So you’ve passed the interview stage and got your foot in the door, what next?
- Know the basics and basics and common courtesy
Self-presentation is important. You will be judged by others on first impressions – the cliché that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, is true. The majority of first impressions are based on non-verbal communications. Being on time is important, or as a colleague once said, if you are on time, you’re late. Greet other workers and get busy immediately, don’t fuss with getting coffee – your employer is not paying you to have your breakfast when you get in to work – eat before you arrive.
- Ask for help
Don’t waste your time or your employers time by wondering how to do something; never make assumptions – it’s ok to be vulnerable and remember we can’t all do it on our own – involve others.
Your employer is not expecting you to know everything.
- Be a giver, not a taker- every time you meet someone, think what can you do for them?
- Participate: If you are invited to a team discussion, meeting, drinks on Friday, a KBB clean-up, a social or charitable committee – join in!
- Be authentic: do what you say you are going to do; build a reputation as being solid, reliable and
- Ask to be introduced: it is much more effective than making a cold connection. By asking to be introduced, you are leveraging off other peoples’ networks and their
- Spend time with energetic people – seek out connectors; you tend to become like the people you hang around with; as the adage goes, if you change your tribe, you change your
- Be optimistic and use positive vocabulary- people like to spend time with optimists. Seek out positive, optimistic people. It rubs off. You are the average of the people you hang around Pessimists suck the life out of people and events. Be a glass half full kind of person.
- Become the go-to person on a Become known as an expert on a topic and share your knowledge. Organisations can be deeply siloed – be the person that cuts across them and brings people together. All companies have great internal strengths and capabilities and they struggle to bring them out. You can make this your mission
- Allow your personality to come out. People are drawn to personality – humanity
- Have statistics that are work related to hand, types, trends – be a knowledge
- When you are new to an organization, and you are invited to attend a meeting or join a discussion group – always say yes, even if you are unsure what you can really add. This is a great opportunity to learn and show you are interested.
- When you are not-so-new to an organization, send something in advance of a meeting; this shows that the meeting is important to you and you care about it and the people you are going to meet. It is an opportunity to form in advance your colleagues/counterparts impressions of you and your
- Take notes at meetings, even if you don’t need It shows respect and interest.
- Find a mentor. Learn from them, teach them something- they will guide you.
- Help people become insiders; then they feel part of something and have a sense of ownership and will credit you with that – increasing your value to the
- Learn the art of salary negotiation so that you feel justly rewarded for the work you
- Do take individual appraisals personally, but don’t be offended. Your manager is doing their job, likely hates doing appraisals, and this is a good opportunity for you to learn and
- Be flexible. The “That’s not my job” response will get you on the short list for Every employer is expecting everyone to pull their weight.
- Ask for educational opportunities, learning and development courses, show you are interested in progressing your career and
- Be willing to learn new technologies. In the past, company size was all-important – the big ate the small. Now it is all about speed – the fast eat the slow. Embrace technology as an asset you need.
Every experience is a learning experience: give it six months, minimum. Be mindful of your CV/brand. Ask yourself, what do you want to achieve in five years’ time, and start now.
For more on success in the workplace, contact Sylvia Jones and her team at Elevate Executive Selection on Tel: +441 296 8663 or visit https://elevateselection.com/.
Sylvia Jones is the director of Elevate Executive Selection’s Bermuda Operations and has been lending her vast knowledge of the recruitment process to the continued success of her clients and candidates alike.
