For Recent Grads and Early Stage Careers

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Determining what you want to do can be daunting, whether you are finishing college or have been in the workforce a couple of years.  If you are wondering which career path to take, recommend working through What Color Is Your Parachute, working through the steps outlined on this site, speaking with professionals and learning more about their industries and careers.

 

If you have figured out what industry or job category interests you, go for it!  One you start your role, or are working through the early stages of your career, keep in mind some generational gaps that are prevalent in every industry.  Hiring managers are often industry veterans worked many hours and years to grow in their careers.  Their success did not come overnight, but rather through many different market conditions, healthy or weak economies, company successes or failures, mergers and acquisitions, all the while sticking to their chosen professions.  Recent and new graduates have have not gone through these ups and downs, often have not held as many jobs, and have not had to work through development cycles, growing seasons, or multi-year campaigns to advance in their chosen professions. Additionally, recent and new graduates may want to work less hours, take longer to perform tasks, or question their devotion to their careers versus previous generations.  These aren’t infallible truths, but general observations shared by hundreds of supervisors, managers, corporate leaders, company owners, entrepreneurs who are hiring.

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If you are new to a profession, are just starting your career and want to stand out, here are some recommendations:

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• Arrive early, even a little bit, every day.

• Don’t leave the office early or on time.  Work a bit later or a lot later. Observe managers, company leaders, and owners.  See who comes in early and stays late.

• Don’t frequently check your phone.  A company is paying for your work and time, not for non-work activities such as checking media or corresponding with people outside of work.

• Learn from everyone you can - both in the industry and in your office.  Find mentors and work with them.

• Get involved in the industry, through associations, trade groups, and other organizations.

• Have patience.  It takes time to learn, observe, improve.

• If you feel you should be paid more, one way to secure a raise is to present a specific, financial argument demonstrating why.  The more quantitiative your arguement, the better.  Performing your job is not necessarily a reason for a raise; you are simply doing what was asked of you.  If you have been taking on additional work and getting more done for the company, the financial advantage to the company could be  labor / personnel savings (although many companies like to take advantage of the employees that work hard). If you are procuring product at lower rates than the market, you are showing your negotiating skills that resulted in specific financial savings.  If you are surpassing your sales goals, you are generating additional revenue. If you are asking for a financial increase for yourself, demonstrate specifically how you have generated financial benefits to the company.

• Establish solid work tenures.  Some industries, such as the tech sector, are used to shorter tenures.  Others, such as agribusiness, look favorably on long tenures. Know your industry and establish tenures that make yourself marketable and valuable.

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According to many managers and owners with whom I speak, those early stage career professionals who practice a few of these tips can really make a difference in an organization.

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