On the Job Advice
My first anniversary as a full-time, “big girl” working woman is fast approaching. (After graduating from college in 2005 and spending a year in search of a position in my field—marketing—I was fortunate to find my “perfect” job last August.) I love what I do and who I do it for.
Soon after employment, I discovered that college doesn’t really prepare you for the “real world.” I thought I knew…if not everything…at least enough to make me a worthwhile commodity. I’ve learned the hard way, however, that education is gained on the job and not in the classroom. (Too be fair to advanced education, I guess I am using some morsels of knowledge that I picked up here and there on campus, but they are only tidbits compared to what I learn every day at work.)
To help other “new bees” in the workforce, I am going to share some of the things that I learned I should have done from day one on the job. Had I had this knowledge sooner, I would have done better.
Ask questions. When I first started my job I wanted to appear like I knew what I was doing. Because of this, I limited questions. After all, I didn’t want my boss to think I was dumb. Luckily, my boss encouraged me to not only ask questions, but to admit when I didn’t know how to do something. Once I realized that questions were not only acceptable but expected, I was able to better perform my job.
Seek feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask how well you did on a specific project and how you can do better. This let’s your boss know that you’re not afraid of constructive criticism. This feedback will help you learn what is expected of you and will lessen future problems.
Offer suggestions. If you discover a better way of performing a task, even a menial job, share your discovery. This will help improve efficiency in your company/organization and show others that you’re not only interested in doing your job well, but want to make things easier for everyone.
Finally—and most important—learn not to take things personally! If your boss is in a bad mood one day, it’s probably not because of you. If your boss seems to be nitpicky at times, you probably didn’t do something exactly like he/she expected. This could be the result of poor communication from the boss and instead of feeling like you failed, ask some more questions. Always keep in mind that your boss is human, just like you, and he/she can make mistakes, too.
Starting a new job is a learning experience for everyone involved. If you follow my suggestions you’ll be ahead of the game. The end result—as I learned the hard way—is personal and professional success on the job. I’m getting there. But just when I begin to feel comfortable with what I’m doing at work, something always happens that shakes me up. This is when I remind myself to be prepared for whatever comes my way and to be ready for change.