THE COMPLETE JOURNAL OF AN OFFICE WORKER

The rate at which youths in Nigeria clamour for white collar jobs has become more pensive as each day passes by. So when God looks down upon you and answers your prayers by including your name among those short-listed for interview, and finally among those employed, remember that white collar jobs require some etiquette that should be observed as this will gain you a legible and prolonged stay. They include;

I. Punctuality

After receiving God’s blessings, you won’t in your right senses wake up by 7:55am to start preparing to go to the office knowing fully well your resumption time is 8:00am. Ensure that you maintain consistency in punctuality to the office. Do not arrive after your boss as it connotes unseriousness and superiority over your boss.

II. Style up nicely

In most offices, there is a dress code provided for all employees to adhere strictly to. If your office does not have a predefined dress code, ensure to create one for yourself, make sure it's something elegant, stylish and smart. Ensure that you put on something official from Mondays to thursdays and something quite casual on Fridays and Saturdays (that is if you work on saturdays). Purchase a gigantic parallel mirror to gaze at every morning before leaving for work, to save you from looking shabby to the office, as an appropriate style up commands trust from your business clients and an unseen respect from your colleagues.


III. Seek before you find

When you have familiarised yourself with your colleagues and maintained a good working relationship with them, ensure to ask for permission from them before making use of any of their properties. When you do this, it will boost your trust percentage level among your colleagues.

IV. Always use the magic words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’

When seeking for any official item either a leave(no matter how long), allowance, or any work related issue always include ‘please’ before and after your statement to show that you were well trained; if you were eventually granted what you requested for, always appreciate by saying ‘thank you’. Even if your request was not granted, you can still say 'thank you', smile and walk away.


V. Tame your tongue

Avoid using vulgar words and don't use slangs like ‘I'm gonna’ ‘I wanna’ among others. Try to speak in a manner that proportionally befits the way you're dressed. Do not interrupt people when they are discussing, rather wait for the discussion to be over before you talk. After you must have learnt how to speak in a good manner, try to always engage in a pro-active frequency reduction therapy; that is your voice should be tuned down when talking to someone on phone or in the office.

VI. Avoid "Amebo" and back biting

Try by all means to refrain from malicious talk, because when you discuss uncanny issues and laugh in a ‘jezebelious’ manner, you reduce your dignity and respect in the eyes of your boss and co-workers. Whenever you see two co-workers gossiping, resist the spirit of participation and it would flee away.

VII. Make your work zone clean at all times

There's a popular saying, ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness’ and as we all know, cleanliness begets friendliness, cleanliness also attracts complements. Before settling on your desk and before leaving the office, ensure that you clean your work zone properly. A little decoration with flowers or pictures of you or an inanimate object won’t be a bad idea. The outlook of your work area describes your personal life, it speaks whether you are organised or not. Do not over decorate or stuff your desk with too many flowers as it will make your table or office loose the official look and also look clumsy.