The Whole Student Guide- Part 1- The Workplace

STCC Adult Education Version

This is was created by the Workforce/College & Career Team* in the Adult Education Office at Springfield Technical Community College

July 2015

Information provided in part by: The Emily Post Institute, The Muse.com, *Volunteer Coordinator, Workforce Readiness Coordinator, and College/Career Advisor.

The Intro:

What is the whole student? The whole student is a HISET graduate who have the skills- personal/social, academic and professional to take on the next steps in their lives with grace, maturity and responsibility. At this point you have helped move your life forward- you’ve decided you want to either a) go to college or b) get a job. You’ve read all our guides and now you’re ready to take the necessary measures to go even further. Read on...

So what’s in this packet? There is a two-part packer-this packet focusing on and social/professional skills and the second focusing on academic skills. Some of the information may be repeated from earlier packets and is a few sections here, but that’s ok- they are worthy to remember and utilize. These are common skills that will come up time and time again. Knowing them will help you be successful and well –adapted to the workplace and college environment.

The workforce

Section 1- Professional Social Skills- Interpersonal Communication:

Social Skills are the building blocks of keeping and acting in a civil society. They are the qualities that make people take notice, earn you respect and overall helped you be liked.

A- Proper greetings: “Say this…. Not that and why”

Instead of saying... Say this Because…Hey, wassup or yo Hello, How are you It’s a more formal, sincere greeting

Aight, yup, ‘kay’, ya Yes, sure, I agree Using full words and sentiments will help clear up any misunderstandings that may arise and better convey your emotions.

See ya, later, Good bye This sums it up- if you follow it up, use full words and proper time distinction. ( See A1)

A1- Time distinction: When expressing you are leaving a situation it is important to clarify when you will be returning to it. This gives both parties the right amount of time to prepare for the next meeting. This shows respect for the other party as well.

When you say…. This is what it most often meansLater (ex. I will see you later) You will see them that in the near future ( a day or two)

In a few* You will see them again shortly after parting. *If you will be away for longer than 10 minutes it is important to add

in the amount of time until you return.Soon It is relatively the same as “in a few” but can be extended

to the immediate future.

B) The handshake- (from themuse.com). In Victorian days- it was deemed that “your right hand is your social hand and your left is your personal hand”. That said when meeting anyone for the first or seventh time it is important to keep your right hand free for the important handshake. Believe it or not there is a proper way to do this.

This is an illustrated guide to a good handshake

Other Do’s: 1) Maintain a good “personal space bubble” (From ettiquete.about.com) - here is a quick reference-

Approximately 3 feet to 10 feet for casual acquaintances and coworkers

More than 4 feet for strangers More than 12 feet for speaking to a

large group

2) Keep your hand straight, extend your hand when they do. Step back when the handshake is completed.

3) And some don’ts: Don’t hold a limp hand, don’t be to firm either, don’t over shake.

C) Phone etiquette: Ah the phone, more so the cell phone. We have evolved to not live without it well so might as make it work for you. The Cell phone:

- Place phone on silent and turn notifications off

- Take personal calls outside, if you cannot leave, keep your voice even and low.- Keep it off the table at meetings or with customers- If you must be reached (sick kid at home or you’re ‘on call’ < think EMT or military

personnel) tell your supervisor the situation so they won’t penalize you.- Remove anything that isn’t a standard ring tone- for all those who will be calling you. (This

means ring back tones or silly voice mail messages.)

- If you cannot keep your phone on silent- keep your ring tone (the one you hear to know someone is calling you) just a ring tone, Again no songs or funny voices. Keep the volume low and pick it up promptly.

The work phone: - Return voicemails that same day if you can or within the next 3 days. - If leaving a voicemail- keep if brief yet informative. This means include the basics the person

will need to a) know why you called and b) what they’ll need for when they call you back.o Date, and time of your call as well as who you are and your title ( if any)o Where you are calling from ( work place or department)o The message highlights (ex. “I am calling to update you on the Pepsi project we

discussed creating a partnership on, last Tuesday during our lunch meeting at Joe’s diner...”)

o Date and time to best reach you and number they can call. (Ex. “please call me on my work phone 413-xxx-xxx, I will be in my office until 4pm.”)

o Say thank you and hang up- Voice mails should stay under 10 minutes, anything longer is a novel and wastes your time

and the time of who you are calling. Save in-depth topics or information for the actual phone call. Also if your name is of the hard to pronounce variety spell our your first and last name when leaving the message. Also repeat your phone number.

D- E-mail Etiquette: At work- Some basic rules-

1) Avoid using your personal e-mail for business while at work. This means don’t send a note to your supervisor from your home e-mail.

