Volume 4, Issue 8 August 2001 Job Link Making the Most of Your First 60 Days at Work
10 Essential New-Job TipsDo You Thank You?
Let NRI Help You With Your 60 Days
Notable Quotable
Making the Most of Your First 60 Days at Work The following article is written by Cheryl Dahle, and is taken from ivilliage.com
“Companies used to have what they loosely called a 90-day probationary period,” says Linda Seale, head of the Seale Group, an executive coaching firm whose roster of clients includes Avon Products, BMG Entertainment and American Express. “Now they can’t spare more than 60 days.”
Here’s Seale’s agenda for your first 60 days in a new work situation. Use it to launch your next job — or reboot the one you’ve already got — and keep your career on a fast track.
First 14 days. Get to know new people.
“The combination of your performance and your personality determines how you’re viewed,” says Seale. “Probably 95 percent of firings are the result of failing to fit into a company’s culture. If people don’t know you, they can’t trust you.”To “fit in,” you’ve got to get out. That means spending time with people who can tell you about the hidden rules of success in the new workplace. Seale suggests you come up with a strategy first. Seek out the regulars (your teammates, the guy in purchasing whom you’ll be calling often), the deal-makers (project leaders, people-in-the-know) and the potential mentors.
Then start eating. Put aside two days each week to have lunch with those people. The point of the lunches is to find out how your new workplace really works: How do people interact with the boss? Who should you recruit for the projects that you’ll be leading? What are the cultural no-nos?
“Just establish an initial connection so that you can build a relationship,” says Seale. “Trust and information will follow naturally.”
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.”— George Bernard Shaw, 1893
Intracompany networking should continue beyond your first two weeks. The goal is to establish a routine and never to fall out of it.
First 30 days: Have a “How am I doing?” meeting with your boss.
Don’t assume that your boss knows what you’re doing. Managers usually assume that you’re doing what they expect — even if they haven’t defined what that is.Many new hires put off checking in with the boss because they’re afraid they’ll hear unpleasant news. That’s about as smart as avoiding the doctor because you think your health is failing. Seale argues: “Your boss wants you to succeed. Your success makes him look good. Even though the boss is judging your performance, he’s not an adversary — he’s an ally.”
First 45 days: Write your job description
. Once you’ve spent about a month and a half on the job, you should have a solid sense of your responsibilities. How do they differ from what you were led to expect? Are there new opportunities that you might pursue? Get your questions down on paper, along with a list of your top projects and your most pressing deadlines. Then review them with your boss. The goal: to create a real-world job description that you both agree on.“In the world of work, it’s very foolish to guess,” Seale says. “It’s hard enough to do really good work and to manage relationships, even when you’re on track. Why waste time being off track.”
First 60 days: Get something done.
Seale cautions against hastily assembling an agenda of easy-to-nail action items. To be sure, you must do enough to signal your potential. But be careful to pick projects that make sense. For instance, don’t do something that will alienate your staff because of the overtime required or backfire because it has no support from the top. Do take on a project that can allow you to work with people on a highly visible team.Next 60 days: Reboot.
A rut. Almost everyone, it seems, falls into one. To climb out of your rut, treat your next 60 days as you would your first 60 days. The same principles that apply to new hires can help veterans to renew and reboot.Treat your first 60 days as a blueprint to help you focus on your immediate future. Draw up a plan that builds on the 60-day basics.
Extend your networking and relationship goals beyond your company to your industry. Let writing your personal job description evolve into writing a plan for your department or team.
Remember that giving feedback, getting feedback and figuring out your place in the office is a continuous process.
10 Essential New-Job Tips
complied by Jennifer Howze, taken from ivillage.com
- The top priority is always to make your boss look good. — Mari
- Figure out how much you’ll spend on rent, food, clothes, socializing and sundries every month and determine the lowest salary you require. Don’t apply for anything that pays less than that. And don’t forget about taxes, which can amount to one-third of your paycheck. —Margaret
- There’s nothing worse than being overdressed or under dressed on your first day. Wear something similar to what you saw people wearing during your interview. —Jennifer
- Bring a photo of your partner, child or dog for your desk. You’ll feel more at home, and it will be a conversation starter. — Eileen
- You’ll burn up a lot of energy from first-day jitters. Take healthy snacks and a bottle of water. —Jenny
- Try to set up first-day lunch plans first thing in the morning with your boss, subordinates or a peer so you don’t feel left out when everyone dashes out with their usual crowd. —Susan
- Ask your superiors to lunch in the first weeks and find out how they got started and their advice. They’ll be flattered, you’ll probably learn something, and you may cultivate a mentor. —Sasha
- Get educated about office politics — in general and at your office. Better to address them than pretend they don’t exist. —Emily
- Don’t stay in a job you hate, no matter how cushy it is. —Julia
- The drinks and dinners after work strained my budget the most, but I didn’t want to give them up. To save money, bring your lunch and have friends over for beer and nachos or potluck dinners. —Ann
Do You Thank You?
Your parents used to make you write them as a kid, “Dear Grandma, Thank you for the baseball mitt...” you may even write them now, “Dear Joe and Shelly, Thanks for having me over to dinner...” but do you thank prospective employers for taking the time to interview you?A thank you note is a simple and essential courtesy that closes the interview loop. Even if you have no notion of taking the position, common politeness dictates that you should write a note to express your gratitude for the interviewer taking the time to meet with you. Besides, you never know where or when you may make contact again.
Typed in letter format is acceptable, but a handwritten note on personal stationary leaves the best impression.
Let NRI Help You With Your 60 Days
The featured article this month exemplifies the importance of the first sixty days on a new job. The article brings forward many useful and interesting suggestions for you to use to make yourself successful in your new position.Most of these points are also useful in a temporary position. Remember that at any time, a temporary position can turn into a long-term assignment or even a permanent position if supervisors at the job feel that you not only have the “right stuff” but if you fit into the culture of their company.
In either case -- a temporary or permanent position -- remember that your Recruiter are NRI is a resource to help you settle into your new work environment.
In most cases, NRI will have a long-term working relationship with a company and your Recruiter will be able to give you helpful clues for fitting in with the company where you will be working.
Don’t forget to give your Recruiter “feedback” on your new job. Call him or her to let them know of any specific problems or concerns you may be having, your Recruiter may have some advice on how to handle a situation or may be able to help you work through it. You can even call just to check-in and let them know how things are going in general.
If you are so busy at your new job and just don’t have time to call -- not to worry -- your Recruiter will be calling you. It is our job to help see you through.
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