Making the most of your first job - Brief Article

Careers and Colleges, Jan, 2001 by Jennifer Bobrow-Burns

Your first job won't be your last job if you follow this advice.

Are you ready to trade in your backpack and blue jeans for a power suit and a briefcase? Say goodbye to the days of sleeping late and dashing off to class with a minute to spare. Welcome to the "real world"--the workplace--with a whole new set of rules and expectations. Making the transition from student to professional can be rough at times, but the lessons you learn from your early jobs can pay off significantly later in your career.

Shedding your student mentality and actually viewing yourself as a professional takes time and patience. Here are four key tips, followed by valuable advice, that will get you on track for first-job success.

1. ASK QUESTIONS

As you settle into your new position, you'll be learning many different and unfamiliar tasks. It can be intimidating to be thrust into a strange situation, and it takes time to understand your role and responsibilities. Don't hesitate to inquire about anything that's unclear, from your daily tasks to where the best lunch special can be found.

As a senior consultant with Standard & Poor's (the financial rating agency) in New York City, Carrie Bernstein, 29, develops computer software for in-house analysts and the Web. During her first job on Wall Street, her questions produced results that got her ahead.

"I had to acquire technical skills as well as business knowledge for the project I was supporting," says Bernstein. "I found myself asking my manager a lot of questions since I wanted to be sure I understood everything. At first I was insecure, and I worried that my manager would be annoyed. Instead, he was impressed by the fact that I was eager to learn and wasn't afraid to ask questions. I was quickly promoted to a more visible role."

2. OBSERVE

Every office has its own unique culture. From observing those around you, you'll pick up on the specific nuances of the organization. Pay attention at meetings, watch your supervisors, and see how coworkers interact. Taking the time to learn the ropes now will enable you to offer your ideas and initiatives later.

During his college summer internship at an advertising agency, Scott Barer, now a product manager at a New York City bank and credit card company, observed the way to act in a professional environment.

"As a student, I was used to hanging out with friends and talking about sports," says Barer, 30. "My internship taught me how to interact with people older than myself and discuss serious issues such as politics, current events, and business. Learning this early on helped me to adapt successfully to many different work environments."

3. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

One of the most valuable assets in a new employee is the enthusiasm he or she brings to the table. A team player volunteers to help out and gets along well with other colleagues, from a senior-level executive to a mail room clerk. A worker who is flexible and willing to take on new tasks is the kind of person who will eventually get ahead.

Tara Benson, a 28-year-old attorney for an educational media company in Philadelphia, reflects on how her friendly yet respectful attitude at her first job landed her a quick promotion.

"Working for an auditing company, I stamped checks in the office basement," says Benson. "Every afternoon, an older gentleman would come in, refill the paper clip tray, smoke a cigar, and talk to me. I would always make polite conversation. One day, I was told I'd been promoted. I was completely surprised, but then I found out that the elderly man was the founder of the company and former CEO. He was in semi-retirement and the only place he could smoke his cigar was in the basement!" At 17, Benson learned that regardless of position, it's crucial to treat every single employee with respect.

4. STAY ORGANIZED

Now is the time to develop a system to stay on top of your game. Prioritizing your time becomes more important than ever, and you may find your electronic organizer or day planner has become indispensable. Try to meet regularly with your boss in order to keep our projects on track.

Organization is one of the most important skills that Anne Williams, 24, an English teacher at an international school in Kanagawa, Japan, gained from a first job. As head coordinator for the crew (rowing) team at the University of Oregon in Eugene during her junior year, she was responsible for management and fund-raising.

"I realized that if I took a few minutes to get organized the rest of my day would go a lot smoother," says Williams. "With a bit of organization, I still ran around like a chicken with its head cut off sometimes, but I accomplished a lot more!"

As a new employee, you will be evaluated on your behavior and work habits. Although it is important to be aware of this, remember to stay confident as well. You were hired for a reason--out of all the other applicants, your boss thought you were the best person for the job! Keep this in mind as you make the most of this opportunity. Let it act as a springboard to help you achieve all you want out of your career.