Yahoo Finance 9 Common First-Job Mistakes
Dodge career danger
After years of education and hours of job-interview preparation, you're ready to launch your career. But for young professionals, the workplace can be a minefield peppered with potential problems.
Improve your footwork and chances for success by reading about the mistakes first-timers frequently make.
Neglecting to take charge of your own career development
No one is as invested in your professional success as you are. That means it's your responsibility to continually prove your worth and advance your career.
"You get there and think, 'Someone is going to train me, walk me through the process,'" of succeeding at work, says Bianca Jackson, a career branding consultant. "Most young people sit there, wait for someone to tell them what to do and are surprised when a whole year passes" without much feedback from their managers.
If you take that approach, "you really haven't proved to anyone, in their opinion, that you could be considered for another role," Jackson says.
To make a great first impression, Jackson recommends asking yourself, "What are you going to accomplish in your first 90 days of working that makes you stand apart?"
Establish a baseline of projects and goals with your boss, keep track of "your different wins and your learning opportunities," and then check in with your supervisor three months later to evaluate your progress.
Sharing too much about your personal life
The office, Jackson says, "is a very different environment than your college dorm room."
That means you shouldn't share too much information about your personal life with colleagues. Young workers should not be "talking about how much they got drunk last night or telling inappropriate stories about their dating lives," Jackson says, especially since most of us now "work in environments that are multigenerational."
Working too little -- or too much
Work-life balance adheres to the Goldilocks principle -- but it's tricky to get it "just right."
Some young employees show up with "an eight-hour-a-day mindset," despite having accepted jobs that require evening or weekend work, says Bill Thomas, managing principal of Centric Performance consulting firm. "The minute you ask them, 'Can you stay over tonight?' you might not get a temper tantrum, but you definitely get an attitude."
If you develop this kind of reputation, "you're going to miss out on opportunities at some point in time," Thomas says. "You're not going to be seen as reliable, not going to be seen as a team player, might not be seen as ambitious."
On the other end of the spectrum are young workers who don't know how to set healthy and sustainable boundaries between their work responsibilities and their personal lives.
"There are a lot of places, both cities and companies, where overwork is worn as a badge of honor," says Lisa Lewis, career transition coach. "But if you are walking into work day after day feeling progressively more burned out and frustrated, it can take the joy out of a job you could have really loved."
Dressing and acting unprofessionally
Office dress codes differ from those imposed by high schools and universities. To be taken seriously at your first job, "be aware of how you should present yourself," Jackson says. "Just because you can go to class in flip flops and surf shorts doesn't mean you should be wearing that kind of attire in your office."
Learn about the professional code of conduct, too.
"Telling inappropriate stories or misogynist or racist jokes is not a good look," Jackson says. "Be mindful not to bring that kind of informal behavior to the workplace."
Acting helpless
You're in an unfamiliar environment and you don't know how everything works yet. But that doesn't mean you have to act like it.
When young professionals "hit something unknown," they often run right to their bosses when, instead, they should "try to solve problems or think through things or use the resources around them as their first recourse," Thomas says.
Acting helpless instead of being resourceful can create a bad impression.
"Employers want people who can at least think a little bit," Thomas says. "They're looking for people who will take the best next step and not just the most convenient next step."
To distinguish yourself, "rather than asking the 100-level questions -- such as where can I find this document or what's our policy around such and such -- ask the 200-level questions, which shows you've already taken some initiative to answer this on your own," Lewis says.
For example, if you can't find a file that you need, take the time to search for it on the company server and ask your co-workers for tips about how to locate it. That will demonstrate that you're self-sufficient and resourceful, Lewis says.
Meeting expectations -- instead of exceeding them
Completing your work assignments is important -- and expected. That alone won't earn you any gold stars. Lewis recommends young professionals adopt a "service focus" and be as helpful as possible when carrying out their duties.
"Think about how you can create value rather than just completing the tasks," she says. "What makes you promotable is understanding the 'why.' Do it even more thoroughly and comprehensively than what your manager was expecting."
Before you get carried away, though, check in with your boss about how much effort an assignment warrants, Lewis says: "'I'm guessing based on this project, this ought to take me an hour or two tops, does that match with your expectations?'" Or, "'I'm thinking this is going to require a lot of time and care and thoughtfulness and will be a top priority for a few weeks.'"
Being too timid
When you're new to the working world, you may worry about coming on too strong. But don't let a lack of confidence prevent you from seizing good opportunities or volunteering for projects that will stretch your skills.
"When young professionals are starting their careers, taking their first jobs right out of school, they second-guess their abilities," says Callie Zipple, field services director for the Society for Human Resource Management. "They often self-select out, which could stunt their professional growth."
Similarly, don't be afraid to ask for resources that will help you perform at a higher level. If you spot a professional development training that would improve your work, pitch it to your boss -- and be sure to explain how it will help the company.
"Have an honest conversation with your boss about opportunities for education or advancement" and about "where you see yourself going in your career," Zipple says.
Forgetting the bottom line
Despite their diversity, there's a common denominator that connects most jobs at most companies: They exist to drive profits. The sooner you figure out how your job benefits the bottom line, the better off you'll be.
"Use your intuition and your analytical prowess to figure out for a given task how this ties to the business goals," Lewis says. "If you can articulate how your work ties to business goals, you are going to stand out from all of your peers."
Your work might drive profits if it improves efficiency, decreases time to delivery, cuts costs, speeds up market entry, creates a healthy corporate culture or complies with regulations.
Getting disillusioned too quickly
After completing years of education and experiencing the emotional roller coaster of the hiring process, starting an entry-level job can feel ... disappointing.
Young employees may quickly "find the weaknesses of their managers" and "let that work against their attitude toward the organization," Thomas says. They may not "see how their work is actively contributing to the benefit of the business" and start to "feel their work doesn't matter and doesn't have a purpose," Lewis says.
Or, they may realize that their jobs simply are not as personally fulfilling as they hoped they would be.
"If you are relying on your job to be your identity, which a lot of young professionals are and a lot of first-time job-havers do, you're going to be surprised when you realize you need to find other avenues to be who you want to be," Zipple says. "The reality is some of the duties and jobs we have are just jobs, and we have to find a way to find that passion and excitement some other way."
If you quickly feel disillusioned with your first job, don't panic. Be patient. Look for opportunities at your office that interest you, such as joining a social committee or participating in volunteering events.
And "find a way to be connected to our universe in a way that's not your job," Zipple says.
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