Authors: Ellen Gordon Reeves
Tags: #Non-Fiction, #Self Help
Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (46 page)
Don’t forget that you
are
a beginner. You can’t be expected to know everything right off the bat, even if everyone around you forgets that. Don’t let your self-confidence go down the tubes. When you’re new, every task takes longer. You can’t just
do
something; you have to find out what the procedures are, find people to ask, and so on. It can be exhausting. You might feel you’re just spinning your wheels while your ego shrinks and you start wondering why you were hired in the first place. You might even wonder why you wanted the job anyway. This is normal. Don’t give in to it—it’s part of the roller coaster.
While you can’t be expected to know everything, you can be expected to know how to get the information you need to do the job and how to put your best foot forward and be eager, motivated, and professional. It will get easier with time. (And if it really doesn’t, see
chapter 9
.)
Especially in the beginning, you’ll need to rely on colleagues for guidance and information. That’s fine, but try not to attach yourself solely to
one person, no matter how helpful he is. You’ve got to get a sense of the big picture, and you also don’t want to take up too much of one person’s time. When you arrive, if you aren’t working specifically with one person or group, find out whom to go to with questions.
A PROBATIONARY PERIOD
Don’t be surprised if you’re put on what’s called a probationary period at the start of your job. It doesn’t mean you’ve gotten in trouble, but rather that your continued employment is contingent on your review at a predetermined time (usually three to six months after you start). If you are not performing “satisfactorily,” the company has the right to let you go without any of the usual red tape (and likely without severance pay and benefits).
Make sure you understand the exact terms and expectations of the probationary period. Speak to your supervisor about the measures of performance and how you will be monitored along the way.
Try to set a meeting time, at least once every two weeks, in which you generate a list of projects to be accomplished and reviewed. Not every supervisor will agree to this, but it’s a great way to get regular feedback on your performance.
Be respectful of your new colleagues’ time. If possible, prepare lists of questions in advance so you’re not repeatedly interrupting. Don’t expect people to drop what they’re doing to help you out. Nor should you take their help for granted; after you get the lay of the land, you might invite them for lunch or coffee to thank them for being so helpful. A little gesture of appreciation goes a long way.
Q. I woke up really sick, but it’s only my second week. Won’t it look bad to stay home from work so early on?
A.
It’s not ideal, but don’t go to work if you have a fever or something contagious. It’s not good for you—the more you rest, the faster you’ll get better—and it’s not good for your colleagues. If you’re not able to come in but can work from home and are willing to answer phone calls and e-mails, let your boss know.
NEW-EMPLOYEE PAPERWORK
If you’re signing a contract stipulating your terms of employment, make sure you obtain a countersigned copy. (This goes for any document you sign.) If your company doesn’t offer official contracts, ask for a letter of agreement stating the agreed-upon terms of your employment: length of commitment, compensation, vacation time, benefits, review dates, scope of the job, and so on.
You may also need to fill out paperwork pertaining to your retirement benefits. If you’re offered options, get advice from a knowledgeable family member or friend. You will need to provide the names of benefi-ciaries—the people to whom your assets will eventually be distributed.
Will you have an expense account? Company credit card? Find out about limits, but also talk to colleagues to make sure you get a sense of what’s appropriate. Keep and annotate receipts, and turn in your expense reports on time. It should go without saying, but such a perk should never be abused: Do not use the company card to go out with friends, don’t take office supplies home, and don’t use company mail services for personal items.
There will be multiple forms relating to health insurance. You may need to procure old medical records or undergo a company physical. Before deciding on a plan, speak with colleagues, family, and friends. When you’re healthy and young, health insurance doesn’t seem important, but one illness or accident will quickly change your mind. Look into what is routinely covered: annual physical, prescriptions, eye exams, dental care, one pair of glasses or lenses. What about emergency room visits, ambulance costs, visits to specialists? Figure out the deductibles—the sums you must pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in. How much will you be expected to contribute? Is that amount automatically taken out of your paycheck? Can you use your current doctors, or will you need to switch? Are you covered while traveling in the U.S. and abroad? The company may have a flexible spending plan, in which you receive a certain amount of base coverage along with a tax-exempt stipend for additional health expenses.
Speaking of health: If you have allergies or a medical condition, make sure to let someone in the office know. If you aren’t asked to fill out an emergency contact form, make sure you give your details to your supervisor. (This may sound paranoid, but I’ll never forget the day an intern fell writhing to the floor, clutching her gut—we were lucky she was able to tell us the name of her doctor.)
If the employer or HR department hasn’t provided new-hire paperwork or guidance on logistics, start the ball rolling yourself. Is there an employee handbook? Read it, and if you have questions, schedule a time to discuss them with someone. Understand that many rules listed in an official employee handbook may be routinely broken or ignored—but don’t just assume you have the right to do what longer-standing colleagues do. In the beginning, err on the side of caution.
