1. ASManager2.zip Driver
2. J_YOURS.txt File Contents

J_YOURS.txt Driver File Contents (ASManager2.zip)

Name: <  >
Class: <  >
Date: <  >

Your Job

Topics

In this activity you will consider topics of importance after you obtain a job:

- Staying on the job
- Fighting boredom
- Options to quitting
- Quitting

Staying on the Job

Landing your first job is a thrill. It is an accomplishment. It means you, through your own efforts, have impressed an employer enough to hire you. Congratulations!

Usually, there is enough to learn on a new job to keep your mind and body busy for the first day, week, or even weeks. You may be learning so much that you feel confused -- the "I'll never get it" feeling. You may feel tired and irritable when you leave work. Give yourself time.

Take pride in the work you do. If your job is loading the dishwasher, load it like it's Fort Knox! If you don't take pride in your work, no one else will. If you do your work efficiently and cheerfully, your good spirits will be noticed in the work place!

- Be on time.
- Do an honest day's work.
- Obey company rules. (There usually aren't many.)
- Leave at quitting time. (Don't hang around to chat as others work.)

As you gain confidence in yourself and in the work you do, you will begin to relax. You may become too relaxed. Consider a situation that has become too relaxed.

Situation:

Andy and Jean work as partners in a fast-food restaurant. Andy has been on the job for about six weeks; Jean for about two weeks. Both teen-agers know the work well by now.

Andy: Hey, Jean, toss me a salad, will you?

Jean: Sure (and she does, right in Andy's face)!

Andy: (Laughing and wiping himself off) I'll get you for that, Jean.

Jean: Oh, oh, here comes the manager.

(Andy hurries off in the opposite direction toward the washroom.)

Jean: Hi, Mrs. Stern.

Mrs. Stern: Hello, Jean. Where's Andy?

Jean: Oh, he'll be right back. He just went to the washroom.

Mrs. Stern: Already? He's only been here for thirty minutes.

Do you foresee a problem for:

a. Andy
b. Jean
c. Mrs. Stern

<  >


Name and save this file now. (Press ctrl+S, type a name for the file, and press enter.)

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If your answer is "a," you foresee a problem for Andy. You may be right. If Mrs. Stern gets the idea he is taking time away from the job, she may watch him more closely than he finds comfortable. If Jean doesn't tell Andy what Mrs. Stern said, he may not realize why she acts suspicious.

If your answer is "b," you foresee a problem for Jean. You may be right. Andy may indeed try to get back at her. Or, he may not, but she may expect him to and may spend time watching him instead of her work.

If your answer is "c," you foresee a problem for Mrs. Stern. You may be right. If Mrs. Stern is faced with too many Jean/Andy problems, however, she can solve them by firing either or both Jean/Andy.

Save pranks in the name of fun for off the job. It is much easier to create problems for yourself and your co-workers than it is to solve them.

Fighting Boredom

As you gain confidence in yourself and in your work, you will tend to perform your job naturally. The work may begin to seem routine. You may become bored.

Boredom on the job is a tough problem for teen-age workers. Some jobs are boring! But remember that even some jobs you might not get paid for are boring (making your bed, cleaning your room, cleaning the garage, etc.).

At least you get paid for a boring job where you work. Some jobs become more boring if you concentrate on their negative aspects. Look for something positive.

Consider what options you have for making a job less boring. Complete the following thought.

When my job is boring, I can <  >.

In answering the question above, have you considered these options?

1. Quitting
2. Moving up
3. Talking to management about change
4. Improving your attitude

Solutions to Boredom on the Job

1. Quitting

Will quitting solve the problem of boredom on the job?

Temporarily. Because you are just beginning to develop job market skills, the chances are you will get another job that will soon become just as boring as the first one. Carrying out groceries, washing dishes, waiting on tables, etc. may not be too exciting. But... you are gaining in other ways. Consider them.

a. You are starting an employment "record."

b. You are earning your own money, a step toward independence.

c. You are developing employee/employer relationships.

d. You are developing co-worker relationships.

e. You are learning something. Perhaps you are learning a more efficient way to do something because of your job. Whatever it may be, you are learning something.

Ask yourself, If I quit my job will I be able to get a job that won't become just as boring?

