Ah, you’ve received the appointment letter and are excited to begin your first job! When you step into the world of work, you’re entering a new phase in your life. The workplace allows you to apply your education and training to your job. Employment helps you earn and take care of yourselves and your dependents. How can you excel at work and nurture your career?

 

Success Tip:

 

Respect the authority: Show respect to everyone at work, particularly the authority. The management cadre of your company and your supervisor has vast knowledge and experience. And, they’re senior to you in age too. Show respect to people in authority and you’ll lay a strong track to drive your career. How can you show respect to the people at the helm of affairs? Begin your first interaction with your supervisor in a work day with a “Good morning, Sir.” Should you need to meet your manager in his office, gently tap the door, even if it’s open, and seek permission to enter. Stand until your manager asks you to take your seat.

 

Attend to meetings, presentations, and others in a prompt way. Always speak in a clearly audible voice, yet not too loud. In your verbal and written communication with your supervisor and others at work, use a formal language. Your body language should convey respect and open the doors for fruitful communication. Last, but not the least, maintain enthusiasm and a cheerful mood.

Work Ethics: Always strive to complete your work on-time, within budget, and at the expected quality. If you complete your work sooner than the time allocated to you, seek a new project. Remember, you gain work experience not just by the number of years in a company, but also by the depth and breadth of your work. So, the more work you complete efficiently, the more will be the quality of your experience. In fact, employers like their staff’s quality of experience rather than the quantity.

 

Use the company resources efficiently and according to the policy of the company. Never use any organization facility for personal use without permission.

 

When you go out-of-office or out-of-town on duty, maintain an accurate record of expenses to claim it later from the company. Give periodic updates to your manager about the progress of your work.

 

Treat any of your company data / info that you’ve access to as confidential, unless your organization allows you to disclose some of the data / info for work-related needs.

 

Work Efficiency: Note that if you perform well, your company will honor and reward you. Your career ladder will have rungs at smaller gaps, helping you reach higher positions faster. How can you work better? The two mantras are hard and smart work.

 

Find a mentor who can mould you into a good performer. Leverage any training you receive from the company to the maximum to learn the ropes sooner. If you’re a quick learner, more doors—opportunities–open for you at work. Show your commitment to work: if your company permits you to work beyond office hours, stay back and learn / complete your work.

 

Lay the foundation to work smarter: find ways to complete a job with fewer resources and in less time, without a loss in quality. As organizations like self-learners, use the resources available to you to learn the tasks and complete the projects.

 

Right from the first job, go the extra mile in your work. You’re sure to reap the fruits of your labor.

 

Dress for Work: If your company has a dress code, follow it. Otherwise, wear clothing that gives you a professional appeal. Remember, what you wear is what you are, so use simple, yet clean and pressed attire. Fresh and neat wear increases your confidence.

 

Punctuality: Always arrive on time, if not earlier, to work. A flat tire, a traffic jam, and other can prevent you reach your workplace on time. In such a case, call your manager immediately and explain the situation and inform him when you’ll be at the office.

 

Professional Conduct: Develop a cordial and friendly relationship with your colleagues. Be aware that your co-workers will treat you in a professional way if you use the same approach toward them. Develop effective communication skills that help you and others complete a task in an efficient way.

 

Help your colleagues in whatever way you can on their projects. At the same time, ensure that the time you spend on others’ work doesn’t affect your schedule. If you have to spend more time assisting others, first obtain the permission of your manager.

 

If you need the help of others to resolve a problem, first explore all the ways to find a solution yourself. If you can’t fix the problem despite all your efforts, then ask for help. Your colleagues are more open to assist you when they know you seek help only as a last alternative.

 

Author: S.B. Viswakumar (Bangalore)

 

 

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