Every job in the world has its perks. I don’t care what you do, everyone has a small benefit whether it be an extra cup of coffee or an expense account. The thing we must remember is that we cannot abuse these perks.

This week I got the opportunity to cover the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis and compete with students from many nearby colleges for a chance at a scholarship. Some students took the opportunity as a blessing and acted professional. Some students took it as an opportunity to slobber over athletes and forget the basics of journalism, harassing athletes for pictures.

So, it is always important to be professional no matter what job you have.

Here are some tips on how to act professional in a number of different areas of employment.

Waitress/Cocktail waitress

This is a tough profession because you have to deal with some of the rudest customers in the entire world.

Whether they are sending back a sandwich they ate most of, or they have had too much to drink, it is important to remember one thing if you are in this profession: Do not have sex with Tiger Woods.

No matter where you work throughout the country, you will probably get the opportunity. When this presents itself, just say no. Although it may seem like a good idea, the late night text messages and the drama are just not worth it.

Catholic Priest

Catholic priests are often in the news because they are often influential to the community. It is important for them to remember why they took the job and help in others.

One of the biggest on-going problems that we hear about priests is that their sermons are so long. Sometimes they must remember it is important to keep it simple and that is the best way to get their message across. Less is more.

This is probably the biggest problem with that group of people and they should work on it. Oh, yeah, the small percentage that (allegedly) abuse little kids should stop doing that, too. You are priests, not monsters. Stop making the world sick!

Heads of major banks

Stop spending the public’s money and making the country broke. We know you like your vacations in Hawaii and your expense accounts, but next time you’re going to ruin the economy, can we get a heads-up so we don’t lose our entire savings investing in your company. Is that too much to ask? Much like the military, we have a don’t ask, don’t tell policy.

We will turn a blind eye to executive bonuses and work vacations, just don’t lose all of our money and lie to us to tell us it’s fine.

Famous people

Believe it or not, “famous person” is pretty much an occupation now. You don’t have to be talented or particularly interesting anymore to be famous. (See: The Kardashians). So, since the media is going to cover you for some reason, stop cheating on your spouses because then the rest of us have to hear about it for nine months. Thank you!

Here are a couple of tips and, in the end, if you are still confused, just always remember: It is never a good idea to have sex with Tiger Woods.

Dan Cusack is a junior journalism major and can be reached at