Starting a new career on the right foot
Posted by Meggan McDonald on Oct. 18, 2011 / Subscribe 0
You've finally made it through the rounds and rounds of nerve wracking interviews, received and accepted an offer and you are preparing to embark on a new chapter in your career. Congratulations! There are two bits of advice I’d like to bestow on you now to get started on the right foot: listen diligently; and keep your stream of new ideas flowing.
Spend the majority of your time listening – to everything. Listen to what everyone around you is saying. What are they choosing to discuss? Find out what their hot spots are and what they are passionate about. Figure out who is who on the totem pole but resist the urge to side with any one person or clique, and especially do not feign for attention. Confidence is a powerful attribute but is revealed differently than narcissism and people pick up on that immediately. There will be plenty of time later to talk about the things that make us who we are and help build relationships. The worst thing you can do in your new career is create any sort of division between yourself and the person in the space next to you. Focus on the team first as ultimately that will help you to better the company and likewise improve your career path going forward.
Often, starting a new position means analyzing what has been done before you. Odds are you got the job because there was some need established that wasn’t being fulfilled. Be cautious in your approach. Don’t come out of the gate criticizing anything; instead, present the opportunities you’ve uncovered with viable, creative solutions. Take it in stride. There may have been blood, sweat, and tears poured into those projects; tread softly and stay focused. Bring an elevated sense of what the job entails and look for innovative ways to go above and beyond the job description. Come in early and stay late when you can. Nothing beats a strong work ethic and creativity that produces results.
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