46 | The Lion King
Rules to help you
keep your job
By Judy Nwobi and Ugochi Okafor
I
f you find yourself cleaning out your
desk and starting a new job every nine
to 12 months, the problem would most
probably be YOU, and not your boss or
colleagues. Here are some simple rules
to ensure you keep your job.
1. Understand your
company’s corpo-
rate culture
It is important to understand your
company’s corporate culture and to
match it in words and action. If you
work in a prim-and-proper button down
office, do not show up in jeans and a
T-shirt. If you have a dress code, keep
to it.
2. Competence is
not enough
You were hired because your employer
thought you could do the job. However,
competence alone is not enough to
succeed; you need to be passionate
about your work and take pride in
it. Tossing things together at the last
minute does not show passion.
3. Work is not
really about
having fun
Many young employees talk about
having “fun” at work. This is a mistake.
There is always an element of levity in a
good office with occasional jokes here
and there, but remember that you
Career Tips
work to make money for the company,
not to have fun on the days between
weekends.
4. Behave at staff
meetings
Catch the rhythm of the staff meeting.
Are they formal or informal? Is it accept-
able to do other work on the laptop
and occasionally check your cell
phone for text messages, or will that
upset your boss? When in doubt, leave
the laptop and phone behind.
5. Take
responsibility
No one is perfect, and if you make a
mistake, immediately take full respon-
sibility for it, do not blame others, and
