“Your First (NEW) Year as a

Professional”

I got this years and years ago my last semester of college and thought that this would be the perfect time to pass it on. You don’t have to start a new job or get a promotion or even go and finish school to start your new profession. You just have to start it new. This year, try to see day 1 as that very first day and incorporate these steps into that feeling. I guarantee that you will have a much better year!

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Professional Appearance

Based on appearance, a positive or negative first impression can be made.  Appropriate dress can lend credibility to you and your

position because wardrobe projects self-esteem, level of confidence, and professionalism.  In addition, appropriate business attire works to your advantage when it comes time for promotions, raises, and job evaluations.

More than 70% of American companies allow some form of casual attire on occasions. To ensure that you dress appropriately, research dress code in your field and specifically, your place of employment. If in doubt, always err on the conservative side and remember the following rule of thumb: Dress like the successful people in your organization.

Here are the Don’ts of professional attire:

Avoid excessive or flashy jewelry and make up, shorts, miniskirts, stretch, or capri pants, sleeveless or bare back shirts and dresses, low-cut blouses and shirts, form-fitting spandex attire, ties with large prints or cartoon characters, sandals, shoes with elaborate bows and buckles, bare legs.  It is a good idea to keep an extra shirt or blouse, pressed and boxed, in your car.  You may also consider having an extra tie or an extra pair of nylons available at the ready.  Keep a toothbrush and breath mints in your desk for bad breath emergencies.

Cultivate Solid Time Management Skills

Good time management skills begin with goal setting.  Plan your day in advance by rehearsing what you need to accomplish that day during your morning commute.  Ten to fifteen minutes of planning in the morning will equal an extra hour or more of productivity during the day.  There are a number of tools available to help you plan your daily activities (e.g., a Day-Timer, Franklin Covey Planner, or other pocket planners).  It is a good practice to carry a notepad with you to write down your thoughts or daily reminders as they occur to you.  If you drive, get a windshield-attached notepad.

Develop a routine that increases your personal productivity.  If you can take public transportation to work it will give you time to read (and may also save you money).  If you drive, get in the habit of listening to books on tape or podcasts.  It is amazing how much reading you can accomplish over the course of a year.

Don’t forget to schedule times to relax and take a break throughout the day.  Park at the far end of the lot in the morning, go for a brisk walk each day, or stretch your legs during lunch.  It will clear your mind and make you more productive for the remainder of the day.  Join a health club: Exercise will increase your level of energy; you will look better and feel better.

 

Develop Strong Interpersonal Skills

Talk 20% and listen 80% because you learn by listening and not by talking.  Get in the habit of remembering the names of those you are introduced to.  In your first few days on the job it might be a good idea to jot down names until you remember them and don’t be afraid to ask the person to help you with his or her name in case you forgot it.  Project positive attitude by smiling (even if you feel like frowning) because everyone loves a cheerful person.  Be the first person to say “hello” to others in the morning.  If someone is confrontational with you, avoid the confrontation.  Take time to cool off before you respond and focus on solutions and not problems.  Don’t be a complainer and ignore those who attempt to practice their art upon you.

Finally, always take the opportunity to praise others who are worthy of praise.  If someone has done well, take the time to compliment him or her.  When someone compliments you for your work, don’t say “it was nothing” or try to talk them out of it.  Just say “Thank you” with a smile and move on.

Focus on Career Development, Education, and Training

Ask your boss to point out areas for continuous improvement.  Know and understand the company training program and take advantage of it.  Continue your education; even if you do not pursue a formal degree, make learning a lifelong vocation.  What you learn will affect what you earn.  Computer skills are one of the skills you should focus on developing as you need to be proficient in the use of technology in your work.

Be aware of the work that is going on around you because these could be your areas of potential future growth.  Make sure that you understand your role in contributing to the bottom line of the company and keep your eyes focused on the big picture rather than your own cube.  Invest time in networking with professionals within the organization.  Take others out to lunch to learn about their jobs and departments.

Know who your boss’ boss is as this is the person who may recommend or authorize your promotion in the future.

If you love what you do, success will follow.  If you think that you do more than what you are paid to do, you will eventually be paid more for what you do.  And finally, don’t ask for a raise because you need more money; ask for a raise because you are worth more money.

 

Learn About Ethics and Politics in the Workplace

Develop a reputation for honesty and integrity.  Integrity means doing what is right, even if it is unpopular, unfashionable, or unprofitable.  Don’t lie, cheat, or steal, even when the temptation is great. Stand for honesty and integrity in all you do, and you will be amazed how far it will set you above your peers.  If you have failed in these areas in the past, your new job is an opportunity to start fresh.  You must earn your reputation over time and live up to it at all times, at work and everywhere else.

Don’t use profanity, never tell dirty jokes, racist jokes, or sexist jokes and ignore those who attempt to share them with you.  When dining out with co-workers or clients limit yourself to one glass of wine or beer and wait for someone else to order liquor first—don’t be the only one.

