Working in an office can be either the dullest thing you've ever done, or it can be something new and exciting. Whether the thought of it makes you want to run your own foot over with a car or skip through a field of daisies, though, it's likely that you will need to at least consider an office job at some point in your life, even if only part time.
You can make your office experience work to your advantage. If nothing else, it will slightly impress
future employees, depending on the office, your boss, and how long you worked, as well as what your previous employer has to say about you. Let's start from the beginning.
Getting the Job:
The Resume`
First, spelling is essential. "Resume`" is a piece of paper that, essentially, lists your credentials. "Resume" is a verb meaning "to continue."
Make it short and sweet. It needs to be to the point. Don't include every club you were involved in. If at all possible, make your resume` job specific. If you're looking to be working in a law firm, you don't need to mention that you took three years of theater. Mention only those things which are essential to your field. Most of the time, simply the name of the high school, the years you attended, and your final GPA will suffice.
Include skills. If you don't know how fast you type, take a guess, or find a typing test online. Potential employers want to know how you're going to be of benefit to them.
The basics of a resume` include your objective (what you're hoping to achieve), your education, previous employment (company or firm, position, and years you worked there), and any essential skills. Do not include references in your resume`. References should be on a separate page, and include them only if potential employers ask.
Phone Conversations
Once a potential employer has established contact with you, do your best to be available. They will most likely call in daytime hours, when they are at work. You don't want work to interfere with your time to relax; they don't either. Try to be available. If you're not available, and they leave a message, call back as soon as possible.
Be polite. "Yes sir" and "Yes ma'am" go a long way. Don't talk to them like you talk to your friends and family; do not try to be familiar. This is a professional relationship, and you should treat it as such.
Always let them speak first. If a potential employer calls you, he or she will have specific aims and specific questions that they want to ask you. Let them ask their questions, and do not offer any more information than they ask for. You're more likely to incriminate yourself that way, and they don't want to know anyway. Don't try to suck up over the phone, and don't try to make yourself sound pristine. Just be honest, and answer their questions.
The Interview
Dress nice, but don't overdo it. Slacks and a button-down shirt will work just fine. Preferably no tennis shoes, and keep jewelry to a minimum. Guys, take out any piercings that you have. Women, try to keep it to studs. No body piercings, no jewelry that makes noise, and nothing that will draw attention away from your face. Present yourself respectfully. Take a shower (be sure not to walk in with wet hair, though), comb your hair, brush your teeth.
Assert yourself respectfully. Walk straight, don't slouch, and always look them in the eye. Introduce yourself and shake hands, but don't sit down until they offer you a seat. Again, "Yes sir" and "Yes ma'am" go a long way. Follow the same guidelines as your phone conversation: let them speak first, don't give any more information than they need, and be polite.
Be confident and positive. Smile. People don't want to hire grumps (unless it's well worth their time and money), so having a positive attitude will put you ahead. Speak clearly, and keep to the point. Avoid fillers ("um," "like," "uh," etc.), and always look them in the eye, whether they are speaking to you (this lets them know that you are listening) or you are speaking to them (this shows confidence).
Settling In:
Congratulations, you're hired! Remember that once you have the job, losing it can be just as easy (if not easier) than getting it. Let's look at some ways to ensure your job security.
Dress and Appearance
If a high school dress code would ban it, it's probably not appropriate for the office, either. Men, you're probably better off with slacks and either a polo or a button-down shirt, and a pair of dress shoes (loafers are fine, too, but no tennis). Ladies, nothing revealing. Dress, skirt, or pants, it doesn't really matter; just make sure you're presentable. No spaghetti straps; no flip-flops; no low-cut blouses; no hip huggers; no shorts.
Ladies, unless you want to be soaking your feet every night, I'd suggest not wearing high heels to the office. Invest in a pair of comfortable flats, because you're likely going to be walking around the office quite a bit.
Keep up with personal hygiene. No one wants to smell your body odor. Brush your teeth, use deodorant, take a shower every once in a while. Basic hygiene.
Your Desk and Space
Find out your firm/company's policy on personal memorabilia before you bring in ANYTHING. Find out from co-workers, or ask your boss explicitly if you have to.
Don't overload your desk with personal items. One or two pictures will suffice. You need desk space to work, and you need to maintain a sense of professionalism. Having a picture or two lets people know that you're still human, but you have enough conviction to work, since that's what you're there to do anyway.
