An Interview with Jason on How to Be Effective Team Player in Future Occupations
There are several ways to be an effective team player. The first thing that Jason should do is understand that there will be a diversity in his coworkers and that he should try to respect their opinions whether or not he agrees with them. Jason also needs to be willing to be honest and straightforward when he has something to say rather than beating around the bush. This makes Jason seem socially reliable, but he must also be sure to be reliable in his career deadlines and requirements (Riggio, 2013). If Jason is either really ahead of his tasks, or has already finished his tasks, he should also be willing to help out other coworkers who are struggling behind. That doesn’t mean that if he’s behind that he should complain until someone helps him as that just makes him seem lazy. Lastly, he should avoid any type of gossip or really any conversation that is not work related in the work area as this can lead to misinformation and unnecessary drama (Harwood, 2013).
In my occupation in which we provide technical support with electronics over the phone, we have an internal chat to assist our coworkers who are struggling with an issue provided to them by a caller. Most people who have issues typically join the chat to try to get some assistance but sometimes the responses tend to be slow. Whenever I can, I try to respond as quickly and fluidly as I can so that my coworkers can also move on with their calls. This reduces the load for all of the other coworkers as this allows the struggling coworker to finish his/her call more rapidly and be able to get another call to avoid an influx of calls. I speak the same way to all my coworkers; using a professional tone, without interrupting them while they are speaking, and understanding that they tend to communicate different than I do (Hardwood, 2013, pp. 285). Other preparation methods
There are other ways to prepare for a successful start. Jason must be sure to research the intricacies of the field he is applying for. This way he can avoid any misunderstandings about his position. He should also bring in notetaking material (if allowed) to allow easy access to the information. This makes him seem responsible enough to notate important, but not sensitive, information. He should be sure to maintain a positive attitude and a professional image. When he’s being interviewed, he should make sure that he knows what is expected of him, which can include but isn’t limited to: a job description, information pertaining to the training, and how his performance will be evaluated (Harwood, 2013).
