Starting Strong: A New Joiner's Guide to Thriving at Work
Starting a career can be both exciting and daunting. As you embark on this new journey, it's crucial to focus on key areas that will set the foundation for your professional growth and success. From building essential skills and networking effectively to understanding the importance of work-life balance and continuous learning, this post will guide you through the vital aspects to consider in the early stages of your career. By paying attention to these areas, you'll be better equipped to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that come your way.
1) Know About the Business but Don’t Be a Jerk
I've had the good fortune of working with hundreds of new joiners across companies and interviewed several hundred more. The one thing that makes people stand out is their effort to know about their workplace. Knowing about where you work is common sense, but not a common practice. By understanding business lines, key developments, and new products/services, you seem involved and can positively impact your career progression.
2) Know About the People but Don’t Throw Names
Again, common sense, but not knowing the CXOs of your company is outright foolish. Not knowing your boss’s boss is even more so. Take the effort to know who does what in your company. And believe me, do not miss out on support functions – admin, HR, legal, and others – knowing who’s who makes a huge difference.
3) Be Generous but Do Not Overcommit
When you get a chance to help people around, especially those above you, grab it with both hands. But know your limits – you can’t be known as someone who overcommits but underdelivers. You hardly ever get a second chance when you screw it up for someone.
4) Do at Least One Percent More Than Everyone Else
When you join a place, you probably won’t know anyone, and vice-versa. How do you get known? By doing more and better than others – simple. The last review that you take when you are super tired, reading your email twice before sending it, being in meetings on time, being purposefully dressed – all this counts. Make it count.
5) Help Your Boss Shine but Don’t Outshine Them
If I could give you one piece of advice for success, it would be to make your boss successful. Do everything in your capacity to make them look good in front of their boss. The rewards will follow for you. However, never overshadow them in front of a wider audience or their boss. Always give credit where it’s due.
6) Make Relationships but Don’t Get Into One (At Least Not in the First Few Years)
Know people and network well. But do not get into a relationship in your first few years. Believe me, couples often lose touch with others in the office because they are generally only with each other. This can lead to conflicts of interest if they are in the same team and can affect how they are perceived by others.
7) Always Be Earlier Than Usual
Never be late. Make it a mantra that if you aren’t five minutes early, you are late. Be it online calls or physical meetings, follow this rule.
8) Be Well-Read but Subtle About It
Keep reading as much as you can – current affairs, different genres of books – nonfiction or fiction. Being well-read gives you topics to discuss when someone asks, “How’s it going?” or when you're at the lunch table with seniors around you. But no one likes a snob – even those who are knowledgeable. When a topic comes up, knowing what to say and quoting what you've read is good.
9) Always Speak Up but Don’t Ask Stupid Questions (Always)
Find opportunities to speak and ask questions in front of a crowd. Yes, it may seem frightful, but when everyone is silent and you ask an intelligent question, you stand out. And whoever said there are no stupid questions was wrong. In an office setting, there are always people whose questions make eyes roll. Don’t be that person.
10) Be Available (Yes, Even at the Cost of Personal Time)
In the first few years, make yourself available as needed. If you really can’t help out at times, say no upfront but remember that you cannot say no to cleaning up any messes you've created.