Working A Lead - What You Should And Should Not Do
Leads are the most difficult job to get when starting out. As a result, people often end up in dead-end jobs that they hate because they don't know what else to do. This blog will help you avoid that fate by explaining what not to do! Here's a list of things you should and shouldn't do while working leads:
* Don't come into work super late or leave early at the end of the day every day
* Don't spend all your time playing games at work or doing personal things like browsing Instagram (don't be afraid to take a bathroom break though!)
* Make sure that your lead is productive for as much time as possible. Leave the job with your lead to go on a call if you think he or she will be more productive then and come back when the call is done.
Don't worry about lunch breaks or leaving at the end of the day too early. You are not getting paid to eat. You are not getting paid to do personal things. Don't stress about your productivity because it will impair your ability to be productive in the future
* Don't take time off if you can avoid it. Many people make a habit of taking entire days off work even if they don't need it. Sure, people need to take time off sometimes. However, if you can avoid it, you shouldn't take a day off in the middle of the week unless you have already worked pretty much your entire scheduled hours for that week.
Don't take time off if you don't need it!
* Don't come into work late or leave early every day because of your personal life. Yes, we all need to work around our schedules and do things outside of work. However, try to keep your work schedule as consistent as possible so that clients and managers can see how efficient and reliable you are at your job.
* Don't come into work late or leave early every day because you are taking too many days off. Sometimes people don't realize that it is allright to take a day off if they are working more than 40 hours a week. However, if you work close to 50 hours or more then you need to plan better and be more efficient with your time! Many people think that by taking some days off here and there they are free to go out drinking, etc. This is not the case, however. Your boss needs to see how much you value your job!
Don't take time off because of personal life!
* Don't waste your time on small things that won't add any value or improve anything in the long run.
Don't take time off because of personal life!
* Don't "check out" at the end of the day. If you are working a lead job, then your lead is just going to get assigned to someone else if you stop doing your job. You need to show that you are a valuable part of the team and that you have an interest in doing your job well!
Don't "check out!"
* Don't pet your cat during teleconferences. This one is more of a joke, but it has happened in real life and it's pretty funny. Only do this if you have permission from your boss or senior manager (and even then, only sometimes).
Don't pet your cat!
* Don't take a 30-minute lunch break. If you are working a lead job, then you need to be back at work as quickly as possible. You will make less money if your leads fall behind and workers have to pick up the slack while you are out eating. This can also give others an excuse to leave early every day since they know that you are out at lunch for so long.
Don't take a 30-minute lunch break!
* Don't start out by taking a regular team member job. Most people I know who work leads do not start out as workers. They move up from there. So if you are trying to get a lead job, then stay away from workers until you have learned the ropes of working leads.
* Don't take any teams at first, no matter how desperate and enthusiastic you think they are. First, it is very difficult to find a good team after being unemployed for so long. Second, your skills may be better used on a different team since many teams want people with more experience than you.
* Don't leave a team if you feel like you are doing a bad job. This is obvious, but you do need to stay in the job you are in even if it makes you miserable!
Be part of the team that you don't like!
* Don't look for another job. With all the training and support that I provide in my program, I can almost guarantee that if you are willing to put the effort into getting a job then chances are good that it will take care of itself. Plus, there is no better way to get out of dead-end jobs than by getting a good job!
Don't leave a bad team!
* Don't be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes you just need advice from another coworker or someone in management.
Ask for help!
* When it comes to clients, don't expect too much right off the bat. Many people think that because they are a lead they should be able to get any lead that they want. Although this is understandable at first, let's not forget that we will have to go through training just like everyone else before getting an actual client. If you are going to work leads, then remember that some of your coworkers are new and inexperienced at choosing leads so it may take them longer than you to find a good one.
Don't expect too much at first!
* Don't complain about your job if you don't like it. A lot of people like to complain about their job, but it won't help you to do this. Jobs are hard to get so if you don't like it then find a new one!
Don't complain!
* Don't go into a lead job unless you are willing to take responsibility. Many people think that they should be able to goof off during the day and then go home without having done anything productive. This is not so with lead jobs because if the leads fall behind, then others will have to pick up the slack while you continue to waste time during the day.
Take responsibility!
* Don't try to be someone else's boss/senior manager.
Conclusion
It's not always easy to stay positive and to keep a good attitude in a dead-end job, but it is possible. I have seen and helped people just like you turn their careers around and you can do it, too! If you have any questions or comments about this post, then please leave them in the comments section below!
Thanks for reading! Timothy Barrett, your Career Coach and Career Support Specialist at http://www.CareerHacker.org .
P.S. If you've found this article to be helpful then please share it with your friends via Twitter, Facebook or whatever other social media website is popular these days! Thanks again! :-)
© 2011 Timothy Barrett @ http://www.