{"id":25903,"date":"2015-06-17T08:57:17","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T12:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=25903"},"modified":"2015-06-17T08:06:09","modified_gmt":"2015-06-17T12:06:09","slug":"new-job-communication-might-be-your-key-skill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=25903","title":{"rendered":"New job? Communication might be your key skill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Find out how to fit in, work well with others to make your career take off<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By Nancy Plummer<\/strong><\/span>, Columnist, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"NancyGoingPro\"<\/a>Here\u2019s what getting a new job looks like these days: bosses are working in different time zones so communication is challenging, departments are being down-sized so the workload is twice what it was, and everyone is talking about being a team player. It\u2019s no wonder people are so worried about having to fit in and thrive at their new job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a> (BLS) reports that men and women change jobs an average of every 4.6 years. So, no matter your age, here are some tips that may help you get through this exciting, albeit nerve-wracking transition of being the new kid in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Listen. Yes, this is the most important secret to success in your new job, yet unfortunately, most people don\u2019t seem to remember it. Take the time to figure out the landscape and culture before being too assertive. No one wants to hear too much from the newcomer, no matter how much you think you can add to the team.\u00a0 Learn with your eyes and ears and keep your comments to a minimum, and If you do have something to say, say something complementary.<\/p>\n

Tip #2: Be on time. That\u2019s right \u2013 it\u2019s the number one thing bosses complain about. Being on time doesn\u2019t mean walking in at 8:59am when the expectation is for you to be there by 9am. In fact, a friend of mine who has worked at the same insurance company for the last 25 years, rose from a receptionist to a partner, and the main comment from all her colleagues as she was rising up through the ranks was that she was the first person in the office. It makes a difference.<\/p>\n

Tip #3: Remember names. I\u2019m not very good at this either, but I do make a solid effort to remember everyone I meet and say their names out loud. It means a lot to people to hear you say their names. Don\u2019t be shy about asking people how to pronounce their name; they\u2019d rather you ask, then for you to say it wrong. To help yourself remember your colleagues names, either look on the company\u2019s website for an organizational chart or create your own upon meeting new people.<\/p>\n

Tip #4: Be excellent at your job. There is too much competition out there to just be \u201cgood\u201d at your job, and the best way to get job security is to do your job better than anyone else. Go in with a thorough understanding of what is expected of you at your job, and make sure you get it in writing. Review weekly for yourself how you are managing the company\u2019s expectations. If you need more guidance or support, don\u2019t hesitate to ask for it. If you need to stay late to get all the work done, do so without a complaint. \u00a0In addition, if you know you need more education of any sort to be successful, just do it. In other words, do what it takes to be great and don\u2019t settle for ok. However, that is not to say to boast about your successes to your colleagues. Stay focused on the prize; the accolades, promotions, and\/or bonuses will come soon enough.<\/p>\n

Tip #5: Be a team player. \u00a0You\u2019ve all heard the buzz \u2013 everyone in the workplace wants the new hire to be likeable, cooperative, and a team player. In addition, with so many demands and so much stress in the workplace, everyone wants a new hire to be helpful. So, while you are learning about the culture, try asking if any of your colleagues could use a little help. Don\u2019t be upset if and when they give you some menial work; it\u2019s work someone has to do. I\u2019m confident that if you humbly do a great job for them with something simple, they\u2019ll sooner than later be asking you for help with more important work. In fact, my husband still believes his career skyrocketed so quickly when he first entered the workplace because he was always offering his bosses to do their job and look good. He was wise enough to know that the better they looked, the sooner they were promoted and thus so was he.<\/p>\n

Good luck!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nancy Plummer is Founder of the Elite Empowerment & Education Council, empowering individuals and groups to transform their personal and professional lives.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Find out how to fit in, work well with others to make your career take off By Nancy Plummer, Columnist, The Times Here\u2019s what getting a new job looks like these days: bosses are working in different time zones so communication is challenging, departments are being down-sized so the workload is twice what it was, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[245,7],"tags":[7229,3516,7074],"class_list":["post-25903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-featured","tag-careers","tag-employment","tag-self-improvement"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25903"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25904,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25903\/revisions\/25904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}