There is no such thing as a "dead-end job".
Learn all you can from any job you have. Do it as well as you are able. Look for chances to put your skills to better use. Even if you are not able to move up in this organization, a "dead-end" job can give you a good reference for a different position.

Don't miss work.
A minor illness, like a cold, is not a good reason for missing work. Nor are most personal problems such as child care or getting your car fixed. If you miss more than three days a year for these reasons, it may be too much. Using "sick" time for personal reasons is dishonest. Even if you don't feel well, using too much sick time can call attention to yourself in a negative way. A new employee cannot afford this kind of attention.

Be on time.
There are very few acceptable reasons for being late. Usually, being late is your own fault and could be avoided. For example, "I missed the bus" and "I ran out of gas" are poor excuses. You could easily have avoided either problem.

Call if you will be absent or late.
If you will be more than a few minutes late or absent for any reason, call in at the beginning of the work day. Talk directly to your supervisor and explain the situation. Do not leave a message. Sometimes, you may be able to call the day before you think there could be a problem.

Be neat and clean.
Be careful about your grooming. Be aware of how you look at all times. It is important that your clothes fit well, are clean, and look good. Notice how others dress in jobs similar to yours. Dress at least as well, but cleaner.

Find a "buddy" to help you.
New employees are often assigned to a coworker to teach them the basics of the job. If you are not assigned someone like this, find your own. After you are there a few days, look for someone you think you will get along with and who knows the work. Ask him or her to help you out. Go out of your way to be nice to this person.

Read personnel and procedure manuals.
Most larger organizations have manuals that give the office rules and instructions for doing various parts of the job. Ask your supervisor for these and read them as soon as possible. Many smaller organizations will not have these manuals. You will need to ask your supervisor to explain any special procedures or rules to you.

Stay away from problem employees.
There are always some negative and complaining people in any workplace. Other do things against the rules, waste time, or are not good workers in other ways. They may be fun to be with, but spending time with them will affect your job. Your coworkers and supervisors may begin to see you as a "problem." Be friendly, but do not socialize with people like this any more than necessary.

Keep personal problems at home.
You are paid to get a job done. Do not spend time on personal concerns if you can avoid it. Making personal phone calls, paying bills, coming back late from lunch, talking to other staff about what you did last weekend, or getting to work late for any reason—these are not what you are being paid to do. Although some socializing on the job is common, you can easily overdo it. Limit your personal activities and discussions to breaks, lunch times, or hours outside of work as much as possible.

Keep children at home, too.
They may be the most important part of your life, but child care is not the concern of an employer. If you expect to work full time, you must find ways to separate family responsibilities from your role as an employee. Arrange child care so that you do not miss work when they are ill. Strongly discourage phone calls to or from your children except in emergencies. When interviewing for a job, tell employers that you will be a dependable worker and that child care has been arranged. Assure them that you needn't miss work for this reason—then make sure you don't.

Work fast, but carefully.
It is important to work at a steady and quick pace. Find a pace that you can keep up all day without making errors. Correcting mistakes just wastes time later. This way of working requires concentration. You will need to make good use of breaks and lunch periods for rest.

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