By: Cammy McAdams, Kurtis Buck, Sophia Cansigno, Kaitlyn Kitchens and Harrison Moore
I had a professor whose favorite saying was “Today is the
first day of the rest of your life” At no time is this truer than when starting
a new career. In the past people would go to a company with the intent on
staying and retiring as time went on and people began to take control of their
financial future this trend changed to a 5 year plan. Today the plan has even
changed more according to Forbes magazine. There is now a 3year plan going into
effect. Learn all you can from a company and move up in your career is the
thinking. Taking this into account the
first year on a job is the more important than ever before.
Statics’ show 33% of new hires will leave in their first
year with 22% of them leaving in the first 3 months and 3% of these 22% leave
in the first week simply because they weren’t ready.
You can see on here the most common reasons for leaving a
job in the first 3 months.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life now use it
wisely prepare for what is to come. The today I am referring to here doesn’t
begin with the first day on the job. Today begins with the day you are hired or
even with the day you graduate college. I have said that 22% will leave their
job in the first 3 months.
Approximately 3% of these actually leave in the first week
simply because they weren’t ready for the culture of the business they went to
work for or they hadn’t successfully transitioned from college life to the
business world. Greg Smith an employee retention expert advises all college
students to take some time off prior to going to work after college if possible
to get prepared for a different life a complete change to life as you have
known it.
During this time re-define yourself. You have 20 some odd
years to define yourself as a student to let your dress style to help define
you. Now’s a time to Re-define yourself as Harrison pointed out learn the
culture of the business find out how to dress for your new job before the first
day. You don’t want to show up under dressed it is much easier to overcome being
overdressed than to be under dressed. I have an Uncle who worked for EF Hutton
in Dallas Texas for 25 years. Every day he went to work he wore a tailored suit
but he had three sets of cloths that hung in his office an off the rack suit
because he said that his tailored suit was too much for some of the businesses
he represented and would lead to mistrust where his tailored suit was a must
for most of his clients. He also had a polo shirt and trousers for a casual
meeting that might come up that a suit was inappropriate for and then he also
had a pair of jeans and button down shirt for an acentric millionaire client he
had. He had to re-define himself many times a week. So you might need to go out
and do some shopping before you start your new job.
Another thing to do during the time you are re-defining
yourself is get ready for anything. Remember when you first started college you
got sick a lot or had a lot of problems getting to class for whatever reason
alarm clock didn’t go off, flat on the way and so on. Plan for problems take
vitamins just as you were introduced to new germs in starting college and got
sick easily at first. You are going to introduced to new germs once again plus
stress of the unknown can cause illness. Have you vehicle check out have a
backup plan and if the alarm clock doesn’t wake you get a loud one. Another
thing pointed out by Mr. Smith was that many times people will go celebrate the
night before starting a new job. This is a big no no make sure you get a good
night’s rest it’s going to be a long stressful day.
Now you’re ready for the first day let’s make it through the
first 3months.As has already been pointed out Watch and learn, take notes,
don’t attach yourself to any of the clicks, find you a mentor someone you can
talk to and learn from. Read everything you can, talk to your boss find out
what’s expected of you if you’re not happy with things talk them over with your
boss but don’t challenge things right away get a feel for how and why things
are done accept any criticisms as a tool for your success learn from them . Try
to fit in and learn the office politics. There will come a time when you can
challenge but it is closer to the 6 month mark usually when a new comer
challenges in the first 3 months it’s looked at like you’re trying to take over
or a “who do they think they are attitude”. Whereas if you bit the bullet and
wait for them to get to know you and you them you will be better received.
Once you have made it past the 6 month mark most think “I
have it made” and if you have followed the plan you are on the right track but
don’t let your guard down. Don’t fall into old college habits keep a positive
outlook don’t get discourage when someone doesn’t say something about you doing
a good job. There will be more opportunities begin to open to you now don’t
just jump to the first new thing. This is where there is a big turn over weigh
all your facts before you act and you will make it through your first year with
flying colors.
We have introduced you to the key’s to succeed in the first
year of your new job. Learn, Read, get to know the people you work with, attend
meetings, and take notes, schedule time with your boss when you have concerns,
use criticisms to grow not to fester new problems. There will be criticisms
your boss is required to find some there is no perfect employee. One last note don’t
let competition become why you leave or stay at a job you will find this everywhere
in some form. Jonathan Marder of Random House says“If somebody’s dad is head of the company, fine;
if someone spends their life sucking up to your boss, that’s fine too.
