Hello Ags.

2 weeks ago I started my first job post graduation (bachelors) with a corporate private company. I've interned here and know the place decently well. They are very large and recognizable and I only mention that so the sentiment of responses isn't catered to small business environments. It's a great job and I'm enjoying it and get the sense (so far) that me and my wife can plant ourselves here and I foresee no reason to be a job-jumping millennial. That said, I wanted Ol' Ags advice on how to make my best impression early without reinventing the wheel and general advice on tips for my firs 30-60-90 days and the first year... Thanks Everyone!

You might want to ask him how strict they are with the drug policy too.

I see you're an inventor based on your username, and you've started several threads asking about forming your own business. I'd review your employment agreement closely and make sure there aren't any issues with your side gig. For example, your employment agreement likely includes an obligation to assign any IP rights to your employer (for anything remotely related to your line of work at least).

Yes good catch. They are polar opposites and would never interact or compete. I have disclosed with my company and there are no issues

Be careful. I work for a large multinational and all IP generated by an employee is their right regardless of relation to the company's industry, my role, or when the IP was generated I.e. outside of work hours. I'd read the IP agreement you signed carefully.

Go to department happy hours. All of them if possible. Don't get too drunk at said happy hours.

While driving home yesterday, I was thinking of this same topic as my son begins his first job.

Be real honest with yourself about this and be the person you would want working for you.

Congrats on finding something you love.

1) Ask questions and take notes - as stated above, you are expected to be green. A quick learning ability paired with the eagerness to learn is valuable

2) Professionalism - the little things add up. Show up early, dress nice, treat people with respect, etc...

3) Responsibility - volunteer for whatever responsibilities and roles you can. Don't be passive, take the initiative and take on more responsibility when you can. Show that you can handle more than just your current role.

4) Resources - focus on the big picture so you know and understand all the resources available to you to perform your job. This includes a possible mentor or co-workers that have experience in specific areas, or just even resources online to help you find the answers/help you need. You are not expected to know everything, just make sure you know how to find an answer.

5) If you don't know, then tell them you don't know. You are new and trying to build credibility around the office. Lying or being wrong will instantly kill whatever credibility you built.

MavsAg said:

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Stay late, even if you don't have much to do. I read when I first started working that people don't always notice when you get in, but they always notice when you leave. That's always stuck with.

Doesn't mean you have to stay until 7, but if most people leave when the clocks strikes 5 at least say until 5:15. Shows that you aren't watching the clock and goes a long way IMO.

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Be careful about this though, because if people catch on that you're waiting them out you'll be "that guy". We have a junior analyst who waits to send a daily management report until after 5 every day even though it could easily go out sooner. Sometimes he has to call me for help after hours because I went home, which is inconvenient for him and irritating for me.

Learn the style of your manager and any that you may interact with on any regular basis. This will allow you to tailor your interactions with them to just what they are looking for.

Have a manager that tends to micromanage and wants to be in the nitty gritty of everything? Keep track of every detail of what you are working on and frequently ask for his input in various places so he feels like you are accomplishing a lot and you are working with him rather than fighting the micromanaging.

Have a boss that is very technically competent but has far too much on his plate? learn to present your work to him at various "stage gates" and lead off with your conclusion (what is it, how much will it cost, and how much will it make/save the company). But also have all your supporting work ready to discuss so they can get comfortable with your work. you are new so many will want to see your work before they take your word on your conclusions.

Basically, learn to communicate well. I don't know what field you work in, but as an engineer, it has amazed me how something as simple as basic communication and presentation skills can set you apart in a technical field because so many never grasp them.

Never go ask for help with a problem without an idea on how you are going to solve it or what you need to solve it. He might say, you could do it that way but I have a better idea. That's still better than throwing your arms up and saying I'm stuck and don't know what to do.

I can't make any coffee!

"There is a problem with the coffee machine and I would love to fix it. Can you help me find the coffee filters so I can fix this problem?"

The absolute worst trait I have ever seen in an employee is the person that is stuck in a problem and has no idea how they might go about solving it. You might not have the answer that you need to solve the problem, but you need to have a thought process on how to solve it. Critical Thinking Skills!

Find jobs that nobody wants to do and do them.

For awhile come early and stay late, and (always) work hard. Ask a lot of questions early on, but make sure to not be the guy who runs to the boss for everything. That's a balance you'll have to find, and you'll have a coworker or two that will bring clarity to that statement. You'll make a mistake or two, but autopsy your mistakes so that you don't make them twice.

