Your maiden job – a launch-pad for your career success

It is only after you finish your graduation that you realize that textbooks are not capable of teaching everything. Whatever you learn at school or college are indeed more of theory and less of practical stuff. And when you get into your first job, you realize that it is a monumental learning experience.  

If you speak to a person who is midway into his career, you will be surprised to learn from where that person took off or set out on his career journey. In all probabilities, his actual start point would be the start-point of his first job. No maiden job can be used to predict your profile and the position you will attain when you retire from your work.

Your first job is an opportunity to ascertain how well-equipped you are to reach for the sky. You get to know the functioning of your organization, how assignments and projects are implemented and what factors contribute to the success of individuals and establishments. As you gain experience and move forward, career changes are bound to take place. So, you should be learning or doing the following at your first job:

·   Understanding work culture: It is of great consequence to observe the conduct and outcomes that are appreciated in your outfit. In addition, you should ascertain the standpoints your organization. You should seek to know and understand the establishment's declared goals and how do they vary from those of rival organizations. All organizations function on teamwork. As a new entrant, do you sense that solidarity exists amongst the rank and file of the company? It is quite likely that many policies may not have been reduced to writing but are operational by convention; if so, what are those tenets? Last but not least, you should also get to know people who appear to be doing well.

·   Knowing yourself & people around you: Your first job affords you many opportunities to discover more and more about yourself - your plus points and your negative points, pursuits that you are comfortable with and activities that you get pleasure from. At work you come in contact with people. You should make it a point to take note of their nonverbal language, because the same facilitates comprehension of their attitudinal disposition towards you. You are thus able to identify individuals who are a source of inspiration as also those who tend to bleed you dry. In other words, you need to adopt a management style that draws out the best in you - something that would be acknowledged and appreciated by everybody, up or down the chain notwithstanding.

·   Seeking views and opinions: All organizations generally have an annual performance review. But there is nothing wrong in asking for a quarterly or six-monthly review. This will help you in getting to know how well you are coping with organizational expectations. A distinct advantage accrues if reviews are held frequently. You will be able to stem drags that may otherwise be your  predicaments later. You will thus stay on top, particularly if you ask and get to know how you can perk up your performance.

·   Improving your expertise: The process of learning is cyclic and has no end. And it is never too late to learn. Since it happens to be your first job, you are still on a threshold. The vast expanse of the future and opportunities enclosed therein lies in front of you. To move around in it without getting lost, you need to have expertise. Experience gained today should impel you to do better tomorrow. And for that, you need to get your hands on new qualifications and latest skills. Remember that so far you have had only rudimentary exposure and that by itself is inadequate to stand you in good stead for your entire career span. So, you need to be making perennial efforts to improve your profile.

·   Staying informed about internal transfers: Members of staff are frequently moved from one department to another. These moves facilitate a good comprehension of the entire spectrum of organizational activities. It also helps in the understanding of various appointments and appointment holders. Over a period of time, keeping eye on internal postings help in grasping job obligations and prerequisites.

·   Cataloguing good work done: Bouquets and brickbats are common occurrences in anybody's career. Brickbats, though unpleasant serve to improve individual and organizational performance. On the other hand, bouquets are acknowledgements of good work done and are seldom forgotten. It is always sensible to keep a record of all compliments for good work done. These can be made use of in the future, particularly when  there is stiff competition and the need to create an impact is felt.

·   Knowing people who call the shots: In any organization, despite a laid down command and control channel, there are many others who call the shots. These influences, extraneous or intrinsic should be known. And this could be done by watching and silently weighing how coworkers and others interact and how things are accomplished. There could be some appointments that are may seem insignificant, but in actuality are very important. Who are these powers to be? Who are the people being regarded as ideals and why? Answers to such vital questions will indicate the decision making chain of the organization - vertically up or vertically down or a blend of the two.

·   Keeping a check on attitude: The most common grudge against youngsters is that they habitually desire excessive attainments rather too early in life. They also seem to suffer seriously from the 'I know better than you' syndrome. You ought to understand that it is only hard work and sincere effort that will benefit you. Additional responsibility is given when you prove your worth and for this, you will also need to build trust with your peers and bosses alike. You will also need to be cordial and concurrently firm in your dealings with your subordinate and support staff. This calls for tact and if you fail, chances are that a tag of either haughtiness or timidity will be attached to your personality.

Your maiden job is a learning school of a different category. You learn several things, some about which you have no previous knowledge. It is only at your first job that you formalize your conduct, improve upon your abilities and start becoming adept at the work that you do. It is therefore rightly, a launch-pad for your career success.