Post-college prep: How to make a good first impression
How young people can bridge the generational divide in the workplace and make a good first impression.
Just because you've landed a new job doesn't mean you've won the trust or respect of your new colleagues. Today's college graduates will be working for and alongside people of different generations – from baby boomers on down – whose different life experiences can lead to very different expectations about how work gets done. It's a situation that's ripe for misunderstandings, so it’s important to know what you need to do as a young employee to make a good first impression. The key is humility, which translates into several important dos and don'ts.
Don't assume you have the answers.
You're excited to make a difference. Good! But recognize the limits to your knowledge on day one. It's probably going to take you at least 3-6 months before you get to the point where the value of your work is greater than the amount of time and energy others have to spend training you. Your boss and your colleagues want to see emotional maturity, and that starts with recognizing you have a lot to learn.
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Do show your colleagues you're ready to learn.
A notebook and pen should be glued to your hands for the first three months on the job. Everywhere you go, take notes so that you can speed-up your learning and show your colleagues that you're serious about getting up-to-speed. It's a sign of humility that you have a lot to learn and a sign of respect for the time someone is investing in your training. Few things are more frustrating to a boss than an employee who comes to a meeting empty-handed.
Don't be glued to your phone.
Yes, phones and tablets can be great tools for finding information, staying in touch, and taking notes. But let’s be honest: the reputation of today's college grads is that they're hopelessly addicted to and distracted by their devices. If you're walking around the office looking at a screen, you'll only perpetuate that stereotype in many of your co-workers’ minds. Their perception may be unfair, but don’t blame them, just prove them wrong. Leave the phone in your pocket and find another way to connect.
Do prioritize face-to-face meetings.
Over the long term, email, messaging, and other communication technologies will be the most efficient ways to communicate with colleagues. But when you're starting out, nothing beats looking a colleague in the eye and speaking with her face-to-face. Make learning people’s names and remembering their faces a priority. You'll break stereotypes about younger generations, and your colleagues will be more likely to respond to your notes and requests when they know the person behind them.
Don't wait for someone to tell you what to do.
Today's college generation has a reputation for needing constant instruction and affirmation. True or not, many people believe younger generations have had their lives micromanaged by their parents and teachers – scheduled from sun up to sun down, shuttled from one activity to the next – and so they lack initiative and creativity. Don't live up to that reputation. You weren't hired to merely take instructions, so don't spend your first days on the job sitting around waiting for someone to tell you what to do.
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Do be proactive.
You don't have all the answers yet, but you do have eyes and ears. Use them to identify ways you can be helpful to your colleagues. Look around at your team, identify pain points for people around you, and then ask if you can take some of those duties off their plates. The best employees anticipate needs and come to their bosses with solutions. Not everything you offer will be a good idea, but proactively offering help shows that you are a problem solver, not just an order taker.
Landing a job is a big deal, but it’s really just the start. To succeed in the workplace, you've got to build credibility with your colleagues. Be honest about what you don't know, be ready to learn, invest in personal relationships, and find ways to pitch in.
If you're willing to show humility upfront, your transition from rookie to trusted teammate won't take long.
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