Concentrate on yourself and your own abilities. Work to get credit for what you
do without knocking the other guy down.” (Jonathan Marder, VP of Special
Marketing at Random House)
HOW to adapt to the culture of the workplace:
Get involved!
-introduce yourself
-socials, lunch, et cetera
-can help boost your confidence and standing in the company
Get familiar!
-are they strict with being punctual? is early late?
-boss and co-workers; learn who does what and who does it well
Ask questions!
-shows an eagerness/enthusiasm to learn
-can take you further in the right direction
Brush up on important skills!
-especially "lacking" skills
-work on anything you feel might benefit the company
Figure out the protocol!
-any "ground rules"?
*no personal calls? reduce faux pas as much as possible
-adapt to their style!
*every workplace has their own way of doing things, do your best to adapt to it so you can thrive!
Why?
It shows you are willing and capable of progress and could potentially be a vital part of the company!
First impressions are IMPORTANT, initial attitudes and opinions can set you up for success or failure within the company
Can lead you to BIGGER, BETTER opportunities!!
Getting noticed your first year on the job requires leadership and the
ability to be involved in teamwork. Teamwork in the new workplace unites people
and inspires them, which is healthy for the company in whole.
Don’t try
to sell yourself-
People that try to sell
themselves are often unprepared to take opportunities when it actually presents
itself. They are impatient and try to cut corners which doesn’t help them in
the end. These people lack the real confidence that it takes to be consistently
significant and spend too much time putting on a fake show for the managers and
higher-level employees.
Be a
silent influencer-
The workplace is
divided into two primary groups which are the loud and disorganized and the
silent influencers. The silent influencers are what most people are curious
about and posses quiet confidence but speak up often enough to make their
voices heard. When doing this, it has a bigger influence. You need to be quick
to see opportunity but don’t flaunt your success.
Do more
than your job description-
Always look around,
beyond and beneath the opportunities that you seek. You should approach every
new day seeking something more than just what you “have to do.” You need to
continuously look for new ways to expand your influence throughout the
workplace and help others do their job so they will help you in the future.
Help your
colleagues succeed-
Helping your colleagues
is a sign of self-confidence, self-trust, teamwork and collaborative
leadership. The more career opportunities you make for people the more doors
will open for you. You also should be equally passionate about learning from
those you are helping because it is also a learning and growing experience for
you.
Don’t be
involved in the politics-
You need to stay
focused on your ability to create an impact and influence your work. Stay away
from the drama and the politics at your new workplace and keep yourself and
colleagues focused on growth, innovative and opportunity because that is the
reason you are there in the first place.
Constructive
Conflict-
Playing it too safe at
work will make it more difficult for you to get noticed. You need to be able to
test your ideas and be mindful enough to challenge the status quo respectfully.
You will get noticed because you are being courageous enough to “shake things
up” and test new ways of helping the organization grow.
Be
yourself-
This is the more
important way to get noticed your first year on the job. It gives you
permission to have fun and work again and your energy will be contagious. You
do not need to be perfect, just pace yourself, observe, learn, deliver results
and make sure that the organization keeps winning.
To make your first job a stepping-stone and not a
dead end, try to avoid these eight pitfalls:
1. Being
Impatient
You want to start making a meaningful contribution on
your very first day -- but there's a fine line between taking the initiative
and appearing presumptuous.
"Do not to go in guns a-blazing and insist on
making your mark right away," says Alexandra Levit, the author of They
Don't Teach Corporate in College. "Pay attention to how things are done,
how other people bring up ideas." Once you have a feel for how the
business works, give your boss some ideas for improvement and ask for feedback.
2. Being Too Patient
Just as you shouldn't arrive at your first department
meeting with a list of suggested changes, neither should you spend your first
month sitting in your cubicle and waiting for your new coworkers to introduce
themselves. Instead, get to know your coworkers and their jobs. "Don't get
a bad attitude because people aren't paying attention to you," Levit says.
3. Using Technology Inappropriately
Whether it's OK to text during a business meeting or
post to Facebook from your desk will depend on the company culture. Levit
advises paying attention to what everyone else is doing. Do colleagues use
email or instant messages? Is it OK to use your laptop during a meeting? Or
listen to your iPod while you work? "Every workplace is different,"
she says.