2) Don’t waste an e-mail for what a phone call or a quick walk can do (more on this in the dos and don’ts section).

3) Proofread and spellcheck before you send, spell out your words – do not write like you are texting.

4) Don’t mix up “reply” and “reply all”: ‘reply’ will only go back to who sent the note to you, and reply-all will send a response to everyone included.

5) If forwarding an e-mail, delete all the history such so just the main message remains, also explain why you are sending that message along.

6) If the person who sent the message asks for a response- give them one, if not- don’t waste a message letting them know it was received.

How to construct an e-mail: believe it or not there is a format, as there is for resumes and cover letters. Here’s a quick guide.

To: ‘Person’s name <e-mail address> or <testemail@stcc.edu> “Cc. and Bcc”: Cc- means “carbon copy” this allows you to send the same e-mail to many people,

however this will also reveal every person’s address. A better and safer option is to keep them in the ‘to’ field or send separate e-mails. Bcc- means “blind carbon copy”- this option hides all the e-mails of those it is being sent to.

Subject: Let the recipient know what the e-mail is about before they open it. Ex. “I passed my HISET” or “test email- sample file”

- Subject titles are what activate the spam filters, so making it as clear as possible will help prevent that.

The body: Hello,This is an example of an e-mail one would send while at work. In regards to presenting your best self while at work it is important to remember to keep your e-mail brief yet informative. E-mail is not a substitute for where a conversation (in-person) or over the phone can be held. It’s also important to remember that if it will take you longer to write and send the e-mail then it would be to pop down to their office or desk, then don’t opt for e-mail. Let your recipient know the highlights of the subject as well as give a small intro to any attachments included. Please also read the dos and don’ts table for more tips. Include the send-off that will best convey the level or the relationship (between you and your recipient) or reason for the e-mail. If you are sending a thank you note to compliment a hand written one, end with thanks. Always a good option, to end your e-mail with your name or a reaffirming thought- such as – “I will show the Springfield Technical Community College campus- what a focused- ABE graduate can do, bring on the diploma.”

Example userWorkforce Readiness Team

Springfield Technical Community College-Adult Education Center 1 Armory Sq. Springfield, MA 01102

Work phone: (413)755-xxxx fax: (413)755-xxxx While looking for work - Forget the cutesy e-mail addresses- use a form of this <firstname.lastname@domain.com>

and not <baybfaceqt@iluvcats.com>- Send one e-mail with the information asked- cover letter, resumes etc. Wait a week then

send a follow-up or give a phone call.- If your thoughts can be conveyed in less than three sentences- don’t send an e-mail.- Check spelling and grammar as well as the title and proper e-mail of who you are sending

things too. Section 2- Style and GroomingA- The clothes make the man and woman:A good first step is to take note of how people were dressed during your job or informational interviews. Another good way is to visit workplaces (such as the adult education center) to see how the staff dresses, or go downtown and look at how the professionals dress. Here is a nice picture from Tarleton University’s Career Center in Texas.

(http://www.tarleton.edu/careerservices/Students/dress-to-impress.html)For Women For men

No skirts or dresses above mid-thigh; no jean or shorts that go higher than mid-thigh.

No jeans- or khaki’s- make sure your pants fit( no one wants to see your underwear or boxers)

Avoid loud colors and prints, or clothing that is not your size.

No print or graphic t-shirts or sneakers, baggy pants or ripped clothing

Stick with solid colors and neutrals No chains or other jewelry ( except wedding bands)No open toe or club shoes, Simple understated

jewelry ( including rings)Invest in a tie or two, tuck in your shirt

If you need assistance: Dress for Success of Western Mass. Suit up Springfield

530 Worthington Street 26 Worthington St. Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield, MA413.732.8179 413-367-8487

B) Men’s Appearance: Just as the clothes count- so does your appearance. That is the way you present yourself from your hair to facial hair (Insight provided by- Men’s Health Magazine, Esquire and Men’s Journal).

Beards (http://www.menshealth.com/grooming/beard-trimming-tips)- here are some tips:

-Keep it neat/trim, keep it short and keep it clean, - invest in a quality razor, and skin care products and get into a regimen (http://www.menshealth.com/grooming/shaving-beard).

- When in doubt see a good barber (http://brotherhood.theartofshaving.com/barbertips)

Hair- Follow rules for the beard- keep it short/neat and trimmed as well as clean. Invest in a quality barber and learn how to use product.

Eye (brows)/Ears and Nose -The hair on these parts of your body should ideally stay in your body. So trim trim trim!

