New hires: how to make a successful start
Claire Hoang Sperandio
HR Business Partner
J.P.Morgan
This article is for anyone about to make their first steps in the corporate world.
Inexperienced entry level hires often underestimate the extent to which they can influence the direction and speed of their career development from day one. This is not to say that new joiners should bypass the natural and necessary steps which any corporation will require them to follow however, before they know it, they will be faced with a number of occasions to demonstrate that they can take on more varied and greater responsibilities. Here are a few tips on how to seize those opportunities and develop quickly within an organization.
Taking initiative
E. Gibbons: The best and most important part of every man's education is that which he gives himself.
One critical step in making a successful start is to take control of your own learning curve. Don't wait for others to provide you with the information you need to carry out your work, go get it yourself!
Whatever subject you are working on, make sure you gather as much information and knowledge as possible to understand your environment. If you encounter words, acronyms, concepts which you do not fully understand, find out what they mean. Ask questions and be organized in the way you collect information: take clear notes, review notes shortly after to allow the information to sink in, avoid asking questions twice and diversify the people you ask questions to. When you ask, be sure the person has a few minutes to spare, and offer to return at a more convenient time so that the person can focus on your question.
Try to understand how your role/function fits within the wider organization. Who are your main points of contact? Whether internal clients, external clients, colleagues, members of teams you interact with, find out what their responsibilities are and how these impact your work. Summarize in a drawing the various players and the information flows as this will help you visualize better the overall organization and help you to identify potential gaps in your understanding. Be curious and share what you have learned with others to check your understanding. More often than not, they will also learn something in the process and be thankful for it.
Step back from your work and constantly question yourself: why am I doing this, do I understand the information I am dealing with, why am I doing it in this way, is this the only way? Understanding what it is you are doing and why you are doing it will help you figure out ways to do it better and more efficiently.
After each task or project, ask yourself:
- What did I learn?
- If I had to do it again, how would I do it differently?
Focus as much energy in carrying out the small activities as in the bigger ones. If you have to carry out tasks which you think you are too experienced for, avoid complaining and try learning something from it instead by either figuring out a way to make the job more interesting, or more automated or by making sure you master every element behind the task.
Taking control of your learning curve is also about doing something above and beyond your job description. Don't just be a follower, sit passively and take orders: figure out what to do before you're told. If you have don't enough to do, don't wait for the next project, put up your hand and offer others your help or ask to be involved in other assignments. Your job is what you make of it: if you expand the boundaries of your role, you will end up having a more interesting, fulfilling job. Seek opportunities that will give you a different kind of perspective and experience or will allow you to show others the variety of skills that you have. Don't let people typecast you in one type of role or expertise; show initiative. For example, create a database that helps speed up the work, suggest and implement new ideas to improve processes, offer to represent your company at university fairs, organize and give presentations and use your network of friends and acquaintances to help recruit talented staff within the organization. But whatever initiative you choose to take on, make sure it is either related to your job or promoting in some way or other your company's core mission, otherwise it might be considered less useful or remain unnoticed.
But before you take on anything new, make absolutely sure that you are doing your assigned job well by checking with your supervisor that they are satisfied with your performance. Asking for feedback is an important step to progressing in your career and one which you need to do at an early stage and until the end of your career to be able to readjust before it is too late.
The �no news is good news� saying does not always apply to the work environment and not getting feedback will not necessarily mean that you are meeting expectations. If you receive negative feedback or if things are not working out as well as you would like to, try taking a hard look at yourself and avoid thinking that you are not being sufficiently recognized for what you do. The chances are there may be something you need to either stop doing or improve.Take negative feedback constructively, check for understanding, and ask for examples in order to better understand what is expected of you. Observe someone who is considered a role model and ask yourself: what is she/he doing that I am not doing, identify your bad habits and the improvements you need to work on and practice those improvements you make. And if you receive good feedback, enjoy and celebrate the good news but don't let it go to your head. Continually ask what you can improve and focus on those areas for development.
Building Relationship
Performing well in your job will be of little use to your career progression if no one knows who you are and what you do. Situations where people outperform but are overlooked due to a lack of visibility are not uncommon. Getting people to know you and what you do is critical in achieving recognition for your work.
