The Critical First Year on the Job

The First Year is Different It is a transition stage; you are not a college student anymore but not yet a professional The first year is a “breaking in” stage Have appropriate expectations Know how to establish yourself and learn the way things are done Earn credibility and respect Very important time for your career ladder

Does it Really Matter? Yes!! The way you enter an organization will have a major impact on your success Success depends on impressions you make Research suggests how you approach your first year will have major impact on your salary, advancement, and ability to move within the organization Your challenge is to use strategies to establish yourself as a bright, capable and valuable. It can take years to recover from a bad start

Success Strategies 1. Slow Down-Thoughts are you must make a “Big Splash” to impress your company. If you do this before you have earned acceptance and truly understand the company, chances are you will embarrass yourself. What makes the most positive impression is not showing how much you know, but rather demonstrating the maturity to know how much you don’t know!

Success Strategies Continued 2. Learn the Culture-Every company has its own personality and culture and set of rules, often unspoken. Pay attention to the way things are done. Learn what the norms are and how other behave. For example, one new hire was quick to criticize a project only to find out that it was started by one of his senior managers! Remember you can’t change the culture until you are accepted into it.

Success Strategies Continued 3. Manage a Good Impression-You are in a fish bowl your first year. Many will be assessing your ability to succeed. Build a good professional record. You want your co-workers to notice your professional maturity, not your college ways. They want to see a readiness to change and an attitude that is realistic about your role. 4. Learn the Art of Being New-Requires a new way of thinking. Accept your role as a newcomer. You must learn the tasks of the organization as well as the “rites of passage.”

Success Strategies Continued 5. Manage Your Expectations-Major frustration of new graduates is their expectations are not met. Keep them realistic and expect to be surprised. The image the recruiter painted is probably not quite realistic and it is doubtful you will receive the same attention you did when you were being recruited. Real world is different than college. The job probably won’t be as glamorous as you thought. People skills and teamwork are crucial. Many college grads say the challenges are different than they expected. More pressure, hrs. and types of tasks different.

Success Strategies Continued 6. Become a Savvy Subordinate-The single most important person is your new boss. Be sure what you do supports your boss. Learn what your boss wants and expects and bring solutions not problems. You can’t be a good leader until you have been a good follower. A bad boss is not a legitimate excuse for a poor performance. It is your responsibility to make the first year transition a success.

College is a Different World You have 17 years in education-hard to let go May be surprised to learn that many of the skills you acquired in college are rarely the ones needed in the workplace If you have the same expectations of your supervisor as you did your college professor you will be greatly disappointed Learn the culture of work and don’t embarrass yourself by taking classroom behavior into the workplace Examples-you are taught to argue your point with a college professor-try that with your supervisor. No syllabus to follow. At work A’s only are accepted. College was an individual effort and work is a team effort. Let go of those old college ways.

12 Steps to First-Year Success Adopt the right attitudes Adjust your expectations Master-breaking-in skills Manage the impression you make Build effective relationships Become a good follower Understand your organization’s culture Develop organizational savvy Understand your new role Develop work-savvy Master the tasks of your job Acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities you need