How to Get to Work on Time

Every successful employee has one thing in common: they get to work on time. Bosses like people who get to work on time. They don’t like people who are late all the time.

It helps to prepare for your morning the night before. When you’re ready to turn in for the night, it’s easy to tell yourself that you will be able to get everything for your day ready in the morning. It always seems much harder when you wake up. The clock counts down on you without mercy as you scramble to get out the door.

Here are some things you can do the night before a job to make your morning smoother and get you to work on time.

  • Make a dressing station:
    • Iron your work clothes for the next day and hang them up in one place. Put your shoes under them – ready to throw on. Lay your socks, t-shirts, ties and and/or any other accessories nearby. Now you won’t be making a frenzied search for these items in the early morning while the clock ticks down.
  • Make a food station:
    • Pack your lunch the night before. You may think you will pack it in the morning – not very likely.
    • Get your coffee travel mug, water bottle etc. staged in one area, ready to go.
    • Put water, coffee and a filter in your coffee machine in the evening. In the morning, simply push the button and enjoy the invigorating aroma of some fresh java. Your caffeine fix is on the way!
  • Plan your route:
    • Print out a map of where you are going the night before.
    • For smartphone users, have the address written down somewhere so that you can plug it into your phone’s map program. Don’t rely on just putting it in your phone – it could get deleted.
    • Make a habit of looking at where you are going the night before, and plan out how long it will take you to get from door to door.  Add 15 minutes for delays!

These tips are simple and may seem obvious. But they can help you to avoid being that panic-stricken person sprinting to the Metro in the early morning.

WAI Staff

Whitman Associates is a professional staffing agency serving businesses and job seekers in the Washington, D.C. area. Since 1972, we’ve been dedicated to matching highly qualified candidates with a wide variety of temporary, temp-to-hire and permanent positions. We prioritize the needs of both our clients and candidates to ensure successful, lasting relationships.