Start with the basics: keep your supervisor aware of how and what you are doing. Especially in those early days, meet with your boss regularly to further establish a rapport and relationship, keep them updated on what you are working on and how you are progressing, request meetings with your boss to review performance. But don't bring every little problem to your boss' attention. For minor issues, ask for help from co-workers.
Get to know your co-workers and allow them to know you better. When you're the new person, it can be difficult to get to know your colleagues. New people will often keep to themselves or wait until someone invites them to coffee or lunch. But such strategies can leave them feeling isolated and seeming unapproachable.
So you need to make the first move. If you hear a few people are going to lunch, politely ask if you can join them. Grab opportunities to meet people in and outside of your department and introduce yourself. Many organizations have formal or informal after-hour activities, such as sports or social events. Try as much as possible to get involved in them: these types of activities are great ways to bond with your co-workers. But be on your best behaviour during these outside-work activities. When meeting new people, be the first to say hello and introduce yourself.
If you have the opportunity to meet senior managers, don't be shy: engage the conversation, let them know what you do and get them to talk about their role and careers. Senior managers are used to having to lead all conversations and will appreciate the effort you make in engaging the discussion and the attention you give them.
Once you have established a good foundation with your co-workers and managers, cultivate relationships!
Teamwork
You are now part of a team and teams work together to solve problems and get the job done. Your success and ability to grow within an organization will depend on the success of your team. Do not just focus on your own needs but also on the project's needs, your colleagues' needs and your manager's needs. Help the team achieve its goal and help everyone else in the process become better at what they do. Don't try making records for yourself but make wins happen for the team. Show loyalty to your co-workers and focus on sharing any recognition you get with the team. Earn your colleagues' respect by being someone who is willing to learn as well as teach, listen as well as talk and contribute as well as lead.
Teamwork is not just about you making a difference to the team but also about your recognizing that others can help you achieve your goals more effectively.
As our jobs are becoming more and more complex, many people do not have all the knowledge they need to do their work. Seeking help from others is the key in succeeding in your role. Figure out who in your surroundings can provide you with the knowledge you lack and ask them for help. Never be afraid to ask for support so long as you don't dump every minor problem on other people's lap. No one will expect you to solve all the organization's problems on your first days in the job. However you will be expected to raise your hand when you need it. Remember that it's better to ask before you've completed the task the wrong way and wasted all that time.
Adapt to the corporate culture
Every corporation has its values and its own definition of success. Some strong performers in one company can be completely inadequate in other types of environment. What makes the difference? The difference in company values and culture. From day one, you will have the opportunity to understand how the organization operates. Pay close attention to corporate culture. Whether through co-workers or managers, learn how things work within your company. Are work relationships formal or friendly, are employees encouraged to come up with new ideas, how are decisions taken and who takes them, is information easily accessible, how much time do people spend in meetings, when do people get in to work and leave, do people socialise after work....? Everything surrounding you will give you an indication of the written or unwritten rules within the organization. All you need to do is observe and learn. Pay particular attention to the people who make things happen. Find the stars and study them: this will give you insight into what the organization values.
One effective way to better understand how a company operates is by taking a mentor. Mentors are a precious source of information about how one can succeed in a company and much more than that.They can share their expertise, listen effectively, challenge you to be all you can be, and provide you with a supportive and trusting environment where you can share the issues you're confronting both personally and professionally. You don't need to jump on this task on your first day, but as you get introduced to senior staff, begin thinking about developing a mentoring relationship with a member of management above you and outside your department. Find a mentor who will take you under their wing and share their experience. Just be sure not to abuse the privilege. Remember that you should take responsibility for this mentoring partnership, in other words, you drive this relationship by contacting the mentor rather than waiting that he calls you, spelling out what you expect from him or her, asking questions and making the most of this relationship.
When you are starting out, remember that the things you do first not only lay the foundation of your future career, but also send important messages to your colleagues, your clients and your manager. Managers will not expect first-time employees to know everything. They can understand that you have limited technical experience but they will be already looking for clues in your attitude that you are a strong performer. Taking initiative, working in teams, developing organizational savvy are all part of the winning attitude that should help you make a successful start in your career.
