Getting A Head Start: Planning Your First Year in a New Job
There is a tendency for people to get very complacent once they have landed their new job. After months (sometimes, years) of searching, many people think their work is over once they land their new job. Or, that once they have nailed the offer, it is time to let down their guard and relax. After all, the pressure is over, isn’t it? And, strong performance will ensure positive recognition, and surely, promotion opportunities, right? The short answer: No. That isn’t the full picture and sitting back at this juncture might lead to outcomes that are far less than a person hoped for in a new employment situation. Although the road to where you are today might have felt like the biggest challenge you will face, it isn’t over yet.
Now that you are where you want to be (or perhaps, you only think this is where you want to be), whether it is in a “foot in the door “ role, or your “A” job, it is necessary to ensure you start your new job on the right foot. Showing up on time, being enthusiastic, and showing willingness to learn are basic, good beginnings, but there is much, much more involved. Securing the job is only the beginning. Keeping it and growing within it, or positioning oneself to grow to places beyond the initial role, requires thoughtful planning and the establishment of time lines.
Key elements to an auspicious beginning involve a thorough understanding of your role in the organization and your value to the company. It involves the development of allies and planning ahead, using specific time lines to ensure you make the most out of this opportunity. Keep in mind, in the company’s eyes, this “new beginning” is about what you can do for the company, not what they can do for you. You will be scrutinized closely, and someone will record even the smallest behavioral aberration. What happens next is based on the company’s needs, not necessarily yours.
Keep in mind, the company doesn’t need to know all aspects of your plans for your future. They only need to know/see what is relevant to them. Whatever your agenda is for your time with them, or for after your employment with them, it needs to be managed by you. It is important to take responsibility for your growth and development from the beginning. Take charge – do not assume they have your best interests in mind, or frankly, that you are even on their minds at all.
Assuming your professional growth and recognition for your accomplishments are your supervisor’s or the company’s responsibility is an old school notion that went by the wayside decades ago. It is important that YOU have a sound plan and time lines for growing professionally, and for maintaining or increasing your value. It is important to know what your value is not only to the company, but also in the industry as a whole, just in case the company faces lay offs, or becomes involved with a merger or acquisition. Careful planning in the beginning is far more likely to set you up for success in the long run. Don’t wait until you are midstream.
If you have recently accepted a new position, please share how you will be approaching your first year.
Interviewing: What Employers Really Want
Trying to second-guess the answers to potential interview questions can be frustrating and time wasting. There are some basic concepts, when understood completely by the job seeker that can contribute to the success or failure of an interview.
There are three basic concerns employers look for when making a hiring decision:
Can you? … Do you have the required skills to do the work?
Will you? … Do you indicate you want (attitude) to do your work the way we want you to do it?
Do you fit? … Does your personality and style fit with our company?
If the job seeker is very clear about what the position encompasses, i.e. what skills are needed and how they will be required to perform the work, and they are happy to do it, then there is a strong case for pursuing the position. Surprisingly, many job seekers apply for positions because they sound good, not because they have a thorough understanding of what is expected. Doing research on the company will shed some light on the third condition. Is this a good fit in regard to the culture of the organization?
Do you completely understand what the employer needs?
An organization is interested in what can you do for them. A thorough understanding of the organization’s needs will allow you to sell the benefits of hiring you, rather than simply presenting features about your experience that you believe are interesting. Quantify your accomplishments. Make them real and tangible. Sell solutions.
Employers don’t care what you think, they care about what you will do.
An interview is only a 30-60 minute snap shot of you. Many questions are too obvious or may even be inappropriate. It is important to understand that many of your answers will be left to interpretation. If you understand the point of each question (can you? will you? do you fit?), and you understand the employer’s intention, it is far more effective to respond with an action statement indicating what you have done, than what you think. They will view past performance as an indicator of what you are likely to do for them.
The economy and the job market are changing every minute. Can you ?
Traits employers look for to determine if you will continue to be valuable to them in the future are a positive attitude, self-motivation, flexibility and the ability to perform as a team player. Will you be able to roll with the punches when change is needed?
You need to ask for the position!!
People are often not offered a position because they may appear to be unprepared, seem disinterested, sloppy, vague, and discourteous. One of the most common reasons for not getting the offer is pretty simple. They fail to ask for the position!!
What have you changed that contributed to a more successful interview?
Dispelling the Myth About Resumes: It’s Not Just to Get Your Foot in the Door
Years ago, we created “catchy” resumes, using sophisticated language, printing them on colored paper or even having them delivered by singing messengers to get the attention of the decision maker. Life, work and the pursuit of employment have changed since then. When sent in response to a job announcement, the chance of a resume directly reaching the decision maker without going through a screening process is slim to none. “Catchy” has been replaced with “targeted” and “to the point”. People spend many hours trying to break the recruiter’s or human resource specialist’s code to determine what will catch their eye. It seems the real value a resume offers to a candidate may get overlooked in the process of becoming “catchy” or “cute” or packed with “key words”.
An article on resumes recently hit my inbox. It started with: “The purpose of a resume is to land an interview. Nothing more, nothing less.” I couldn’t disagree more. Resumes serve a greater purpose than “getting your foot in the door”. A carefully composed resume will not only nail each requirement stated in the job announcement, it will encompass the unpublished information learned through networking or conducting informational interviews. The process of researching and collecting the appropriate data for your resume does more than catch someone’s eye. It is one of the most important steps in preparing you for an interview. After all, getting in the door is not your final goal. Getting the offer is.
