Fresher at a job? What you must do to get ahead.

All of us aspire for a long and successful career – it may be working in one’s own company or being an employee in a large blue-chip organisation etc. The goals may differ in degrees, but the general desire and aspirations rarely differ. We hope that 20 or 25 years down the line, we can look back at our career and feel satisfied with the journey and the eventual destination. Even if one doesn’t want to look so far ahead, it is very likely that after 10 years of work, one will look back and reflect.

In the same manner that a foundation varies between a skyscraper and a bungalow, what we do in the initial parts of our career can provide a strong impetus to our career. It may well be the difference between where we want to be and where we are, how we want to be and how we are. This is not to say that a bungalow is worse than the skyscraper or whether the corner office on the top floor is better than the corner office on the shop-floor. But, it is about doing the things that take one on a path that is best aligned to their strengths and aspirations.

There are four things every beginner should do at the beginning of their career to ensure that when they look back in 10, 15 or 20 years, they feel that they are on the way to a place that best leverages their strengths and potential –

Be willing to colour outside the box 

This is easy to explain, but hard to implement in practice. I remember being approached by a newly hired graphic designer in my current company. He knew I was responsible for multiple portfolios and had a dedicated team of IT engineers supporting me. He said he was looking to break into IT and would I be okay with him shadowing the IT team. I was very excited for him and personally introduced him to the IT head and requested that he be allowed to spend time learning what he wanted. Of course, reaching out to a very senior person need not be the way to do this, but getting exposure out of one’s core areas of competence is extremely important. If you are a software engineer, talk to your sales team. If you are in sales, spend some time with operations and so on. Having more than one arrow in your quiver is good for both lateral job growth and also expanding one’s understanding of how business operates. This will allow you to make smart career choices going forward – whether as an employee or as an employer

Be patient with yourself, but be honest always 

We all are led to believe we are special. It starts with our parents, then our teachers telling us that we are good at many things. The reality is that we are not. There are a rare few who are good at multiple things, but a vast majority are bang in the center of the normal curve with one decent skill to speak about. But, it is possible that we feel dissatisfied with where our life is taking us and want to try out other things. I did say we should colour outside the box too. But, it is important we be able to judge ourselves honestly and truthfully what we are NOT good at and be able to move away from that quickly. I had a colleague once who would put his finger in every pie. His core focus was finance, but he wanted to get into marketing. I humored his request and recommended him to a contact of mine in another company. He got the job. When I met him a few years later, he was miserable. He had continued in marketing, changed a few more jobs and was bitter. When I probed further, he said he knew within 6 months of starting his role in marketing that he didn’t like it. It didn’t align with his flair for numbers and spreadsheets and lone-wolf work style. But, he felt like he had to give it time to see if it worked. In my experience, if the gut warns you about a choice you  may have made, its best to step back and revisit the course you are taking

Balance work and life 

When I started my career, doing night outs at work was par for the course. It didn’t matter whether the work was done or not, no one wanted to be the first to leave. No one wanted to not be there during a holiday. One would think some of this would change with marriage or with promotions, but in many cases, it got worse. It was as if there was an unspoken, unwritten rule about putting in the extra 3 to 4 hours everyday. The problem with this mindset is that work efficiency and effectiveness both get impacted. If one knows that they have 11 hours to do a task, then it will not get done in the official 8 or 9 hours that are assigned. At the same time, spending so much time at work means personal life gets impacted – be it relationships, hobbies or health. Much like denying a plant sunlight can stunt its growth, compromising on one’s non-work related priorities can significantly impact career growth. The people who find satisfaction and success at work have satisfying and successful non work related activities also. This allows them to return to work the next day or after the weekend is done in a recharged manner and ready to give their 100% .

Look to network actively or passively 

Youngsters when they begin their careers can be like racehorses – focused only on the path ahead of them with blinders on. This is a good attitude to have, but we are social creatures and it is helpful to remember this. With a lot of the world moving online, it may seem like trying to introduce yourself to someone at work or outside work is a chore best left for later. This is not good because the flip side of everything moving online is that when all things are equal while evaluating candidates, it's always easier to choose someone who can communicate well, shows warmth and has a strong EQ. These are all attributes that can be built through networking in a professional context. And while this may not come naturally, with technology it is possible to get on LinkedIn and write a simple message to someone to get connected. This is passive networking as opposed to going to conferences, seminars or even team outings to actively network with peers, leaders and even with competition.  Being genuinely curious and wanting to enhance one’s social circle is worthwhile and recommended for people at every stage of their career. You never know which person you know can pave the path to the next big break in your career.

I have consciously avoided talking about things like doing online courses or getting certifications or focusing on higher studies etc. In my opinion, it is important at the beginning of one’s career to expand one’s horizons either through learning new skills, being exposed to new people or better managing one’s time. Being mindful of the value these bring and practicing these actively can create a richer experience during the initial years of one’s career and lay the foundation for the career that you aspire for.