Page 90 - Carlson School GBCC Career Guide

Success in Your First Job
Transitions in new roles are defining moments for leaders. Your first role after business school is no exception. Opinions of your effectiveness form early in your tenure and are hard to change once formed. First impressions matter, so ensuring you set a good impression on day one is incredibly important to your success on the job or internship. Here are five steps to help guide you during your first several months on the job.
1
Starting a new job is overwhelming and there is a ton of information to absorb (and you need to absorb it quickly). For people who are used to being experts and are driven to be the best, the feeling of being the “new employee” can be frustrating. Expect that feeling early on, and tackle it with a focus on quickly understanding the job, the expectations, and the key players or stakeholders on the team and in the organization.
• Meet with your boss regularly to clearly understand your role and your boss’ communication style. Will you meet for weekly one-on-ones and if so, what type of agenda is expected? How does your boss provide feedback?
• What are the key metrics you are measured on? How will you be evaluated on those metrics? What are the expectations to meet metrics?
• What does the company culture say about hours, flexible work arrangements, etc.? Many times new employees are caught off guard when they try to work from home and are met with resistance. Alternately, many find it hard to get used to a remote team who they don’t see often.
• Who are the stakeholders and key influencers that you should know? As with your relationship with your supervisor, you should be aware of how these stakeholders communicate and what their expectations are.
2 PROMOTE yourself
Before you step foot in your new role on day one, take some time to do a personal inventory of what your current strengths and weaknesses are (and these might be different than the strengths you possessed when you started the program. You are, after
all, a different employee after two years in business school and an internship). After you take inventory, ensure you are selling yourself throughout the company by:
• Knowing who your “helpers” are. Who are your peers and senior leaders who you connect with and who understand your style
UNDERSTAND
the job and the key players
and way of working? Ensure you have a handful of supporters who can help you navigate the organization, and who can speak on your behalf. They can recommend you for projects, ensure you are invited to the right meetings, and answer any questions you have that you feel too silly to ask your direct supervisor.
• Understand how to hit the ground running without stepping on toes: It's often tricky—you know you need to work really hard to show your work ethic but you also need to show yourself as collaborative and appropriate (e.g., looping in the appropriate people, understanding project owners, etc.) It’s hard and it
can be political. Understand the best way for you to stand out and show your talents without coming off as arrogant and not supportive of others.
3
LAUNCH YOUR CAREER
IDENTIFY
what you need to learn
When you start a new job, the learning curve is steep. It feels hard to be new and not know everything. Quickly identifying what you need to learn from the following three buckets is crucial for early success.
• Technology/Programs/Software: What tech tools do you need to understand in order to do the job? Ask this question early on and identify the training, tools, and people who can help you quickly learn. Employers don’t want to tell you to make time to master this part of the job. They expect to introduce you to the tools and you will find a way to learn them.
• Politics: Who makes decisions at your organization and who are influencers in helping move ideas forward? It’s important to know early on who your stakeholders are and whose support you will need so you don’t inadvertently step on toes.
• Communication Style: Each company has a distinct communication style. Some firms are collaborative, others decisive, others research-based. As you onboard, ask the right questions to understand the communication style of your new company. For example, you don’t want to give your first presentation in your new organization and deliver a recommendation without garnering plenty of feedback if you work at a firm that tends to be more consensus-driven.
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