Stop waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself at work and make one. Coming straight from college and with no work experience I had little idea of how businesses functioned, or of how to function in one. I was mainly good at learning. When I first started work as a recent grad I was […]
Make your own opportunity at work Read More »
Our brains love planning: Huge promise of future rewards No obligation to deliver Instead do this: Start from the end: outline what the plan supposed to deliver, where is it supposed to take you. Set a timer and limit planning to 30 mins max. If there’s one thing our brain is also aware of
Do too much planning and that’s all you’ll do: Plan Read More »
Ask for additional work in an area of the company that interests you or join a project that is already established. Do internal research to provide additional visibility or insight into some aspect of company operations. Then share it. As a new arrival I once setup a dashboard of sales by product and salesperson which
3 things you can do right now to build your brand – no experience required Read More »
Two grads started work at the same time. Knowing he had no experience, the first grad waited to be told what to do. It seemed safer: he would learn along the way and eventually take his shot. He pursued this approach through changing company priorities, new managers, M&As, etc. With each of these events
The story of the two grads Read More »
Companies’ priority is to create value, and they reward those who help them do that. Now hold that thought. Starting in a new workplace with little or no experience it’s natural to wait to be told what to do. That’s absolutely fine at the beginning. By all means do the work assigned to
Adding value fast as a new employee Read More »
People get angry at work for all sorts of reasons, here are my top 4: 1. Personal or professional reasons having nothing to do with you. Listen to them and empathize, we all have bad days. 2. Bruised ego / loss of face. Not everyone reacts gracefully to this and some will get angry. No,
Recent grad’s guide to angry co-workers. Read More »
Faced with ‘painter’s block’ when trying to paint an entire building an art student was told to focus on a single brick. Her creativity and inspiration returned and she finished the whole building. Studies show that faced with too many choices – in this case choices of what to start to work on first, how to approach
How to overcome brain freeze Read More »
New joiners often avoid senior execs. Instead, seek them out. Here’s how: 1. Study them: What are they working on? What are their challenges? 2. Bring value: Identify one issue. Brainstorm possible solutions including time and cost requirements. If you’re too inexperienced, research a relevant industry topic and offer to present your findings. Either
How to approach and network with senior executives Read More »
When I started working I didn’t know there was such a thing as a personal brand. In fact I stumbled onto mine by accident: I was a recent hire, doing my job, minding my own business. As a confirmed introvert I assumed I’d do good work, get noticed and be promoted when the time was
How I found my own brand Read More »
When I started working I didn’t know there was such a thing as a personal brand. In fact I stumbled onto mine by accident: I was a recent hire, doing my job, minding my own business. As a confirmed introvert I assumed I’d do good work, get noticed and be promoted when the time was
Building your brand when you have no experience. Read More »