2. Moving Up (An alternative to quitting)

Have you considered moving up in the place where you work? Most places have some kind of a hierarchy or promotion structure. If you are a dishwasher, can you become a busboy, or a salad cook? Another job with the same employer may or may not pay more, but the work is a change of pace and you develop a longer work history with the same employer.

Consider this situation:

Sandy has been a dishwasher at the Nanking Cafe for eight months. She earns a small salary. She would like to change jobs, but she wants her job record to show that she has worked in the same place for at least one year. She decides to talk to her employer, Mr. Chien.

Sandy: Mr. Chien, I've been working at the Nanking Cafe for eight months and I hope you are satisfied with my work.

Mr. Chien: I've no complaints with your work, Sandy. You'll be due for a raise after one year.

Sandy: That will be welcome, Mr. Chien, but I'm wondering if you'd consider letting me work as cook when Janet goes on maternity leave?

Mr. Chien: I'll think about it, Sandy. I'll let you know.

What has Sandy learned? Complete the following statement.

Sandy has learned <  >.


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Does your answer consider these points?

a. Sandy will get a raise if she continues as a dishwasher for another four months.

b. Mr. Chien is satisfied with her work.

c. She has informed Mr. Chien of her interest in working as a cook. He might not have thought of it on his own.

d. Mr. Chien is willing to think about her request. He didn't turn her down.

e. Sandy, on her own effort, has the possibility of moving up.

3. Talking To Management About Change (Another alternative to quitting)

If you talk to management about change, what can management do about it? Do you have creative suggestions for easing boredom on the job?

Think carefully about job improvement before you talk to management. Talk to a co-worker about your ideas. Are they practical? Do they cost management money? Time? If your ideas cost money or time, there is little chance management will adopt your suggestions unless you can show that the company stands to gain.

4. Improving Your Attitude

Can you fight boredom with attitude? Can you change your attitude toward your boring job?

No
Yes
Maybe

If your answer is "no" scroll down to the next screen. If you answered "yes" or "maybe," consider "how?" by completing the following thought:

I can change my attitude toward my job <  >.

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Attitude Change: It's hard work.

It's hard work to change your attitude depending on how strong your feelings are about the problem. How strongly do you feel about boredom on your job?

a. Mild dislike for job most of the time
b. Dislike job all of the time
c. Hate job all of the time

a. If you feel mild dislike for your job most of the time, you may be having a normal reaction to routine. You must decide if the money you earn compensates for disliking your job.

b. If you dislike your job all of the time, you may be reacting to routine and the lack of challenge. You must decide if the money you earn compensates for disliking your job.

c. If you hate your job all of the time, you may be feeling unhappy about more than your job. How did you feel about yourself and your world before you took the job? Talk to yourself. Write down your feelings. Is the problem with you or with your work? (It may be the work -- the job might really get you down!)

If you decide the problem is the job, reconsider these options first: 1) moving up, 2) talking to management, and 3) improving your attitude. Would any change brought about by any of these options make a difference in boredom? If the answer is "No," your options are to quit or to tough it out.

When You Quit

Make a thoughtful decision about quitting. You'll feel better about a decision that is carefully considered, than one you make on the spur of the moment. If you walk off the job without giving notice, you earn the disapproval of your employer and may put a burden on your co-workers.

You have a right to quit a job. 
Try to leave good feelings 
rather than bad feelings behind you.

If you decide to quit, quit clean. Give your boss the proper notice with a simple explanation, such as: I'm taking another job; I need more time for school work; I'm looking for a job with more challenge. It isn't necessary to "bad mouth" your job to other employees. A complainer is as boring as any job can be.

At the angle brackets below, type in a reasonable explanation for quitting a job. Imagine you are giving this explanation to your employer.

<  >


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Ask Your Employer to Provide a Recommendation

Ask your supervisor for a recommendation. If an employer hesitates, find out why. You need to know. If you have been a good or satisfactory worker, you deserve a good or satisfactory recommendation.

Summary

Take Pride in Your Work

- Be on time.
- Do an honest day's work.
- Obey company rules.
- Leave at quitting time.

Consider Options to Quitting a Job

- Moving up
- Talking to management
- Improving your attitude

When You Quit a Job, 
Leave with Good Feelings. 
Ask for a Recommendation.


If you haven't done so already, name and save this file now. (Press ctrl+S, type a name for the file, and press enter.)

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end of activity
Copyright Renaissance Learning, Inc.