Watch and emulate those who are successful in your company; allow them to be your mentors from afar.  Make sure to show respect for your boss in everything you do.  Don’t join in when others are boss bashing—it can be contagious.  Always seek the good in others, and they will be more likely to find it in you.

Manage Your Money Wisely

Eat lunch in to save both time and money.  Even just $5 per lunch eating out adds up to $2500 per year.

Besides, it is healthier to bring your own lunch, not to mention that you will often be viewed as a hard worker for consistently staying in when others are going out.

Take time to understand your company’s benefits plan instead of waiting until you need to use one of the benefits to understand it.  Sign up for your 401(k) plan as soon as possible so that you can be taken care of later in life.  If your employer provides the option, have your paycheck set up for direct deposit to save the time and hassle of depositing each paycheck and giving you quicker access to your money.

Always pay your bills on time, especially credit cards and student loans.  An unblemished credit record is an asset that should be protected.  Don’t run a monthly balance on your credit card–if you can’t pay it off, don’t buy it.  Remember, wealth and happiness are not the same thing.  There is more to life than the endless accumulation of wealth.  There will never be enough money.  You must find your wealth elsewhere in your life.

And Lastly…

Always give back to those who are less fortunate than you.  No matter how hard you have worked to get where you are now, there is always someone who has not had the same opportunities that you have had in life.  Do your best to give something back.

I wish you all the best in your new life.

JEFF

A client called me the other day upset about a meeting he had a few weeks ago that he figured would land him that next great job.  He is lucky to work at a company that promotes and suggests to its employees to meet and network and that is just what he did. However that job came and went and he never got interviewed.  So we sat down and talked about Networking. How it can be done and why we want to.

Networking can be a great tool, but you have to keep with it and not expect much from 1 meeting. You also need to do it outside of your comfort zone so you can be more comfortable doing it when the time comes.

1. Do it often.  However, don’t spread yourself thin trying for every department or group out there. Don’t just call on them when you need something.
2. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.
3. Ask yourself what your goals are in participating in networking meetings so that you will pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for. Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.
4. Give them something to remember you. A cheap card just with your name and what you like to do with your info is good
5. Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.
6. Visit as many groups as possible that spark your interest. Notice the tone and attitude of the group. Do the people sound supportive of one another? Does the leadership appear competent? Many groups will allow you to visit two times before joining.
7. Follow up. Follow up, follow up….. If they mention a lead track it down.
8. Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.
9. Stay in touch with them. Send a thank you after the meeting and make a note on the calendar to check in with them monthly or every 2 months. My google calendar is filled with names and dates. I get a reminder each time to check in with people and I save details in the contact info so I can let them know I am remembering them. (Hey, haven’t heard much from you in the past few weeks. Just checking how your son’s birthday party went?) Some days I send out 10-15 emails just saying hey. Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.
10. Practice makes perfect as always. Don’t let a bad one stop you from the next. Try it out with friends and see how it goes. Try to get good at asking people what they do with interest.
11. Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them.
12. Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.
13. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. Too often people in conversations ask, “How may I help you?” and no immediate answer comes to mind.
14. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.

In this day and age Networking is the key to getting just about anywhere and can be your biggest un-utilized resource, but you need to establish those connections before you need them and once you do, don’t let them get away.  If they are going places, you might have a chance too, but not if they don’t really know you, what you want, or what you have to offer.

JEFF

Let’s be honest: we all make the occasional mistake at work.  Some of us, more than others.

I prefer to call them “fumbles” because it just sounds nicer. Some people say things “fell through the cracks” or they “dropped the ball”. Whatever you call it, making a mistake at work is a stressful, frustrating experience.

You were late to a meeting. You forgot the report. You didn’t read the memo. Most people make similar slip-ups on the job. Yes, it happens to all of us from time to time. The important thing to remember is that mistakes cannot simply be ignored. They must be dealt with.  However, if you’ve been making some major mistakes at work, it’s time to make changes to avoid dire consequences. How you deal with and recover from your mistakes can say lot about your character and your work ethic.

Here are a few pointers for how to handle the inevitable (though hopefully occasional) fumble:

Acknowledge Your Mistake Immediately

Time is of the essence when dealing with a fumble. Once you’ve realized that there is problem, consider who will be impacted by your actions (or lack thereof).  What will the result be for them?  Approach them immediately with honesty about what has taken place. Be straight forward and concise. Don’t beat around the bush and don’t wait. Often, we get in the habit of thinking no one will notice or we just hold our breath that circumstances will change and the mistake will no longer be important. That might work on the rare occasion. But consider the time it doesn’t work and the problem explodes. Do you want people coming back to you asking why you didn’t notify them of your mistake earlier? Acknowledging your mistake to the appropriate parties allows them the opportunity to:

a) Help in fixing the problem

b) Prepare for damage due to the mistake

c) Prevent further damage from being done

Don’t Give Long Winded Excuses

No one really cares about what caused the mistake. Sure, you and your boss might go over it again in the future in an effort to determine how to prevent it from happening again, but right now, people only care about one thing and that is dealing with it (i.e. accessing and fixing the damage done while also preventing further damage). Giving a long, drawn out excuse only makes it look like you’re trying to rationalize your fumble. Keep the reason for why it happened short unless it is absolutely necessary.

