ADVICE TO GRADUATING STUDENTS: NAME YOUR FILES PROFESSIONALLY.
If I ask someone for a list of stakeholders and they send me “list.xls” it may contain brilliant information, but the name sends a strong non-verbal message that they may be lazy or careless with their work. It only takes seconds to name it “2026-03-Stakeholder-List.xls” or something equally clear and structured.
A good file name shows that you care about clarity, versioning, and long-term readability. In professional environments that small non-verbal action signals discipline and attention to detail. It also makes you stand out, because fewer and fewer people take the time to do this, and those who do are noticed immediately.
