The Fastest Way to Talk Yourself Out of a Job

If you are the new person on the job, there are a few things you should pay attention to. Of course, come prepared with notes learned and the right equipment. Arrive early – twenty to thirty minutes before the downbeat is the minimum. Wear appropriate clothing. Don’t forget a pencil.

When you are interacting with your colleagues, be friendly and learn their names. Take an interest in what they have to say. Sit in the chair you are directed to. Watch the section leader and the conductor. Fit your sound in as well as you can.

These are all pretty obvious items on your to-do list.

But there’s one thing you should not do: complain.

You might be the best player there. You might have superior ideas. You might think your section mate is not that good. You might think the conductor doesn’t know what they are doing. You might think the organization is poorly run.

But keep that to yourself. The fastest way to not get hired back is to let anyone know about your dissatisfactions. You are not the employer. Your ideas about these things don’t matter. Your job is to play as well as you can in the situation you are in.

If you become a regular member of the group, your status as a newbie will change. If you do your job well, people will respect you. If you have constructive ideas about how to make things better, you will have the political capital to lead the charge.

But when you are the new person in a group, you have two jobs. The first is to play as well as you can.

Your other job is to keep your mouth shut.