iSchool Career Center Newsletter 4/2/14

April 2, 2014 Career Newsletter

Before You Start Your First Job

Written by: Jessica DiPietro, Career Services Student Assistant

With the Spring Quarter just beginning, many of you have found jobs and internships that will be starting in a few months. Congratulations, the initial hurdle is over! Here are some helpful tips to make sure you make a good first impression in your new position.

Do some preliminary research. Learn all you can about your new company before you start on your first day. Researching their goals, philosophies, and corporate culture can help prepare you for your new position. Check around to see if anyone in your network knows any of your future co-workers and ask those people to introduce you prior to starting at your job. It could be nice to see a friendly face at the office on your first day.

Get acclimated. When starting a new job, it’s important to learn the culture and processes before suggesting ideas or changes. It may take several weeks to learn what official procedures are and how the place works, so you might want to wait before immediately asserting yourself and your ideas. An important part of building your career and advancing within an establishment comes down to relationships. If you respect the organization’s hierarchy, you show people that you are capable of making suggestions in a positive way.

Be open to learning. You may want to establish yourself early in a new position so people get to know your skills, qualifications, and who you are. While you have been selected because of your experience, you might not want to build yourself up too quickly. Although you have completed your formal education it doesn’t mean you stop learning. Employers sometimes note that recent graduates start a job thinking they know it all. While it’s good to utilize the skills you’ve previously learned, remember that every workplace has it’s own procedures and its reasons behind them.

Working your new colleagues. Adjusting to new personalities can be difficult at first. Some people may have been with the company for many years and have developed certain friendships or tensions, and it’s not always easy to gauge these lines on the first day. Of course, the best way to make sure you maintain a good reputation is to do your job to the best of your ability. Initially though, having lunch with your coworkers is one way to help you truly discover office culture. Being friendly and having a positive attitude will also let others know that you’re approachable and ready to be part of the team.

Good luck at your new job!

Career-Related Events This Week

iCareers: Employer Info Session with Hewlett Packard
Tuesday, April 1 | 12:30 – 1:30 pm | MGH 420

Internships-What, Where & Why
Tuesday, April 1 | 3:30 – 4 pm | MGH 134

Resumes & Cover Letters
Thursday, April 3 | 3:30 – 4:30 pm | MGH 134

Job Search for International Students
Friday, April 4 | 2 – 3 pm | MGH 134

External Events

Komputer Enthusiasts of Greater Seattle
Monday, March 10 | 6:00pm – 9:00pm

The Seattle MySQL Meetup Group Monthly Meetup
Monday, March 10 | 6:30pm

Bellevue Job Club Networking
Tuesday, March 11 | 10:00am

ProLango Mixer
Tuesday, March 11 | 5:00pm

Marianne Sweeny: Search, SEO and Information Architecture
Tuesday, March 11 | 7:00pm