Danielle 

How to Be Successful in the Workplace

                Being successful in the workplace requires many steps to be taken.  These tips are not to be taken lightly if you wish to achieve a higher standard of living for yourself and your family.  Not everyone enjoys working, but it is something that everyone must do to survive.  Making the best of a bad situation is the only way to make it through the work day.  Respect, education, and reliability are needed by all co-workers to make a business strive. 

            First of all, being respectful of your co-workers although self-evident, needs to be emphasized.  As with any other situation in which you deal with people, it is a common courtesy to listen without interrupting.  Even if you do not agree with what your co-worker is telling you, you must wait until he is done to correct him or to offer your point of view.  If you don't understand what your boss is telling you, ask questions.  She would much rather try to explain it to you in a different way then have you walk off confused and not understanding the project she has given you.  Especially give your boss the respect she deserves.  Remember she is the one doing your yearly evaluation and she gives out the raises.

            Secondly, continuing your education, while working, shows that you wish to move up and out of your entry level position.  Workplaces love to see someone going back to school.  And many of them will even help pay for it.  For example, full time employees at Foxwoods Resort and Casino can get up to one thousand dollars a year for courses relating to their job.  As a slot auditor, working in the finance department makes it easier to go towards my accounting degree.  Also my boss is very accommodating to my class schedule.  She lets me come in various hours, as long as my work gets done.  Workplaces support people going back to school in many different ways. We have a bulletin board up in the office where I'm allowed to hang up my tests to be viewed by everyone.  This makes me want to strive harder to "show off" to my fellow co-workers.

            Last, the most important requirement for success is reliability.  Always show up on time for your scheduled shift, if not a little bit early.  Attendance is very important.  If you do need to call out, make sure you are giving enough time for a replacement to be found.  Also make sure you contact the correct supervisors following your company’s call out procedures.  Perfect attendance can pay off, literally.  For example, Foxwoods’ policy states that if you maintain perfect attendance and don't use any of your sick time for four consecutive months, you will receive an additional day’s pay.  Maintain these standards for a full year and get an additional days pay on top of the three that you already received throughout the year.  I myself, living paycheck to paycheck, deem it necessary to get any extra money that I can.

In conclusion following these simple steps in your work environment can do nothing but benefit you.  Having respect, continuing your education, and being reliable could make that average three or four percent raise be as high as six or seven percent.  Working doesn't have to be a stressful tedious place to be.  It's all in how you make it!