Lauren shows initiative

OK, you've got yourself a new job. But just how do you hang on to it?

Our trainees have done well. All six who finished Bricking It have jobs to go to. And they're well prepared. Dr Phil has made sure that they understand exactly what they'll have to do to keep them.

Employers expect…
Dr Phil has hammered home the message that all employers expect their workers to:

• be punctual – good timekeeping is essential
• be at work – unless they're ill or there's an emergency
• be productive – get the job done even if it isn't that interesting
• show commitment – be positive and pull their weight
• show initiative – get on with things without waiting to be told to
• co-operate – respect, and do their best to get along with, everyone else
• pay attention to detail – follow plans and instructions to the letter
• work accurately – meet exacting standards and avoid making expensive mistakes
• be responsible – exercise self control, work safely, behave and dress appropriately
• be honest – earn their money and own up to mistakes
• be open-minded – accept and act on any criticism and advice they get
• be ready to learn – improve and extend their knowledge and skills.

Falling short of the expectations
Most employers give their workers a couple of chances. But that's it. They can't afford to carry people with poor work habits for very long. It's expensive. It eats time and money. It causes problems for others who have to pick up the pieces.

Dr Phil dismissed four trainees because of their poor work habits. Ricky, Dan, Gregory and Soaps pushed him to the limit. And between them, they did a good job of demonstrating exactly how not to hold down a job. Their 'sins' included:

• turning up when they felt like it
  
  Well, life's a struggle, early mornings are a killer and what are a few minutes between friends anyway?
  
  
• doing a poor job
  
  What, you mean there's a problem with trying to catch a few Zs at work, forgetting to look at the plans and getting centimetres and millimetres mixed up?
  
  
• putting themselves first
  
  Well, you just can't respect some people. And it's hard to concentrate on the job when life's getting you down, or you've got family responsibilities or a good party to go to.
  
  
• not learning from experience
  
  You mean the boss meant what he said? Surely not. No-one's perfect and everyone's allowed a few mistakes.

Few employers would have given these trainees as much leeway as Dr Phil gave them. They had repeated warnings. They'd been told what would happen if they didn't improve. And yet they were still shocked when they got the sack. Unbelievable.

Make sure it doesn't happen to you
If you're job hunting, remember that finding a job is only half the battle. You'll have to work equally hard at keeping it. Don't make the same mistakes as Ricky, Dan, Gregory and Soaps. If they remind you of yourself, take action now. Figure out:

• where your work habits let you down
• what you can do to improve.

Start by checking out Dr Phil's advice on survival techniques.