This guide from Men’s Health is a good place to start from these problem areas. http://www.menshealth.com/grooming/manscaping-your-eyebrows and http://www.menshealth.com/grooming/how-to-manscape-nose-ear-hair

Hands- As your handshake says a lot so do your actual hands. So keep them clean and moisturized. Many professional men have recieved a basic manicure to keep their hands healthy- this includes either trimming or cutting back cuticles, trimming the nails etc.

C. Women’s Appearance: For women- the routine can get a b it more involved, don’t stress here are some few stand by tips for the workplace.

Hair- keep it clean, avoid bright colors, maintain length consistency Nails/Hands- removed chipped polish, keep your nails the same length and clean and

manicured (if you wish), and moisturized. Facial Jewelry- remove it and save it for the weekend. Makeup- don’t pile it on, keep it simple, neutral or understated Shower- There are work incidents due to badly fragrant co-workers

Section 3- Personal Conduct:A-Use of Time: Time is a precious commodity- Valuing it shows respect to whom you’re working with. Honoring it shows your integrity trustworthiness and dependability.

1) Follow-through- if you say ,you will have a document or project started, finished or moved forward in three days, then see to it that it is actually started, finished or moved forward in three days. If you do not have the time say so and offer an alternative arrangement.

2) Be on time- There is a joke that states “if you are on time you are late, if you’re early you’re on time and if you’re late don’t bother showing up”. In general a good rule of thumb- depends on the event. If there are time distinctions (i.e. “this meeting will start at 1pm) pay attention to them. Always ask what time the host (or person who called the meeting) what time they’d like you to arrive and what they would consider late (that is, if they okay it at all).3) Call ahead- If you are running late or are otherwise delayed- let all parties know (if you can) in a decent amount of time ( 15- 20 min). If you are stuck in traffic and think you will not arrive within 30 minutes of when you are supposed to call. If you are delayed in leaving give a half hours’ notice. If the meeting or event can begin without you- give permission to do so.4) Plan accordingly- If you know it takes you 20 minutes to get to work give yourself 30. If you must have multiple appointments in a day try to space them out with 10 minutes to

spare in between. If you need time off or have to leave early give fair notice (check to see what the policies are for your work place.) If you have to leave unexpectedly offer to make up the time to your boss/supervisor. If you have to take more days then scheduled- find a way to get coverage (if you can) or an arrangement to stay on top of your work.

B- Private Lives: There’s work life then there is home life and the two don’t often mix well. Achieving work/life balance is something many people strive for. Here are some tips.

Let your supervisor know of your home arrangements (a shared vehicle etc.) and how they would affect your work performance (ex. Are you the ‘on call’ parent) and work with them to make proper work arrangements (a fixed schedule or ability to come in late etc.).

Take personal calls outside- it will be better for you, whom you’re talking to and your co-workers so nobody’s business is shared where it shouldn’t be.

If you don’t have children or other pressing issues in your life (i.e. you’re the caretaker of elderly parents) then take work time to be just that- time to do your work, and save after hours for your personal life.

Work with your out of work commitments to make arrangements for them. This could be arranging car pools with other parents or having a neighbor pick your child up from the bus etc.

C- Shared Space: From office space, to the break room, you’re going to be working closely to others. Here are some tips for getting along.

Don’t eat other people’s food in the break area- it’s just not cool. Clean up after yourself too.

Mind your half of the cubicle ( if you share one) Bring a sweater- you will not find a harmonious temperature to keep the workplace at and really this is something you have little control of anyhow. Wait in line- for the printer, copier etc. and be on top of your jobs so your documents aren’t lying about to be recycled. Bring headphones- if you listen to music at work, and try to keep from signing (not that you don’t have a lovely voice). Keep your own office supplies handy - ask to borrow, return if you take, replace if you take the last one. If your sick- stay home if you can or bring your own tissues, sanitizer and cold medicine.

D- Working with others: This last sub-section will be about your co-workers- working with them, meeting with them etc. Recognize “office-types” so you can best deal with them https://www.themuse.com/advice/are-you-guilty-of-one-of-these-13-deadly-office-sins?ref=search

In meetings- wait for a pause or permission to talk (i.e. the speaker gives you the go-ahead)

Ask “if it’s a good time” to ask a question- there is a time for small talk too. Don’t ask for favors if you’re not planning to do them one in the present of near- future. Give credit where it is due- if you collaborated and the other person bared most of the weight- share that.

Learn how to give and take criticism (constructive or not), keep your emotions in check.

Final Thoughts: While this guide (again) is not meant to be comprehensive- you may have thought “ hey what about this topic…?”. Don’t worry- you have several well versed career counselors here in the Adult Education Center and at the college who can assist you. This guide hopefully will introduce you to some of the more common work place scenarios and social etiquette. Go forth and climb that career ladder.