Always Phi Mu - At the Office

At the Office

Phi Mu Experts

Successful Women in Male Dominated Career Fields Tips from the Intern Queen Phi Mu at the Office

At the Office Topics

Tips for Making it Count Dating Within the Company Filling Out the Paperwork Dressing for Work Business Communication Business Etiquette

Websites

Yahoo!Hot Jobs Career Builder

Articles

Job Hunting in an Unsteady Economy Five Steps for Updating Your Resume

Books

Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk About How To Do It Right by Linda K. Trevino and Katherine A. Nelson Emily Posts The Etiquette Advantage in Business by Peggy Post & Peter Post They Don't Teach Corporate in College

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Tips for Making it Count

The road to success can start with the small things you do around the office.

Do not differentiate by position or standing within the company. Secretaries and janitorial staff actually have tremendous power over the operation of your office.
Make a point to arrive ten or fifteen minutes early for everything. It is always a great practice to be early rather than right on time to ensure that you give yourself plenty of time for those unexpected things that WILL happen.
Take an interest in the lives of your co-workers; it can help connect you with the people you work with. When you need assistance on a project, they will often be first in line to help.
Have a consistent demeanor to improve your credibility. Make sure you are polite, courteous and responsible at all times in your office
Always attend meetings; if a topic is important enough to call a meeting, be considerate of the participants' time and ensure that you are well prepared.
Always return calls. Even if you do not yet have an answer to the caller's question, call and explain what you are doing to get the requested information, or direct them to the appropriate place to get it.
If you are away from the office, place an out of office message on your e-mail and have your calls routed to a co-worker. At the very least, set your voicemail message so that callers are notified that you are away and when they can expect a return phone call.
When you initiate a call and get a receptionist or secretary, identify yourself and tell them the basic nature of your call. That way, you will be sure you are getting the right person or department and the person you are trying to reach will be able to access the appropriate information and help you more efficiently.
Make sure your voice mail system is working properly and does not tell the caller that your mailbox is full, transfer them to nowhere or ring indefinitely.
You do not have to reply to obvious solicitations. If someone is calling to sell you something, you can indicate that you are not interested and hang up without spending too much time on it.
Personalize the conversation. Many people act in electronic media (including phone, voicemail and e-mail) the way they act in their cars. They feel since they are not face-to-face with a person, it is perfectly acceptable to be abrupt, crass or rude.