9781422274859

But stop right there! Just because you’ve landed a job doesn’t guarantee that you will be successful. You need to work very hard to develop new competencies, get along and work effectively with your coworkers, meet the expectations of your boss, and otherwise fit in. These things are important because you don’t want to be just any worker on the job. You should strive to become an invaluable member of your company or organization. Try setting yourself apart from your coworkers in terms of job performance, because people who become invaluable in the workplace eventually receive more challenging and rewarding work assignments and, eventually, pay raises and promotions. After years of hard work, some new workers even become chief executive officers (CEOs) of their companies. For example, Chris Rondeau started his career as a front-desk clerk at Planet Fitness, one of the largest franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States. After years of hardwork and promotions, he became the company’s CEO in 2013. Tricia Griffith started out as an entry-level claims adjuster and eventually became the CEO of Progressive Insurance after three decades at the company. Many people believe that it’s easy to be successful at work. If that were true, everyone would be a CEO or eventually own a company. Onemain reason young workers have trouble on the job is that their expectations may not match those of their employer. According to surveys of employers, there are some typical unrealistic new-worker expectations: • I can arrive a fewminutes late for work every day if I get my work done. • I can choose my work assignments. • I can take extra time for lunch or coffee breaks if I feel like my work is on schedule. • I have the right to not be monitored all the time by my boss.

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