You Got the Job! Now What?
Tips on how to secure your job at your workplace
Congratulations! You received a job offer and cannot be more thrilled to start working. You filled out the human resources paperwork, completed the orientation, and are now in an exceptional position to work for a company that has given you a shot at doing some great things.
Your performance is being tracked and you will most likely be reviewed, analyzed, and evaluated at almost every turn. The company that hired you is paying your salary and benefits after all, so of course they want to make sure that their investment is helping their bottom line.
The last thing any working professional wants to hear is that they are being laid off or fired. In this article, we will go over the top reasons why people are let go, and ways to avoid that from happening.
According to The Balance Careers, the top 10 reasons an employee gets fired are listed below:
- Damaging Company Property
- Drug or Alcohol Possession at Work
- Falsifying Company Records
- Insubordination
- Misconduct
- Poor Performance
- Stealing
- Using Company Property for Personal Business
- Taking Too Much Time Off
- Violating Company Policy
Some of these reasons might fall into the category of ethical wrongdoings (falsifying company records, using company property for personal business, drug or alcohol possession at work, stealing), breaking company policy (since each company’s policies are different, we will leave this open-ended), and most importantly, not possessing the proper soft skills at work (insubordination, misconduct, poor performance, taking too much time off).
Other reasons an employee can be fired include: lying on a resume or job application; not being able to get along with co-workers or management; and/or for posting on social media sites while at work. If you are currently an at-will employee, this means that your employer can fire you without giving too much of a reason.
How can you keep the job you have, and continue advancing in your career?
There are 3 important components to look at when it comes to keeping the job you have: Developing Job Related Skills, Self-Management Skills, and Transferable Skills.
Job Related Skills are important for when you are first interviewing for a job. It tells the employer that you have the basic skills, abilities, credentials, education, and experience, to perform the essential functions of the job that you will be employed in. The most important thing here is to remain relevant in your field by training and advancing your professional knowledge. Try and learn various tools, technologies, and equipment so that you can be ready to take on a different role, if necessary. It also allows you to remain flexible, which in the eyes of your employer, can be a wonderful thing.
Self-Management Skills, also be known as your attitude or one of your soft skills could impact how employers see you getting along with managers, coworkers, and customers. Your attitude also demonstrates how you would handle and resolve interpersonal conflicts, and pressure or problems on the job. It is essential that you take personality tests so that you can see where your downfalls are, and what you need to work on.
Transferable Skills are qualities that you possess which can translate to multiple job functions at various organizations. Maintaining transferable skills will allow you to multi-task more efficiently and effectively. Employees who have transferable skills tend to be more promotable, and learn new jobs or tasks easier and quicker.
In closing, there are some things we cannot control like being laid off. However, you can at least protect yourself from being fired by taking initiative in promoting your self-growth, not being afraid to learn new skills, and building relationships with your managers, coworkers, and customers.
Written by: Steven Heinitz, Career Consultant, TANF
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