It has been said that a crafty, eye-catching resume is all that is needed to get your foot in the door for an interview. That may be so. Then what? How many times have you heard of a person having interview after interview, but never receives any offers? There is likely to be a good reason for that, and there is a good chance it can be tracked all the way back to their resume.
Candidates have learned how to effectively include the correct key words to catch an electronic or human eye. It is a very likely reality that whether it is a machine or a person hired to screen resumes, the screener may not know or understand the intent of the words or their relevance to the person’s experience and abilities. In an age where technology often does the selection process, it is quite likely that key words identified in a resume draw a candidate into the screening process, and in fact, may propel them all the way to a face-to-face interview. It is at that point their bluff is called, and the momentum dies. What is missing in this scenario is the ability for those candidates to apply the key words in any meaningful way once they have actually begun the interview.
One of the greater purposes of a well-crafted resume is more for the benefit of the candidate, rather than the employer. If a candidate has selected language that is used by the employer, and included specific examples of accomplishments that are relevant to the employer’s needs, there is a far greater chance the candidate will be able to use this information to their advantage during an interview. If the candidate has thoughtfully considered each piece of information included in the resume, and qualified and quantified their examples, then they most certainly have done the hardest part of the preparation required to succeed in the interview. Without completing the connections between their experiences and the employer’s needs long in advance of the interview, their ability to present that information in a meaningful way and effectively lead the employer directly to those same conclusions during an interview is vastly limited. By using only relevant examples of experience, being very clear about why they have been selected for inclusion in the resume, a candidate has built the framework for the impending conversation. The candidate, not the employer, in essence, can control the conversation. The resume is used as the “agenda” or a “cheat sheet’ for the candidate.
A well-constructed resume will include qualified and quantified information spoken in plain language that is relevant to the industry, and easy enough to understand by the lowest level screener. You must pass “go” before you move to the next level. Beyond being clear, the information provided is also an opportunity to begin building your value. Never assume that past titles or general statements will imply value, or secure a whopping salary.
Concrete, relevant examples of your work will help lay the groundwork for more extensive conversations in the interview. It will also serve as reference for the human resource representative, recruiter or decision maker at a later date when they are tasked with presenting you with an offer. Beyond using a resume as a focus point for an interview, it is also the first documentation required in establishing a candidate’s worth to the employer, and a key ingredient in an effective negotiation. Many companies have steps or grades in their salary ranges, and the human resource department determines the actual level a candidate is hired in at rather than the hiring manager. A carefully designed resume establishes proof for requesting a higher level when it is time to negotiate salary. By responding to each point identified in a detailed job announcement created by the employer, the candidate is able to clearly identify examples of their experience that support a higher level in the pay scale. By outlining clear, specific information that is directly relevant to their needs, you have begun the groundwork for a negotiation for compensation that is in the top of their pay range, or even beyond.
It is with careful planning and listening, that a candidate can parlay the information presented in the resume into answers to tough interview questions, and ultimately into evidence of why they should be at the high end of a pay scale. Without proof, reassurance, and facts, a request for negotiating more compensation is a long shot. By providing evidence from start to finish, a candidate is far more likely to negotiate a greater offer. Your request will be based on the market conditions, the company’s needs and how well you fit them, supported by factual evidence. In this market, high salaries are not effectively negotiated just because a candidate “looks good” or was able to “schmooze” his/her way through an interview. Employers rely on evidence that you will be worth what you are asking. That value begins to build the moment they read your resume.
How well is your resume working for you?
Networking Etiquette 2
Many times I hear from people who have responded to a request for information from someone in their network never acknowledged the info or did not follow up with the information once it was provided.
If you are not receiving the results/responses you had hoped for through your networking efforts, there may be a good reason for it. Here are some simple reminders regarding “networking courtesy” when provided with a lead or when someone shares information with you. (This goes for candidates seeking job leads and employers seeking candidates!)
Copy the referring party. Remember to copy the person that directed you to the lead on your correspondence with the new contact. It is courteous to include them to show that you followed up, but may also help prod the referral into action when they recognize the referring party’s name.
Use background information when crafting your response. Make sure you have considered the resource carefully and prepared your questions well. If the original contact has provided you with inside information, take the time to note it and reference it. Using this information shows the new contact you have paid attention and are interested in them, and is also a sign of respect.
Ask questions that can be easily understood. Use open-ended sentences, i.e: “Please describe”, “please tell me about”, “how would you….” and be specific in what you are asking. “Please tell me about your industry” is too vague. “Please tell me what you like most about your industry” is more specific.
A thank you go a long way. Thank anyone that has taken time to help you by providing information of any kind. A personal note on a thank you card is appropriate when someone actually meets with you in person.
Stay in touch with your new contacts and let them know you are thinking of them. Send an article of interest, or even simply update them on your progress.
If you are serious about developing relationships, you will incorporate these actions with your networking. Otherwise, you may run the risk of presenting yourself as a self-absorbed opportunist that is only out for what you need at the time.
How have you shown sincerity and appreciation to a new networking contact?
