People remember that first full-time job after finishing school. For you, the situation may be that you are searching for that first career job or have just started it. Should be in search mode, always remember that landing your first career job may take time. You may have to work in slightly or unrelated fields right after graduation. These tips can also be used should that be your current work situation. If you have just started your career, you probably have no more than two years’ experience in the field in which you are working. You were hired because you possessed the qualifications for now and more than likely showed great potential for the future. These tips are numbered and suggest they are to be followed in order, however as with most things there is overlap, so keep that in mind when reviewing.
- Remember what got you hired. You first started your journey to your first career job by applying to a job posting and/or submitting your resume to someone connected to the position or the company. Yet, many people forget that job posting and the fact that they were hired because they qualified for the role (i.e., education, experience level, language, or soft skills, etc.). They also forget that they were deemed able to meet the responsibilities associated with the job. By remembering that you were the best candidate in those two areas you can stay confident when you face challenges. Also, you will know what the expectations are for you, especially from your supervisor. They are the people that wrote or approved the job posting/description. And should you find yourself in situations where there are deviations from your job posting, check in with your colleagues, then supervisor. These differences do occur often. You can also have a chat with your supervisor to learn about anything not on the job posting that helped get you hired. Lastly, remembering what got you hired helps you stay focused. You succeeded in the first part of getting the job. Now you need to succeed in the second part, which is delivering results!
- Master the knowledge and skills in your current job. It is tempting to look at what others are doing, thinking you can do that job, maybe even better. A general rule of thumb with (career) jobs requiring a good education and skill set is that it takes a year to “know” the job. This means the responsibilities and how to get the work done. It takes a couple of years to “master” the job. In this case, you should be able to train new employees, lead projects, join cross-departmental teams, etc. So, as with many of these tips, it is important to focus on your job for your benefit and for that of your coworkers. In fact, should you master your current job in less than two years or maybe it takes a little longer, you are still in the beginning stage of your career. You may start a new job in your current company or even a different company. No matter, you will still be required to master what is expected of you and there will undoubtedly be overlapping capabilities at this point of your career. Typically, you will spend about five years in this phase, then your career will be underway!
- Work with what you have. This tip follows from the two above. The idea is you need to deliver within the expectations of your boss and teammates. They will not expect miracles, but they will want you to perform given the tools you possess whether it be a skill or a technology. It is tempting to think: “If I only had this…” or “if I only had that….” I could do better. There is a very good chance that is true, however if you dwell on these possibilities they will be excuses and will affect your work. It is better to align yourself with what your colleagues know is available to get the work done and deliver accordingly. Holding excuses or resisting will be noticed and will negatively affect your reputation.
- Observe and network with your senior colleagues. The above tips emphasize being focused in starting your first (or second) career job. Yet observing those around, their work, and building relationships is something that you should do in the beginning. The purpose is to have access to all available help for you to do the best you can in your current role. As time passes, this will serve you well in terms of next steps. It will help build bridges and facilitate job transitions. This is an important tip to keep in mind, but as mentioned it needs to be set in the context of your current position. Simply put, you will gain considerable insight, advice, etc. from your senior colleagues that you can apply to your current situation. The best senior coworkers are the ones that have worked the longest on your team or at your company rather than those that just hold a more senior job title.
- Identify areas for improvement. Continuous improvement is a much-sought work approach and skill for workers to have. For you, this is something that you can adopt once you have mastered your role. It should be welcomed by your supervisor and your teammates. In the case of your supervisor, if they are in a managerial role, improvements to save time and/or money are like gold! So, if such opportunities present themselves, give it some serious thought and share it with someone you trust that has your success as their own objective. Finding areas for improvement takes you beyond simply doing your job. It goes back to the second reason you were hired as you are now demonstrating your potential.
- Volunteer. For this blog, there are two types of volunteering. The first is to ask to take on more responsibility. This means you have mastered your current position, are meeting all expectations, and you can successfully manage more work. Not many people follow this path as employees are often already overworked. Yet, being proactive with your career can be noticed by those around you. With the right timing, place, and full consideration of the possible outcomes of adding more work to your plate – do it! The second follows from the previous tip, where you take the next step and provide solutions to an area that may be causing problems, limiting outcomes, etc. In effect, you must do this since simply identifying issues is hardly something of value to your supervisor, team, and yourself. You need to “close the loop”.