Workplace Etiquette: Tips on How to Stay Employed and Have a Successful Career

By Dianne Rucker

This self-help guide is a must have for anyone who is still in the workplace; however, it will also be useful to recent high school graduates, recent college graduates, and individuals wanting to excel in their careers. This book contains do’s and don’ts in the workplace and will guide you on how to get off to a good start in the workplace as well as how to remain focused on excelling in your career. This book will also benefit management personnel in achieving desired results from employees through emphasizing high standards and expectations in the workplace.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781640968844

Book preview

My Observation as a Child

I understood the importance of work when I was around five years old. I knew my father went to work every day, and shortly after I was six, he began working two full-time jobs. It was important to him not only to provide for his family but also important for my mother to be a stay-at-home mom. I would wait up for him every night until about 12:30 a.m. so he could help me with my homework. Although he was probably dead tired, he always assisted me with great patience and love. My father began working around the age of eleven to twelve in restaurants. As a young adult, he worked in the private sector and local government. During the era when he worked in the private and public sectors, black employees were subjected to segregation in the workplace. It was tremendously difficult for employees to have to use separate restrooms, enter, and exit the building in the back and even use a separate break and lunchroom from the other employees as well as receive less pay for the same work performed. My father told me there were times he considered quitting the job, but he always thought about his wife and children and their needs so he would not quit under any circumstances.

A few years later, various laws came into existence with the intent of a more equitable workplace, so it was improved. I learned the importance of performing good work, always going to work every day, being on time, and not quitting early in life.

I recall when I was about twelve years old, my mother told my brother, Come on, we’re going to find you a job. She took him to various grocery stores and to get a newspaper route. Again work was stressed early in me and my siblings’ life. My brother has worked in the same industry for thirty plus years and is known in that industry to be very knowledgeable and proficient. He is known to rarely miss work; he’s always on time and is very helpful to others.

I took piano lessons as a young child. My music teacher was impressed with my skills and dedication, so he offered me a job—teaching his young students and older students piano lessons. At this time, I was thirteen years old and had fifty to sixty piano students. Again, I learned the importance of rewards given when you are proficient in any area. I actually taught piano lessons several years to some of my coworkers’ children prior to my getting married. Again, I learned the importance of working and doing a good job.

As a teenager my sister worked at a fast-food restaurant that was thirty miles away. Because my parents knew the importance of working at an early age, they drove my sister back and forth to work thirty miles from our home. My advice is to begin speaking to your children early in life about higher education and the importance of work so it becomes a natural part of their life.

Also the fact that my grandmother was an entrepreneur in the early 1960s was a great example for me to witness. Seeing a woman own a café that was extremely lucrative also showed me that a woman can work hard and achieve whatever she desires. Her café was very well attended, served excellent food, and was a place that many patrons frequented for many years. I expected to be successful because of the family members that were. That’s all I had ever seen. My advice—expose your kids to the work world early in their life so they will understand the importance of it.

The College Years

During your high school years and the early years of college, seriously research and try to determine the best and most interesting profession for yourself. It’s very rewarding to gain knowledge in a particular field and then be able to work in that field. There are thousands of individuals that have degrees but are unable to find jobs that will utilize the education obtained through the degree. My thoughts are they did not do their research in terms of careers in a particular area, or they went into a field that they didn’t like after all. These individuals can still be successful, but it may take them a bit longer to get where they want to be. My recommendation is to go into a field whereby your degree can be used in various areas or fields. For instance, in the business field, you can work in many different areas such as business areas, social services, human services, etc. Bottom line is make sure your degree can be used in various fields.

Also there are many employees that obtain college degrees while working. Many of these employees remain in the same positions even after they obtain a degree because they did not acquire additional work knowledge during their tenure. It is important to learn every aspect of a position, observe the work behavior of your supervisor, and listen to how your supervisor handles various situations so you