Ten tips for launching your first job

Some people excel in school and in college but have no idea on how to equally excel in their career. Others may have not been successful academically but they seem to have a natural grasp of how to excel in the job. The lucky ones have mastery for excelling in both scenarios. Whichever group you belong to, it is important to understand ten of the important things you need to do in your first job in order to launch a solid foundation for a career that is to be successful. Today, we will discuss these ten key things as below:

1. Focusing on learning the job

– You may have learnt a lot of theories, mastered formulas and developed models and frameworks. Now you have to get your hands dirty and learn how they do it in industry.

2. Attending professional courses

– Do your best to find chances for some professional courses leading to professional registrations and certifications. Invest personal money from your salary if necessary.

3. Joining high performance teams

– Failure is contagious and so is success. If you play in Barcelona, you are more likely to be a world-class player than if you play in a lower division league club in remote parts of Africa. The same rule applies in career development. In your company identify which are the best performing teams and find your way there!

4. Learning the business

– If you join a company in the banking sector, make sure that you quickly understand banking. If you join telecoms, learn how telecoms business works. If your first job is at a tobacco company, learn about tobacco business quickly, whether you are in marketing, sales, HR, engineering, IT or administration.

5. Acquiring basic financial knowledge

– No matter what your profession is, learn the basics of finance because all companies have to manage finances and you won’t rise far in your career without basic understanding of money. Attend ‘Finance for non-finance managers’ short courses or buy a book on introduction to finance.

6. Learn from good managers and leaders

– Identify who are the great managers and leaders around you and start following them and learning from them. Copy the good things they do and experiment their tactics, improving them along the way.

7. Study career growth trends and align

– Every organisation has its own trends for how people climb career ladders. Talk to the ‘old guards’ and learn how careers evolve in your organisation and don’t plan to break many records, plan to reposition and realign yourself so that you can break smaller records while climbing the ladders.

8. Communicate clearly –

You may be a star but if you are not a great communicator, you will not go far. Develop your written as well as oral communication. Join Toastmasters public speaking clubs to master the public speaking skill also.

9. Make the company and your boss rely on you

– In everything you do, make sure that you are of great value to your boss and for your company. Sustain the reason for your existence in the job.

10. Be outstanding –

Be the best in whatever you do. Always check whether you are giving out your best or not. Raise your game if your output is not great and not amazing.

In addition to the ten keys to success above, you need to network as much as possible you’re your immediate attention should not be on maximising money–making, but focus on building skills. Money will come as a by-product of outstanding brilliance.

—To be continued next week…