time can pay off big.
Focus On The Task At Hand
One thing villains are great at is ignoring the drama in the house and staying focused on why they're there — to get to know the Bachelor or Bachelorette. While other contestants get distracted with gossip or hurt feelings, people like Corinne or Olivia are busy spending actual time with the person they want to get to know. After all, they're really not there to make friends, they're just there to try to make a love connection work.
Focus is a huge part of a successful work life too. Maybe that means skipping happy hour with your friends in favor of finishing a big project on time or simply staying out of the office gossip so you can put your head down and get things done. Staying above the fray can make you look really good in a professional setting.
Think Outside The Box
Often on these Bachelor shows, the other contestants get upset when they think someone has broken "the rules." First of all, there are no rules, producer Elan Gale says so. Secondly, it's thinking outside the box and inventing their own love story that makes the leading men and women like the "villains" of the season. For example, Nick Viall created a fake date card for Andi Dorfman to get some time with her during her Bachelorette season. The other guys hated it, but I think they were just upset that they didn't think of it first.
The same goes for people like Corinne and her creative ways to get closer to Nick. Sure, no Bachelor has grabbed a contestant's breasts in front of the other women before, but that was a bold move of Corinne to make and Nick seemed to like it. At work, put your villain hat on so that you can think of creative ways to approach projects or pitches that maybe no one else has thought of before. You never know how your creativity will pay off.
Promote Your Career
This is a big Bachelor no-no because it means you are not there for ~the right reasons~. (Like when Wes Hayden appeared on Jillian Harris' season to promote his music career, but also had a girlfriend back home already.) However, in the real world, promoting your career is not only good, it's encouraged! Set up social media accounts where you can interact with your user base first hand. Go to networking events, pitch yourself or your products to other companies, etc. Don't be obnoxious about it, but it never hurts to tell other people about the cool things you're doing.
Make A Good First Impression
Believe it or not, villains are very good at this. Sure, their impressions might sour down the road, but they are not afraid to step out of the limo on the right foot. Tierra Licausi (Sean Lowe's season), Olivia Caridi, and Nick (on Andi's season) are all examples of "villains" who scored the coveted first impression rose on their seasons.
If you're meeting a new coworker, boss, client, influencer, etc. don't forget that making a good first impression can set the tone for the entirety of your working relationship. Just... maybe try a little harder than The Bachelor villains to maintain that impression.