What type of role do you have? Finance, marketing, hr, it, etc?

Plenty of good advice on here.

Make sure you dress and look the part of someone that could be promoted some day. Seriously. Clothing matters and grooming matters.

Be humble. You have no idea just how little you know. About anything for the most part.

Be polite to everyone. So much gets done thru unofficial channels.

Don't ever cheat on something.

If you make a mistake, quickly learn between those you need to let your boss know about and those you can fix yourself. But never bury something and hope no one will notice.

Learn that some of your coworkers are useless slugs. Be polite to them but don't let them pass their work into you. Don't find yourself being overly influenced by their attitudes and behaviors.

No matter what department you are in, learn how your company makes money. The more detailed the understanding the better...and then figure out how you truly contribute to that equation.

Honestly.....

Work hard. Do your job and a little extra and you'll be in the top 10% of most large companies almost by default.

Probably implied from the above advice, but get to know the admins and be nice to them. They often have a great deal of unofficial power and can make your life 100x easier, not to mention they usually have the boss's ear.

chris1515 said:

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If you make a mistake, quickly learn between those you need to let your boss know about and those you can fix yourself. But never bury something and hope no one will notice.

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So I think I know what you are trying to say here, but as worded this isn't good advice. The way I'd word it is quickly learn to differentiate mistakes you can fix on your own and those you need help fixing. If you make a mistake, no matter how small it is, let your boss know and if you were able to fix it inform how you remediate it. You are right... never bury anything. Small burials become larger burials and that's how most outright fraud starts... I don't want to deal with this little thing today so I'll do it tomorrow, wait it's tomorrow now and it's bigger, maybe it will fix tomorrow, oh **** still didn't fix, cycle keeps going then oops my little white lie has become complete fraud.

I'm a boss.. and bosses hate surprises. Try to never let your boss be surprised by anything. I don't care if the mistake was small and you fixed it, if I hear about it from somebody else I'm not going to be as impressed that you handled it and corrected it as I am pissed that I found out about it elsewhere first. I never get pissed about an honest mistake as long as you take responsibility and show me you learned from it and I will want to make sure you fixed the mistake correctly. I am livid if I didn't know it happened though because when it comes to answering to the broader organization for it, that's the boss, not you. You always want to be a worker who gets things done for the boss not a work creator... not being informed of even a small mistake often times becomes a work creator for a manager. And a mistake as I define it isn't like a proofreading error... it's like a break in work or miscommunication.

Regarding advice... remember to consider the source, especially some that was given in college. We hired a freshly minted kid straight outa college. Right off the bat he started to pressure us and even lecture us about the need to " go green" in our offices. This kid even walked around our conference room after a meeting and " offered" to take our coke cans since he had brought some damn green recycle bin from home and placed it in his cubicle. Made this mistake in a meeting where our old fart no nonsense owner was in attendance. Needles to say the kid didn't make th probationary period. Talked to his office buddy after the fact and he told the tale where this kid had a professor of some type that was also a radical enviro-nazi crusader type. He regaled his kids , just prior to graduation , on the importance to build a " green culture" in their new jobs, how it would be so important for the planet and that EVERYONE would be so appreciative and welcoming to seeing these bright young blah blah take the initiative on such an important blah blah blah...The poor kid took the message to heart and honestly could not even fathom the idea that all of that eco-stuff just was not in any way a part of our company nor in the least bit important to us old farts.. He also didn't understand that college profs are , for the most part, totally disconnected from reality and the real business world. Its why they teach !
In short...leave ANY AND ALL crusades and causes from your college days at home until you learn the culture the company. Adapt to the culture or move on. A 22 year old has ZERO chance to make any change in any element of a company culture regardless of how heartfelt and noble the change may seem to the young un.

1) Completely understand the role and responsibilities you are hired to provide. I am amazed at the number of people who get into a position they were not equipped to handle. There is little sadder than not having the skills, knowledge and experience to fulfill the role assigned.

2) Learn the companies short and long term strategic initiatives. Pay careful attention for any of these that would be impacted positively or negatively by your work. Of course avoid, mitigate the negative while focusing on the positive ones. Seek feedback and brainstorming giving credit on any ideas or solutions resulting from them.

3) Know your direct report and their direct report. Everything about them. There is no detail too small on this area. Who are their main influencers and why? This becomes excellent intel for how you align your approach to completing your work.

Gotta run but its a start.