Keep your desk neat, but not pristine. Spending too much effort in keeping your desk as nice as possible will only detract from your actual work efforts. So keep it relatively neat; make sure there's space to work, and don't leave trash on your desk, but it's okay to leave a pen and an occasional paper clip or two lying on the surface. (I currently have a pile of binder clips, because we have too many in our office.)
Clients
Treat clients as respectfully as possible. NEVER be rude to a client, no matter how he or she treats you. When speaking to them, refer to them as "sir" or "ma'am," and be polite. These people are the reason you have a paycheck.
Client confidentiality should NEVER be broken. Never talk about clients outside the office. Don't mention names, addresses, street names, fees, problems, NOTHING. It is illegal to talk about clients outside of the contracts and legal processes that they are involved in.
General Attitude and Behavior
Be professional. Don't cuss or use a lot of slang; don't treat the office like your home. Maintain a professional attitude, and be respectful.
Don't waste time. There is almost always something that needs to be done, or something that you can do to make things more efficient. If you're given an assignment, do that assignment. If you have questions, ask questions; don't sit and hope for a sudden wave of genius to hit you. Avoid the internet if it's not part of a job or assignment. Most companies have a lot of sites blocked anyway. Be efficient, do your job, and do it well. You are paid to work, and you should give everything you can.
Co-Workers:
General Etiquette
The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be polite to your co-workers. Don't talk about them behind their backs. Help them when they need your help, and allow them to help you if you need theirs. Don't pick fights, and try to be as pleasant as possible. If you have an unpleasant co-worker, being unpleasant back to them will only make matters worse. You work with these people; you see them every day. Don't make the relationship intolerable.
"Getting to Know You"
Don't explicitly ask personal questions about your co-workers. Instead, stay quiet for the first week or two, and pay attention to the office gossip. When you work in close vicinity with the same people day after day, you tend to know a lot about each other. So listen to what they tell each other. Pay attention to what your co-workers have on their desks (pictures and personal items); you'll often find clues to their personal lives.
Accept invitations to ask questions. While you don't want to jump right in and start asking about their favorite food and color, often a co-worker will say something that leaves room for a polite question. Like if a co-worker says, "My son is going to be enrolling in Little League baseball," it's okay to ask how old the son is. If it's a female co-worker, she's likely to tell you much more than his age. Working in an office gets tedius, and one way to fight the tedium is talking about EVERYTHING, and this is what office workers, especially females, tend to do.
Involve yourself (mildly) in your co-workers' lives. If you know that a co-worker's daughter played in a basketball game Friday night, ask her how the game went. If a co-worker has plans to travel one weekend, wish them well on their travels. It's okay to talk to your co-workers.
Give, instead of just taking. You're going to find out information from them, so it's only right that you give information back. Usually they'll ask for it. They'll jump on whatever it is that they know about you, and they'll go from there. Tell them as much as you're willing to.
Co-Ed Co-Workers
Personal relationships: avoid them whenever possible. Imagine the following scenario: you meet a great guy/girl at work; the fact that you work together seems to make the relationship the height of perfection. You get involved, go out, and get really close. Then, tragedy strikes the relationship (he/she cheats, you discover that you're not as compatible as you think you are, he/she decide to undergo a sex change, etc.). Now you're dealing with a breakup, and you still have to see this person every day! It's best to avoid this sort of thing altogether.
Also, getting into a relationship with someone at the office will jeopardize both your positions. You're likely to be seen in the light of not taking your job seriously, or co-workers will complain that you spend too much time with your significant other instead of on your job. Office relationships will usually end up in the termination of the relationship or your job, or both.
Treat them the same way you treat same-sex co-workers. If someone buys lunch for the office, they're not going to leave someone out simply because they happen to be a different gender. So be just as respectful to an opposite-sex co-worker as you are to your same-sex co-workers.
If you're the only worker of your sex (a male in an office of females, or a female in an office of males), don't take advantage of your position. Most people know that the odd man (or woman) out in any group is going to get attention from everyone else. Yes, you can use this to your advantage (females can usually get a free lunch), but don't overdo it. Don't accept every offer you get, and don't constantly ask for favors. Even if they are perfectly willing to do everything you ask, it is unfair to ask favors on the premise that you know they'll do it, no matter what it is.
The Boss:
Etiquette
Be respectful. While this is a must in any business relationship, it is especially prudent in your relationship with your boss. Remember, this person hired you; they will be signing your checks and deciding what responsibilities you hold, and they will be called by future employers who want to get an idea of what kind of worker you are. Give your boss a good reason to give you a good review.