Don’t Blame Others

While it’s tempting to give a long, detailed explanation of why the mistake happened, it’s even more tempting to slide a few other people into the mix so you don’t look solely responsible. Let me tell you now that people see right through that. Even if you aren’t the only person responsible for the fumble, step up and take the responsibility. Your team mates will appreciate it and remember your loyalty in the future.

Bring Solutions

Take initiative. Go in the office early.  As soon as soon as you arrive at the office, take as many actions as you can to start solving the problem. If your bosses are not in yet, then it’s the perfect time to find some things you can do to begin the process of recovery. Think about how to resolve the situation. Also, consider future problems that could happen as a result of your mistake. Take solutions with you when you address the mistake with co-workers or supervisors.

Apologize Then Move On

Upon realizing the error that had occurred, resist the temptation to bury your head in the sand and instead immediately call your bosses’ attention to the problem and apologize. It’s important to say that you’re sorry. No one wants to mess up but it still helps others to hear that you don’t feel good about it. They are then more likely to feel a desire to help out. One word of caution though: don’t overdo it. Nothing is more frustrating than someone who continues to apologize over and over again. Say it once, then, move on.

Learn From the Experience

You can do good work from that point on, by learning what you did wrong.  Sometimes the only good thing to come out of a mistake is the lesson it teaches you.  If you know that your boss is not happy with what you did, then you know what your boss would love to see now.  It’s like reverse directions and believe me, these lessons are engrained in your psyche. It’s such an awful and uncomfortable experience, you won’t soon forget it. More than likely, you’ll be replaying exactly what happened and how a million times in your head. That’s good! It will help you identify the problem and prevent it from happening again. But don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember that we’re all human and life is nothing but a series of lessons.

Oops I did it again now what?

Focus on Your Professional Development

Often when one makes multiple mistakes, employers have doubts about the employee’s future performance. Move forward and spend extra time on the details to avoid future errors.  Follow up with your boss. After a period of time, schedule a meeting with your boss to review your performance.  Ask for feedback and prove that you want to grow from this experience. If you think that you are still being looked at too closely for comfort because of this mistake then ask your boss if you can attend a seminar, training or other professional development event.  If they say no and site funds as a reason, then offer to pay for this event out of pocket. After attending the event, present your findings to your department and your boss to let them see that you learned your lesson and made something better in the end.

JEFF

Recent meetings with one of my clients made me think about how we can track our accomplishments for an entire year.  I have in the past had to write out my own evaluation and “sell” my-self to the boss for a raise, or promotion, at the end of the year. Thinking back to all the things I had done and wanted to was a daunting task and I would always come up short on my list.

My client is expected to fill out an “end of the year” self-evaluation, and he sat there and got scared thinking about everything he needed to put and how little he could come up with. He then proceeded to call me and ask what he should do.  At this point we had to cover the basics and what he could remember about the last year and all he had done for his company in his position. He got it done and didn’t do all that bad at it, however; he could have saved a lot of pain and suffering by planning ahead and keeping a document monthly of things that had happened, not to mention I am sure a much better job.

Tracking it monthly, or even weekly if you need that much information, is key to succeeding in this situation and not that hard to do.  Just make a document with the basic information needed and start tracking it on a scheduled basis. It would even be a good idea to go ahead and setup a scheduled time in your calendar to get it done.

For this one I made a list of the Months, then for each month I have the 5-6 basic productivity items listed as a reminder to track each thing. If your Evaluation has specific targets and items needed, use those in the list. The example I used here just has what we took from my meeting with my client and what his boss is looking for.

• January
  • Quatity Score
  • Productivity Number
  • Schedule Adherence
  • Consults
  • Other – (Leadership, Mentoring, Helping, Woodstone)
• February and so on, coping each item

Then every two weeks we put a schedule notification saying “Eval Updates”. That way every 2 weeks we will be reminded to go to this list and write about are last 2 weeks.  By doing this all of the things we do day to day are fresh in are mind, and we can successfully track all of our accomplishments for the year. At the end of the year when it is time for his “Company” evaluation my client can list them clearly and even defend them if necessary.  The added bonus is that we can see weekly what is getting done and how much we are accomplishing.  Just think at the end of a year doing this and you look back and can see page after page of things you have accomplished at your work.  If your unfortunate enough to have to defend a lot of items at the end of the year you can also add struggles and issues to the list and be prepared.

JEFF