Category: Career

In one week, I will turn the big 33! Woohoo! It is hard to believe that I have been an employee for 15 years already. I have had 35 jobs since I was 17, and I have never been let go from a job, except Campus Pizza in college. Of course, Campus Pizza was run my student managers, go figure! I have had several jobs over the years and have tried to be a good employee overall. Here is what I have learned over the years. Show up consistently, communicate with your employers, and be open to learning and growing.

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Show Up Consistently

This is a big one! I think most people get let go from a job because of attendance. This is the easiest thing you can do in any situation is to just SHOW UP. We all have sick days and this is totally understandable, but you must communicate this to your employer. Communicate anytime you are unable to come to work. Your boss will greatly appreciate it.

If you have to miss work or are running late, your employer is more understanding if you let them know ahead of time. Attendance led to my one and only firing at Campus Pizza in Murray. I had worked there for a little over a year on weekends. When I had performances that conflicted with my shift, I would try to get someone to cover for me.

However, there were times when I could not get anyone to cover my shift. Since I could not find anyone to cover one of my shifts, I got the boot for not being able to find coverage and then not showing up for the shift to perform in a musical. Basically, if you do not show up, it effects everyone else during the shift, no matter the reason. Show up and be on time.

Always Communicate to Your Employers

Communication is key and in the Campus Pizza situation, I should have asked for the student managers cell phone numbers in advance. I called the dining hall before the shift and no one answered the phone so I left a message. The student manager did not get the message, so it was considered a no call, no show. The student manager immediately sent a termination email without talking to me first.

She knew that I had been a reliable employee in the past, but no call, no show means immediate termination for most jobs. As far as communication goes, the situation with Campus Pizza is an anomaly for sure. Post college, I have always been able to contact my employers through email, text, or by phone. In 2022, there is no excuse to not contact your employer about your attendance. There are too many ways to contact your managers so take advantage of it. If you have any other concerns about anything job related, let your managers know in a professional manner.

Be Open to Learning & Growing

Learn as much as you can about your job. Go above and beyond, even at the simplest of jobs. When you continue to learn at your job, you gain more life skills, and it can make even the most mundane jobs more interesting. Always ask questions so that you can become as knowledgeable as possible about the ins and outs of the job.

One of my favorite jobs other than acting was working at Trader Joe’s. I loved bagging groceries and stocking the shelves since I love to organize things. Also, there were so many different tasks to do at Trader Joe’s, so it was never boring. There was always something new to learn.

Futhermore, working at Cracker Barrel helped me with my communication skills because I had to answer the phones and check out guests daily. I learned how to be interested in other people and ask open ended questions to get to know people better.

This is an essential life skill that I have used in all areas of my life. If you ask people open ended questions like” What did you do today?”, you will get most people to open up so quickly. Lastly, there will be changes at work sometimes, so become as informed as possible to continue doing your job efficiently with the changes.

Conclusion

So whether you just got a new job or have been working at your job for years, show up consistently, communicate with your employers, and be open to learning and growing. If you show up well at work, you will feel better about yourself than if you are just doing the bare minimum and barely showing up. Be the best you at all times.

Hope this helps,

Dominique Duarte

Do you have dreams? Do you have goals? Most of us have many goals and dreams, but year after year the goals never become reality. I have realized that for most people including myself, our dreams go unfulfilled because our goals are not clear and we are not taking consistent action to accomplish the goals. If you have goals and you want them to come to fruition, here are some tips to jump start your future.

Sort Your Goals into Different Categories

Separate your goals into multiple categories. For example, I used the following four categories for my goals: spiritual goals, mental/physical health goals, career goals, and family/friend relationship goals. You can choose whatever catergories that work best for you and your life.

I wrote all of my goals down and sorted them into each category. You could also write each category on a separate sheet of paper and think of goals for each category. Use whatever method works best for you.

Write the Actions Needed to Reach Each Goal

We all have dreams, some of us have goals, but taking actions to accomplish those goals and dreams is not always easy. Implement small changes in your current life if you want lasting change. Consistency is the key to success. Once you have written down all of your goals, write the actions you would need to take to accomplish each goal.

Ask yourself: “What would I need to do daily, weekly or monthly to make the goal a reality?” Write all of these actions on paper underneath each individual goal. Begin adding those actions into your daily, weekly, or monthly routines.

Post Goals Where You can See Them Daily

Writing your goals is essential to accomplishing them, but posting the goals where you can see them daily will give you the consistent reminder needed to bring them to life. I have posted goals on my wall since I graduated college and usually accomplish most of the goals on my wall every year.

I have never made a vision board, but these are very popular as well. Writing my goals on a poster board or chart paper has worked for me quite well over the years. But choose whatever method works for you to reach your goals. If a vision board is better for you, then create a vision board. However, you should still aim to write your goals down somewhere that you can see them daily.

Conclusion

Write your goals, sort them into different categories, place your goals somewhere that you see regularly, and take consistent actions toward those goals. These tips can catapult you to your dreams. If you consistently take action on each goal, you are on the right track. Will you always feel like taking those actions? No, you will not always feel like taking action, but it is necessary for long-term change. Be consistent in your daily actions to create change in your life.

Hope this helps,

Dominique Duarte

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What are your goals and what actions could you take to accomplish those goals? Comment below!