You got the job so why are you acting like you don’t want it? You show up every day and work hard, so what’s the problem?

 

Sometimes it’s the small things that can chip away at your productivity and reputation at work, whether they’re intentional or not. Make sure your actions aren’t speaking louder than your words and stay away from these bad habits:

 

1. Being late

You can’t change your work history or your current skill level (you’re working on that), but you can be at work on time.

 

If punctuality has always been tough for you, prepare everything you can the night before. Then give yourself enough time to get to work on your worst day, every day.  

 

2. Complaining  

A workplace is like any other place, it’s never perfect. But don’t be the person everyone can rely on to point out the obvious.

 

If you’re constantly pouring energy into complaining, you’re not going to be productive. And people will notice. It’s a red flag to others that you don’t take responsibility for your actions and you can’t handle change — two things that are not going to get you promoted any time soon.

 

3. Forgetting the team

Being a lone wolf might work when you need to focus, but it does little to build the kind of camaraderie you need to be successful at work.

 

It’s a mistake to believe you don’t need the support and cooperation of others. You will be measured on your own performance, but it will improve when you work well with others.

 

You’ve worked hard to get where you are today. Don’t let a few bad habits hurt your reputation and jeopardize your job. There’s no shame in taking responsibility and turning a potential problem into an opportunity. 



This article first appeared on Randstad USA’s career resources

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