4. Making a Bad First Impression
From
your workplace attire to your handshake, people will form opinions of you early
on. "Be very mindful of how you act when you meet people for the first
time," Levit says. Make a special effort to remember people's names and
something about them. Don't take two-hour lunch breaks, even if you don't have
much work to do yet. And watch your colleagues for signs that it's quitting
time. "You should never be the first one out the door or the last
one," Levit says.
5. Not Discussing Your Goals With Your
Boss
You should find out what your boss's expectations are
for you in your first 90 days. "Touch base with your manager on a regular
basis," says Peter Jacobs, a career consultant and coach. "Make sure
everybody is still on the same page."
6. Not Understanding Your Boss
Your boss may not like to communicate the same way
you do -- and it's important for you to match your boss's preferences. Jacobs
says you should ask yourself, "How does the person like to receive
information? And how often?"
7. Going It Alone
Your boss is a great resource, but to build a strong
career you'll need advice from more than one source. "Look for people who
might be good mentors and sounding boards as you progress and develop,"
Jacobs says.
8. Not Appreciating It
Your job may not be "the be-all and end-all of
career stardom," Levit says, but you can view it as an opportunity to gain
new skills, learn about the business world and make valuable professional
networking contacts.
"You might as well enjoy the time to take care
of yourself and learn as much as possible, because you won't have that time
forever," she adds.
Importance of
a Mentor
What is a
mentor? A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice.
Mentoring is becoming very important in the workplace because it provides
many benefits to the employer, the employee (or mentee), and in most cases, the
mentor. Mentoring is very goal oriented. It promotes professional
and personal growth to develop and retain the skills needed in the workplace.
Companies usually want mentoring programs for the following benefits:
Employee career development, High potential development, Diversity training,
Reverse mentoring, and Knowledge transfer.
Employee career development is used to
develop future leaders and retain skilled employees within your business.
In order to use this effectively, you must understand employee career
goals and align them with organizational goals. This allows companies to
give employees that are willing to advance professionally guidance and
development opportunities. Encouraging
this learning culture benefits a company by spreading knowledge through
interpersonal links between individuals, building both leadership and career
development, and helping employees feel more engaged within the
organization. This leads to happier
employees and a stronger organization.
High potential
mentoring and diversity initiatives are valuable assets to any company, but are
not easily obtained. Mentoring helps
retain these skills in the workplace. By
helping employees develop strong leadership skills, a business is ensuring the
employee is learning what they need to strive for better roles, thus increasing
high potentials and the company leadership chain. Learning easily spreads throughout and
organization improving internal resources and cutting costs to a minimum. Diversity in the workplace helps create new
innovation and business strategies.
Mentoring gives employees the power to share opinions, ideas, knowledge,
and experience. Employees gain cultural
awareness of their importance to their company.
This mentoring method allows employees to speak out and reach decisions,
as well as inspiring them to perform to
their highest ability. Mentoring helps
retain this diverse talent setting the company aside from other companies.
Knowledge transfer
works both ways, affecting both mentor and mentee. Knowledge transfer allows more experienced
employees to pass on expert knowledge crucial to new employee development. Mentoring shortens the learning curve,
enhances productivity, and helps employees sync with their companies
strategies. Knowledge transfer also
helps mentors gain knowledge by refreshing their memory and allowing new
employees to give experts new ideas and opinions. Knowledge transfer ensures that when an
executive retires, someone with plenty of company knowledge will be ready to
fill that position.
Mentor-ship programs
allow business to engage their employees mentally and emotionally, ensuring
they feel immersed in the company making them a vital part of the
organization. This helps employees feel
committed to accomplishing their work while retaining the vision of the
company.
Resources:
10 Tricks to Starting Your New Job On the Right Foot
A transition plan for beginning your new gig.
By Hannah Morgan Oct. 31, 2012 http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/10/31/10-tricks-to-starting-your-new-job-on-the-right-foot
http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/10/14/6-ways-to-immediately-get-noticed-at-work-without-self-promotion/2/
http://career-advice.monster.com/in-the-office/starting-a-new-job/eight-mistakes-to-avoid-in-your-first-real-job-hot-jobs/article.aspx
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