 |
|||
| |||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
Top 5 Tips for College Grads Entering the Working World
1) Build a Relationship With Your Boss: Like it or not, no single individual has a greater impact on your career future than your direct supervisor. So, how do you get on their good side from the start? Managers want to feel that you truly care, and that you are "in it with them" as a team. Bring your boss solutions, not problems. When a problem arises, take initiative to consider what alternatives are available. Don't just throw the problem on their desk and have them figure it out. Always ask your boss for advice on what you or the company could do better. Offer to stay late for projects, even if they might not be your responsibility. Amazingly, many Americans rush out the door at 4:59 without even saying "Goodnight." 2) Display Professionalism and Maturity: Unfortunately, the immature stereotype of young professionals does present a common barrier to advancement. Often, how you respond to adversity in a situation defines your professional maturity. A young professional views a mistake as a catastrophe, while a mature professional considers it a bump in the road. A young professional is quick blame to others, while a mature professional takes responsibility, and asks how a team can work better together in the future. There will always be differences of opinion on how best to do things in an organization, but they shouldn't escalate to confrontation. Tact, diplomacy, and rational adult conversation should reign. 3) Find a Mentor Within the Company/Industry: Take advice from someone who has succeeded, and they will help you succeed. Makes sense, doesn't it? Some companies sponsor structured mentor programs, as do many professional organizations. Be sure to investigate these options first. Otherwise, you must rely on a more informal method of finding a mentor. You might believe these people are too busy, or too important to talk to you. However, most people want to share their secrets to success with someone who really wants to listen. They also understand mentoring helps contribute to the future success of the company by helping to develop other young leaders. Besides, they probably had a mentor, too. 4) Undertake a Strategic Development Plan: It's never too early to start thinking about where your current job will take you. Understand typical advancement paths from your position, and what training and development is needed for advancement. Invest in yourself and learn from colleagues, books, seminars, and professional organizations. Try to identify your niche or area of specialization within a company or industry that will be in demand in the future. Where do you want to be in 2 years, or 5 years? You must take develop your own strategic game plan, and hold yourself accountable. 5) Avoid Dangerous Pitfalls: A recent study by Harvard University showed that for every firing due to failure to perform, there are two firings due to personality conflicts within a team. There could be temptations to mislead a customer to get one more sale, or hide a mistake from management. Internet and e-mail abuse is still a widespread problem. Further, the threat of sexual harassment is real. Often, the intent of the offender may not necessarily be malicious, but rather they don't realize the difference between what is appropriate in the workplace vs. a "night out at the clubs." It is imperative to understand the rules of the game, and abide by those rules, to avoid irreparable damage to your career from the start. Andy Masters is a nationally recognized speaker from St. Louis, and is author of the newly released book Life After College: What to Expect and How to Succeed in Your Career. Andy earned an M.A.-Human Resources Development and an M.A.-Marketing from Webster University. Visit http://www.life-after-college.com or e-mail am1@life-after-college.com for more information on the book, seminars, and additional resources.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Using The Internet For Job-hunting The Internet is a very useful tool for job seekers as it is a great source of information. Also, taking into account of a more wired world, getting online has never been easier. Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for work is humiliating, and your fragile self-confidence reels under the blows of indifference and rejection.It becomes harder to get up in the morning, to take care of yourself, to be supportive and loving to those around you, to swing energetically into job search activities. Resume Formats ... The Hidden Pitfalls Deciding on a resume format is the first major decision to be made when creating your resume. The overall look of your resume depends on the resume format, font and outline you choose. Genes and Work Ethic If you have good genes, you are blessed. If they are exceptional, you might be successful on that alone. An RX For Your Résumé Whether you are an accountant, virtual assistant, or a corporate executive, your job skills are constantly refined. A new sales presentation you've organized or the new spreadsheet package you've mastered should be included on your résumé. Job Interviews: Succeeding With Panel Interviews These days, job interviews often consist of a panel of three-to-six interviewers.A "team approach" to finding the best candidate can be beneficial for the employer. Writing A Resume That Gets You Noticed As the old saying goes, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." In today's business world, of course, that first impression usually does not come from a face-to-face conversation, but from whatever you can tell your future boss about yourself on paper: your resume. The Secrets to Interview Success Many well qualified and extremely able candidates fail at job interviews simply because they are unaware of the conventions of the job interview and the expectations of the interviewer.Successful candidates, on the other hand, manage to impress prospective employers precisely because they know how to present themselves. Finding the Right Travel Nursing Placement Agency Travel nursing is becoming one of our nation's fastest growing professions, and it's no surprise. If you love seeing new places and enjoy exciting new experiences that evoke the feeling of taking an extended vacation, then the career of a traveling nurse might be just what the doctor ordered! Travel nursing enables many people to stay on vacation for two to six months in free luxury accommodations while earning high hourly wages at the same time. How to Deal With Workplace Inflexibility You've been a model employee: responsible, industrious, creative and productive. You've gone the extra mile time and again, with a smile. Becoming A Police Officer Just Became Easier As many law enforcement candidates can vouch for, taking the police entrance exam can be a stressful and highly competitive experience. I decided to research some preparation web sites and purchased several E-books on the topic to get a better understanding of what it takes to become a police officer. The 5 Ps Of A Job Search Step One - Plan:Most people spend more time planning a one to two week vacation than they do planning their lifetime career. When planning for a vacation, you look at where you want to go, what your reason is for wanting to go to that particular place, how long it will take to get there, whether or not you want to take any side trips, what type of budget you will need, and what type of clothes you will need to take. Networking - A Key Factor in a Successful Job Search In today's economy, job seekers need an edge beyond their experience, education and specific industry and job-related skills, in order to find and secure a position. Regardless if you are looking for an opportunity as CEO, Vice President, IT Manager or Customer Service Representative, you need effective tools to compete within a market that is job-poor and candidate rich. Are You Ready To Start A Business? Take This Quiz and See Don't get discouraged! A "no" answer to any of the questions will identify an area for development -- not a roadblock. I am available to help if you would like to discuss your options in greater detail. Finding a Job Under Tough Circumstances Anyone can find a job. That's right, I said "anyone". Nonverbal Interview Behavior Non-verbal interview behavior can drown out your verbal self-presentation.Practice interviewing in front of a full-length mirror or, better yet, videotape yourself if you have access to such equipment. Marketing You and Your Career Imagine if a business invested years into the research, design, and creation of a new product, and then failed to tell anybody about it. What if the company assumed (even expected) that consumers should discover their new product, just because it was â??greatâ??? Flawed logic, right? Yet, thatâ??s how many people treat their careers! They spend years learning a trade, gaining education, and writing resumes - but do nothing to promote themselves. Strange Jobs Still Pay The Bills Strange jobs? How do we define that? Years ago I stole cars as a repo-man, had some adventures as an investigative process-server, and even handed out samples in grocery stores. Here are some other unusual jobs you can aspire to:Wrinkle ChaserThis is the person that irons wrinkles from shoes as they are being made to ensure they are perfectly smooth when you buy them. Fact or Opinion? "You ain't going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck. It is Still Possible to be Upwardly Mobile in America! Yes, it's still possible to be upwardly mobile in America: it's called a career in sales.Sales jobs come in all shapes and sizes.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
