5 Ways The Devil Wears Prada Saved Me From Ruining My Career

DISCLAIMER: The Devil Wears Prada has been out for 16 years, but in case you haven’t gotten around to it yet, be warned that there are some spoilers to follow and a reference or two about a toxic workplace. I won’t ruin the ending or get too specific with the plot, but if you haven’t watched the film, it’s worth checking out before reading.

From the first scene of The Devil Wears Prada, we can pretty easily recognize that the office of Runway Magazine is home to a toxic work culture. Led by the demanding and borderline sadistic Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), that workplace runs entirely on the fears, egos, and competitiveness of its overworked and over-caffeinated employees.

It’s an entertaining movie, but also incredibly instructive in terms of how to identify and escape a toxic work environment. At the center of the story is our heroine, Andy, (Anne Hathaway) who gradually becomes engulfed in this culture, something that can be hard to avoid once you’re in it.

I was in a toxic workplace myself when I revisited this movie and it was incredibly eye-opening. I’d seen it once before when it came out in 2006 and thought very little of it aside from laughing at the rom-com, girlboss nature of it all, and being grateful that low-rise jeans were going to be trendy forever. I was wrong about the jeans, but in 2012 when I saw it for a second time, I found myself relating to Andy a little bit too much.

It was then I decided to quit my job and find a more fulfilling and safer workplace.

To help you avoid a similar fate to Andy’s — and mine — here are some of my biggest takeaways from the film that can help you in a real-life toxic workplace.

I can recognize a toxic work environment before my first day

While you can’t learn everything from just a day or two in an office, there are certain aspects of the environment that you can absolutely pick up on right away. In the film, Andy faces disrespect from nearly everyone from the moment she walks in for her interview. She also witnessed how stressed the employees became when they learned that Miranda’s schedule changed. The image of one employee frantically changing shoes to prepare for Miranda’s arrival comes to mind.

Major red flags all around.

This type of data is important to note, especially when a toxic work environment is the #1 reason people resign. When you go in for an interview, take notice of the people already working there.

• Do they seem happy to be at work, or in a constant state of anxiety?
• Is the environment a welcoming one?
• Are you made to feel like a burden?

These are important questions, and your initial impressions are often accurate ones. Look at the signs, and trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.

I create a community instead of competition amongst coworkers

One of the key dynamics in The Devil Wears Prada is the one between Andy and Emily (Emily Blunt), Miranda’s other assistant. Emily constantly creates a divide between the two, who would clearly be better suited to work together to meet Miranda’s insane demands. Emily, who previously held Andy’s new position, chooses to focus on competition rather than fostering community, which eventually leads to a hospital stay, and Miranda picking Andy over herself time and time again.

While some offices encourage healthy competition, too much of it creates toxicity. The best workplaces all feature collaborative communities, something that makes coming to work each day a whole lot easier. From a practical perspective, community also helps a company reach its goals with efficiency and joy instead of doing double the work with an angry employee base.

It’s so important to Uvaro, that we aimed to create a sense of community on an industry-wide level, and from the start of your learning to make sure you — and the industry at large — puts a focus on uplifting one another instead of breaking each other down to get ahead. When one person succeeds, we all do.

I can distinguish bad leadership from good leadership

In the film, Andy experiences two very different types of leadership. The first, of course, is Miranda’s unreasonable and fear-driven style. The other comes from Nigel, the magazine’s art director. While Nigel recognizes that Andy is falling short of expectations, he chooses to inspire her rather than dismiss or insult her. Eventually, it’s Nigel’s compassionate approach that pushes Andy to excel at her job.

Great leaders don’t create a culture of anxiety. Instead, they take the time to understand their employees and their needs, and do what they can to make them feel valued and inspired to do great work. Positive reinforcement means employees are more likely to engage with their workplace. This has a direct impact on meeting workplace goals.

I’m confident in my skillset and know not to sell myself short

There’s a wonderful moment in the film when Andy finally goes toe to toe with Miranda and comes out on top. Miranda, intentionally giving Andy an impossible task as a means to fire her, is surprised — but still ungrateful — when Andy pulls it off. Her confidence got her the job to begin with, it’s only fair that she can stand up for herself when she earns it.

However, Andy always had the skills to thrive in her role. Miranda made her feel worthless and ill-equipped up to this point. As a new employee at a company, it’s essential to not only know your worth but to lead with it.

This doesn’t mean walking in like you know everything right away, but it does mean leading with the confidence that you’ve earned, and feeling confident in executing tasks without being micromanaged by your boss.

I have learned to create a healthy work/life balance and boundaries

In the film, one constant is Andy’s banshee scream of a ringtone, going off at all hours, interrupting quality time with her father, friends, and boyfriend. For the sake of attending to Miranda’s needs, Andy neglects her relationships to the point of sacrificing them, and can’t make the time to pursue her actual passion for journalism.

It’s almost a cliche at this point, but make no mistake: Work/life balance is absolutely critical. While the perfect balance will be different for every individual and every job, you’ll be off to a great start in any environment if you establish your own personal boundaries and keep checking in with yourself to make sure you don’t burn out.

While The Devil Wears Prada is an extreme example, there are undeniable aspects of The Runway office that feel all too familiar to anyone who has worked in a toxic environment. From the total lack of work/life balance to unreasonable pressure coming from higher-ups, it’s, unfortunately, a pretty common situation to end up in.

So, how do you avoid it? The answer is fairly simple. Trust yourself, and follow your instincts. If a workplace doesn’t feel like a community that you want to be part of, it probably isn’t the right one. Instead, find a workplace that empowers its people instead of berating and pushing them to the point of a breakdown.

I wish I’d noticed the signs of burnout before I did, and I’m grateful I trusted my gut and drew parallels to Andy’s life when I did. A toxic workplace can take its toll on your mental health and can bleed into your personal life. The sooner you can identify it — like Andy eventually does — all those little pieces of your life will start to come back together.

And community-building can start from the beginning…

At Uvaro, we focus on cohort-based classrooms to make sure you’re supported in your learning. Cohort learning programs offer you the community and coaching you need to grow and learn and deal with a toxic workplace if you encounter one.

In a collaboration-focused program — with everyone attending the same live classes together, and studying together — you will gain perspective from a diverse group, and share a community that is working together toward the goal of career success.