So you have finished a certificate(s) or degree and you’re ready to apply for a job. Not so fast. You need to get your own house in order before you send out your first resume because a job requires a bunch of commitments. Let’s do a self-assessment first:

• Bring your best personal traits to work. Habits and attitudes must be positive to have a successful career.
• Attendance and punctuality. Both are non-negotiable. You MUST be at work on EVERY assigned day and you MUST be on time. Anything less and you are a candidate for replacement. There are more candidates waiting for your job so don’t give your employer a reason to replace you.
• You need to be well groomed. This includes bathing daily, clean clothing and neat appearance.
• Understand body language, both from the people with whom you interact and the attitude you project.
• Build and protect your reputation. Consider how your actions may be perceived by others.
• Respect your fellow workers and supervisors. You must get along with both or risk losing your job or promotions.
• Understand that working overtime does not mean you can skip or be late for your regular assignments. Don’t accept the overtime if it will prevent you from doing your job.
• Become versatile and be moved from task to task without complaint.
We’ll continue with this job prep on the next blog. Wait for it…