Tough economic times and volatility in the jobs market over the years has prompted many to feel insecure about their job and keeping it. Added to that, it is even more difficult for youths and lower skilled individuals to get and keep a job they are happy with. There is a saying that goes”there is a job for everyone” but not necessarily the right job.
Toughening economic times mean higher unemployment, which inevitably affects everybody, from low skilled workers to high payed executives. This is economics at play and is out of your control. But job loss can be attributed to reasons other than declining economic activity which are in your control. They are firstly a bad attitude towards work and secondly less value to the employer. But these can be changed which is what we will look at now.
Have an enthusiastic attitude
Always remember that your employer during tough business times is going to keep the employees who are continually willing to work, show an enthusiastic attitude and attend to their employer’s reasonable requests and expectations. That is, the workers who are hard working and obedient to the employer will keep their job in the event that staff reduction is required.
If you also want to promote yourself as a hard worker, not only should you follow their instructions and requirements, but also try your hardest to do more than what you have been asked to do without having to be asked. For instance it would be wise for you to go into work half an hour early and leave half an hour late. Doing more than what is required of you at work shows enthusiasm and a willingness to do better, even if you’re not the smartest or fastest worker on site.
Take a moment now to reflect on your attitude at work. Your attitude is how you feel about your work, your boss and your colleagues. Your attitude is reflected by your actions and comments that you make at work. Having an attitude that reflects a positive and co-operative state of mind will boost your chances of keeping your job. But having a negative attitude will do the opposite. It will continually rot away your chances of keeping your job in the long run.
If you feel that your attitude towards work is negative, I would suggest you readjust your thinking or start looking for another job. If you find yourself going to work tired, try getting an early night’s rest or having a fresh breakfast that is healthy, like fruit and muesli.
“Attitudes are contagious” goes the saying, so remember people will imitate your behaviour upon first seeing you. So if you were to go into work with a sour attitude, your co-workers will imitate your behaviour and will likely respond back in that manner to you. But the same also goes when you first see a colleague at the start of work who has come to work with a miserable attitude. You’re likely to be influenced by their behaviour and even imitate them subconsciously. So you would do well to try and control your state of mind and associate more with your colleagues who have a positive and uplifting state of mind. This is especially true to new employees starting out. They can easily learn the bad habits of the other employees.
Be personable and approachable
Starting a new job is daunting for anybody. The first day on the job can be the biggest hurdle to overcome. Everybody knows each other and they discuss things that you have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. You may even start to ask yourself: ‘Will they get along with me? Am I capable of doing the job?’ These are examples of negative thinking and can almost become self-fulfilling. If you start feeling that way, quickly adjust your attitude and ponder over positive things, like the fact that you are capable of doing the job because you have the skills they need, and that they will like you because your friendly and approachable.
When you are being taught a computer program they use or you are job shadowing a colleague, avoid trying to make out that you know what you are learning, even if you do, and just listen. This will show humbleness on your part, and your colleagues and supervisors will even start to like you already. If you do however feel you don’t understand certain requirements of the job or would like to know how you are progressing since starting the job, find a suitable and convenient and approach your supervisor. Don’t be afraid of seeking constructive criticism, it will only help improve your performance at work but also show your employer that you are interested in doing well in your job.
Another good way to show your employer you are approachable is by listening intently to them without interruption and displaying an open body language. This shows that if they ever need to speak to you about an issue or problem with your work performance or anything, they can easily speak to you about it.
I would also recommend telling your employer and colleagues that you are under their wings and welcome any suggestions for improvement. This shows humility on your part and also makes your work colleagues feel less threatened from and more comfortable to work with you.
You can make an impression on your employer!
There are three ways you can make a good impression on your employer. They are by avoiding gossiping, being on time and being honest. We will now look at each.
Avoid gossiping
Gossip is private talk amongst co-workers about others in the workplace. What makes “gossip” different from any other discussion is that it usually is founded upon false information and rumours. Usually once people find out what others have been gossiping about them, it usually results in heartache and sadness, especially if the gossiping is cruel.
Gossip is like a grapevine. Rumours start to grow on the grapevine, with the truth being bent and twisted. When somebody hears a rumour, because it is full of so many lies it can be like a sour grape, which is not very pleasant to eat and worth throwing away. So if you find yourself in the middle of hearing rumours about a colleague, be quick to avoid accepting it as truth and throw it away from your mind like that sour grape!
But you might find yourself at work thinking about something which is really bothering you. Instead of televising it to everybody at work, go and talk about it with your senior. But make sure you have reason to complain about something, and that it isn’t your negative attitude that is the problem. But go about talking to your senior in the right manner. For instance, making an appointment when your senior is not busy would be good to do. This way it will be in the privacy of an office and away from other people to hear and have something to gossip about.
Be on time
Being late from work and missing too many days from work is the biggest indicator to employers that you are not 100% committed to your job. You may actually be really committed to your job, but if you get to work late too many times, your employer will have a different view.
Be honest
Employers highly value and appreciate honest employees. For example, some employers put more preference on a person who is honest than another person who has more skills in the job. Showing your employer that you are honest is simple. Tell the truth and don’t steal. If you make a mistake, own up to it as quickly as possible and do not hide information from the employer.
So remember, if you have a job, be appreciative. Work solidly to keep it!
Matthew Coppola 