The Original AG 76 said:

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Regarding advice... remember to consider the source, especially some that was given in college. We hired a freshly minted kid straight outa college. Right off the bat he started to pressure us and even lecture us about the need to " go green" in our offices. This kid even walked around our conference room after a meeting and " offered" to take our coke cans since he had brought some damn green recycle bin from home and placed it in his cubicle. Made this mistake in a meeting where our old fart no nonsense owner was in attendance. Needles to say the kid didn't make th probationary period. Talked to his office buddy after the fact and he told the tale where this kid had a professor of some type that was also a radical enviro-nazi crusader type. He regaled his kids , just prior to graduation , on the importance to build a " green culture" in their new jobs, how it would be so important for the planet and that EVERYONE would be so appreciative and welcoming to seeing these bright young blah blah take the initiative on such an important blah blah blah...The poor kid took the message to heart and honestly could not even fathom the idea that all of that eco-stuff just was not in any way a part of our company nor in the least bit important to us old farts.. He also didn't understand that college profs are , for the most part, totally disconnected from reality and the real business world. Its why they teach !
In short...leave ANY AND ALL crusades and causes from your college days at home until you learn the culture the company. Adapt to the culture or move on. A 22 year old has ZERO chance to make any change in any element of a company culture regardless of how heartfelt and noble the change may seem to the young un.

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The mistakes I was referring to are the kind that mostly reside in a spreadsheet. Anything that has a real impact...a Manager should be the one making the decision on materiality there.

chris1515 said:

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The mistakes I was referring to are the kind that mostly reside in a spreadsheet. Anything that has a real impact...a Manager should be the one making the decision on materiality there.

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I think I know what you are saying, but I'd say it isn't really a 'mistake' unless somebody external is using it or it has an impact internally on your team.

If something goes out even if you recall it with a spreadsheet mistake, you always say heads up this happened, I fixed it this way and to make sure it doesn't happen again, I am going to do _____. Sounds nit picky and silly but if the manager doesn't approve your fix or whatever you did to make the mistake and you do it again, you've probably created more work for the manager. Sound pithy, but if that mistake could cause harm to the organization, you will answer to your manager, but your manager will be the one held accountable to the wider organization. The manager should be the judge of whether or not the mistake is a big deal and if what you are did to resolve it is sufficient and what you will do in the future to prevent it is satisfactory, not you.

chris1515 said:

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The mistakes I was referring to are the kind that mostly reside in a spreadsheet. Anything that has a real impact...a Manager should be the one making the decision on materiality there.

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I agree with 76 though 100%. Fix the problem and then mention it in passing to your boss. I would love that as a manager. He had a problem and he solved it. It goes back to what I was saying about just throwing up your hands and saying that you had a problem and didn't know how to fix it.

I have much more respect for people that own their problems and solve them. I would trust this new hire an awful lot more if he just let me know that he had a problem, fixed it, and then informed me about it. I think the judgement that needs to be learned is when to involve other people prior to solving it.

My background was engineering so it's a different animal but I think the fundamentals still hold.

I remember going into "design work" right out of school and knowing how to solve circuit diagrams like a boss. But, I assumed all capacitors were the same. You just needed the right value and the circuit would be perfect. What do you mean there are 50 different capacitors options that have the same value?

You mean it's important to make a choice based on cost, dielectric type, size, voltage, tolerance, etc etc? College teaches you the basics. Your job teaches you why. Don't get cocky. There is a lot more to the reason why things are done a certain way.

FriscoKid said:

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chris1515 said:

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The mistakes I was referring to are the kind that mostly reside in a spreadsheet. Anything that has a real impact...a Manager should be the one making the decision on materiality there.

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I agree with 76 though 100%. Fix the problem and then mention it in passing to your boss. I would love that as a manager. He had a problem and he solved it. It goes back to what I was saying about just throwing up your hands and saying that you had a problem and didn't know how to fix it.

I have much more respect for people that own their problems and solve them. I would trust this new hire an awful lot more if he just let me know that he had a problem, fixed it, and then informed me about it. I think the judgement that needs to be learned is when to involve other people prior to solving it.

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Well put to what I'm trying to say especially for a new hire. I want your opinion and feedback on what is or isn't a big deal and I want to know how you've fixed or or proposal to fix a mistake if you are a new hire and I'm there to teach you good judgement. But ultimately, your manager needs to be the judge of what a big deal is. Once you've earned a bit of credibility, I might say 'I trust your judgement' and that's when I've given you carte blanche in determining what is and isn't a big deal. When that happens, if you make a bad judgement call on what is and isn't a big deal, it's on me because I gave you the responsibility.