At the very center of having a successful career is behaving professionally. Perhaps you are fresh out of college looking to learn the ropes or maybe you’re just looking to become a better employee overall. No matter your reasoning, you can behave professionally by arriving to work prepared, having good morals, and honing your skills
Arrive five minutes early each day.
Don’t be that employee that’s barely making it in the door at 8:00AM or the one who regularly comes fifteen minutes late. Get up early in the mornings so you can arrive to work early. This will show that you are dedicated to your job.
Don’t rush out at 5PM, either. Stay a few minutes afterwards to check emails or finish up tasks.
Dress well and maintain good hygiene.
In addition to punctuality, professional dress is very important. Invest in a few good outfits for work. Iron your clothes the night before so that you aren’t rushed and wrinkled in the morning. Shower daily and keep your hair well-kempt and out of your face.
Organize your space well.
Keep your desk, cubicle or office space neat. Put papers in drawers or filing cabinets and try to have as little clutter on your desk as possible. Wipe it down regularly to keep it clean.
Follow company policies.
Take some time to read your company’s manual to make sure that you are following all of the rules. If you are in violation of any of these rules, consult with your boss.
For instance, perhaps you are in a relationship with a coworker. If this is against company policy, you need to inform your supervisor and end the relationship or else find another job.
Keep your private life private.
At work, avoid discussing intimate details about your life with your coworkers. Keep discussion of sex and fights with your partner off the table completely.
Create friendships at work, but keep your discussions light while in the office. Keep the focus on work.
Be where you say you’ll be.
If you tell your boss that you will go to a meeting in her place, go. This will help to establish trust between you and others. Keep all of your meetings and appointments unless something serious, like an illness, comes up to change it.
Apologize when you make a mistake.
Even if you are a model employee, you are bound to slip up from time to time. When this happens, don’t shift the blame to others but take full responsibility instead. Apologize for the errors you made and put steps in place to avoid them in the future.
You might say “I’m so sorry for missing that meeting with the pharmaceutical company. I accidentally double booked myself that day. I have rescheduled the meeting for tomorrow. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Keep out of office gossip.
Even when others in the office are badmouthing people, keep out of it. Don’t involve yourself in people’s pettiness or else you could find yourself in trouble. When gossip comes up, try to change the subject or walk away.
Read articles related to your job to stay up to date.
Each day, try to find at least one article related to your line of work to read. This will ensure that you are staying updated. You will also have material to discuss with your coworkers in staff meetings.
Attend trainings in your field.
Many offices will pay for their employees to go to trainings or conferences related to their work. Look into some of these and put in a proposal with your boss to get funding to go. These are great experiences for you to expand your knowledge.
Take notes in departmental meetings.
When in meetings, avoid getting on your phone or drifting off. Instead, stay focused, listen, and take notes. Though they may be boring, there is likely some very important information being discussed that you can use to become a better professional.