What New Grads Need to Know: Simple Mistakes That Will Get You Fired

I know we all read a lot of stuff about getting hired, but what about the other end of the spectrum? Beyond just getting the job, what will help you keep it or lose it? Well, recently I have come across some mistakes that new college grads seem to have missed in school. I donot know how they missed these simple ideas, but somehow, somewhere, these common sense things got overlooked. Believe it or not, employers everywhere will be shocked if you make these simple mistakes. In fact, you may even get fired for it. Here are a few simple mistakes that will get you in hot water with your new employer:

1. Not spell checking–It is such a simple thing. I know that spelling is no longer on the schedule at most schools, so I can understand you having issues with that, however to not run a spell check is just stupid. That is what it is there for, right? Even the shortest emails should be run through the spell check to make sure you donot come across as ignorant or just lazy. If you donot want to do that, then use a browser that automatically underlines misspelled words for you. That way you can fix them before you send it out! Never, ever, send anything to your boss or co-workers that you have not spell checked.
2. Bad emails–The same idea goes for content. Okay, there are some times where time is of the essence, but not always. If you are repeatedly sending out badly phrased, text message encoded, garbled and unprofessional emails then you will get fired. It is just a fact. No one wants to dig through all that crud to get to the meat of your meaning. Even worse, if you work in customer service or some other department where you represent the company, those bad emails reflect on the company as a whole. No one will want to work with a company that hires people who sound like a teenager. They want to work with professionals who know what they are doing. Take the time to craft your emails in a professional manner and read them over at least once before you ever, ever send them out.
3. Not listening–There is nothing worse than an employee who just will not listen. They talk over you, they think they know everything, and they get everything wrong! Do not be that person. You do not want to frustrate your boss and co-workers. Make sure you listen before you speak. Really think about what they are saying. If you have questions when they are done, then ask them, but make sure you were listening well enough to know if they just said that already! No boss wants to repeat himself over and over again because you were thinking about what you were going to say.
4. Wrong info–Again, this has to do with taking the time to do things right. A lot of times, you will be working with more than one group, more than one system, or more than one project at a time. If you start mixing them up, small problems become big ones. Not only do you not look like you know what you are doing, but you could end up confusing others. Worse yet, if you are talking to customers or working on sensitive information, you could reveal things that should not be revealed. No one wants to keep an employee who is not able to keep track of what they are working on.
5. Too loud – There is nothing wrong with having a big personality, but no employer wants to keep an employee who disrupts the office. If you are so loud and talkative that people are having trouble working, then you are on your way out the door. Being friendly and sociable is great, but make sure that it stays at a proper volume and in the right areas. Talking in the break room is fine; talking in the middle of the hallway is not. Know where the boundaries are and what the volume level of your office is.
6. Not learning –New jobs require a lot of learning new skills. Some are easy to pick up while others take some time. However, if you have been working on learning for a while and are still no closer to understanding than when you started you may have a problem. The first thing you should do is see if you can get a different view on things. If you have had one person training you, ask if you can talk to another and maybe they can help. However, if that is not possible or still does not help, you may just not be cut out for the job. Do not try to do a job you can’t do. It will not fool anyone. If there is a serious issue, talk to your boss before he comes to you. You may be able to change your duties. If you do not do that, you will eventually get fired. After all, what good is an employee that can’t do the job they were hired for?
7. Too personal – Last but not least is my favorite pet peeve. When you are a new employee, do not get to personal with your boss or fellow employees! You need to ascertain the personal level of the office first. Some offices are close knit. Everyone knows everyone else’s children by name, what issues their pets have, and how they feel come Monday morning. Other offices do not want to know that you spent Saturday hung over or that your dog has fleas. It is always better to stay on the safe side at first and remain professional. Then, later, you can make friends. If you start blurting out all your personal drama, you might be digging yourself into a hole you can’t get out of.

These concepts do not seem too complex to me, but I can’t tell you how many new employees I have seen fail because of them. Do not get fired over a stupid mistake. Take your time to do things right, be professional, and pay attention. It will pay off in the long run. Remember that you only get one opportunity at a first impression, so make it good.

Author Bio:
Ken Myers is the founder of  http://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn’t try to create a need, instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services.