How NOT to get fired: Staying Employed Even When You Don’t Like Your Job
\"It\'s not that I\'m lazy…I just don\'t care!\"
Unless your boss decides he wants to hire his girlfriend to do your job (in other words – if there are things completely out of your control), there are steps you can take to help ensure you will not get fired.
1) Do your job. Do what you have been hired to do. Do it without complaining, do it exactly as you were directed, and do it on time.
2) Do more than your job. If you find a better way (for the company) to do some aspect of your job that will save the company money, materials, or time – follow the protocol to implement those initiatives of yours. Going above and beyond what is expected of you is always, always a good thing to do (in life, too!) Your blessings for your good deeds will come back around to you a thousand times over.
3) Help others. Once you have your job done beyond established expectations, ask your colleagues if they need any help.
4) Get kudos in writing! If your boss (or a client) says you did an amazing job on a project, ask them if they would mind jotting that down in a note, a memo, or a letter for your “brag book” ! You will be surprised how many of those “good job” notes you can accumulate. (If you are ever considered for firing, you have that book of written proof how great you have been all along!) Also, once you quit or are asked to leave a job, it is a lot harder to get letters of recommendation and notes stating how wonderful you “were” on a project you did a year ago. If you need help designing a “(self) sales brag book” – we can help!
5) Don’t gossip – in life, at work, anywhere.
6) Be clean and neat. Wear pressed, spot-less clothes; shower every day; have clean fingernails; floss your teeth; clean your eyeglasses; make sure you don’t have (or take care of if you do) any body odor.
7) Do NOT drink ANY alcohol at ANY company function. EVER. I cannot stress this enough. It WILL come back to haunt you later. Even if you are an alcoholic, take it to the local watering hole (or better yet, go to an AA meeting). Never, ever drink at lunch or at ANY COMPANY EVENT whatsoever! If you don’t think you can possibly turn down “free” alcohol at the company’s family picnic or holiday party – then DON’T ATTEND. In addition, should you be asked to attend a baseball game, a fishing trip, or a day on the corporate yacht with the boss, the business owner, or a key decision-maker – DO NOT DRINK ANY ALCOHOL. If asked why you are not drinking, just say “I need to get a good night’s sleep tonight because I…have a lot to do tomorrow…run 20 miles every Saturday morning…am helping a buddy move early in the morning…(whatever)!
8) Do not be the last one to arrive to work and the first one to leave. This doesn’t mean you have to show up before the birds are awake, or stay long after everyone else is asleep at your home, but arriving 15 minutes early and leaving 15 minutes after you are supposed to will help you de-stress and show you like your job enough to be there 30 minutes extra each day.
9) Have a little “bounce” in your step. Doesn’t have to be blatantly noticeable to the untrained eye, but don’t (literally) drag your feet.
10) Get to know everyone – everyone – by name and address them accordingly. That means saying “Good morning Susie!” to the cleaning staff lady, knowing the maintenance guy, and remembering the name of the security guard. Acknowledge, respect, and greet ALL employees at your place of work. Together, you all contribute to the success of the company. Don’t ever think you are better than anyone else at your place of employment, or that your job is more important; remember, you are just two words away from not getting another paycheck – You’re Fired!
If you have already broken all these rules – start today. You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) tell anyone at work that you are turning over a new leaf and are now going to become the ideal employee, just do it. From tihs day forward, do your job – do it well – take pride in yourself and your work – and present yourself in a professional and socially-acceptable way.
And, just in case your boss starts dating the new employee, have an updated resume ready to email, snail mail, or hand deliver on a moment’s notice.