Find out when you are expected to be at your desk (and ideally get there before that) and how you’re supposed to clear vacation time, sick days, and personal days. As unassumingly as possible, ask about overtime and comp time (vacation days given as compensation if you are asked to work on a weekend—not applicable if you
choose
to come in on a weekend). Many companies don’t pay overtime, yet have a culture in which staying late is the norm, especially if you want to get ahead.
Pay attention to the culture in general. Your boss may say the job is nine to five, but if you’re the only one ducking out at 4:59, it doesn’t look good. (In general, you don’t want to leave before your boss does, especially when you’re starting a job.)
Don’t presume to have the privileges of long-standing staff—realize that you have to earn them. One new assistant announced she’d be out at an industry conference the following day—she’d seen a more senior assistant do this. Another assistant who felt very comfortable with me confided
that she would be taking a “sick” day to accompany her boyfriend to the airport. She probably felt very responsible letting me know the day before, since she wouldn’t be leaving me in the lurch. Mistake. I had no problem with her going, but now she’d put me in the awkward position of covering for her. (I told her to take the time as a personal day.)
B
EFORE YOU START PLASTERING PHOTOS ON YOUR CUBICLE WALLS
(if you have walls) or leaving your sneakers and gym bag on the floor, take a look around. How do colleagues handle personal paraphernalia? No matter how casual the office, you need to be neat and discreet. Don’t leave food on your desk or toss potentially smelly things in the garbage. Your area should always be ready for an impromptu visit from a boss or client.
If your desk isn’t prestocked with Post-its, pens, notebooks, and so on, make sure you stock up—you’ll want to set up your organizational systems right from the beginning. Find out the procedure for obtaining supplies. Is there a supply room? Do you order yourself? Is there a limit? Be sure to ask. Don’t order the $5 pens if that’s not company culture.
You may need passwords and machine codes to access computers, Xerox machines, or shared servers. If you’re unfamiliar with any piece of office equipment, ask for instruction as early on as possible; if the company offers software tutorials, sign up.
O
NCE YOU’RE GIVEN A WORKING E-MAIL ADDRESS
and phone number, make sure you’re added to e-mail and phone circulation lists. Record a professional voice mail message stating your first and last name and the name of the company. Figure out how to work your phone so that you don’t end up hanging up on someone you’re trying to transfer.
Answer the phone professionally, whether it’s yours or your boss’s: “Hello, Job Inc., Morgan Smith’s line. May I help you?” or “Hello, this is Emily.” Keep in mind that the office phone is not your home phone. Whether anyone is listening or not, save the personal calls for before and after work, on breaks or at lunch. (Speaking of your cell phone, it should
always
be off or on vibrate during business hours. And no texting during meetings!)
A note on e-mail etiquette: I cannot overstress how absolutely vital it is that you separate your personal e-mail from your professional e-mail. There are many reasons to do this. First of all, Big Brother is watching, and the law
is on his side. Any e-mail you send while at work is actually considered the employer’s legal property—even if you send it from your personal account! At large companies, the IT department or a search program may regularly scan employees’ e-mails for inappropriate language. The same goes for your Internet usage and personal shopping. Though some companies have more relaxed attitudes about the way their employees use the Web, it’s always best to exercise caution. Restrict your browsing to reputable news sites. (You should never, for any reason, spend time on any site with inappropriate content; even the material on mainstream gossip sites may be too risqué.)
Reason number two to separate your e-mails: It’s so easy to slip and send an e-mail to the wrong person. If it were to happen at work, wouldn’t you rather it be an e-mail about a problem with the copy machine than a spare-no-details description of your big night out? (Or, even worse, an e-mail about your boss?) Basically, you shouldn’t be writing any e-mail at work, to anyone, that you wouldn’t feel comfortable showing to your boss or colleagues.
C
OMMUNICATION IS A KEY COMPONENT OF ANY JOB
.
Especially when you’re new, err on the side of overinforming your supervisors and others who need updates on your projects.
Be explicit in asking your boss how she wants information. Should you copy her on all correspondence with clients? Who else in the company needs to know certain information? In the beginning, should you run e-mails and letters by her before sending to make sure you’ve struck the right tone and are conveying the appropriate information? Should you be preparing regular status reports? How often should you check in? At the beginning and end of every day? Before you go on breaks or to lunch? Should you keep phone logs? Notes on phone conversations? What about record-keeping? Should e-mails be printed out and archived, or stored electronically only? How should you fill out time sheets and expense forms, and who needs to sign off on them?
Different supervisors have different working styles and expectations. Check in periodically to see how you’re doing. Your boss should initiate these conversations, but if not, take the lead: Ask for some time to discuss how she thinks things are going and whether there are tasks you should be doing differently. Don’t be surprised or hurt if the answer is yes. Accept constructive criticism graciously. Your main priority is to get the job done as well and efficiently as possible.
CODES, CARDS, KEYS
Make sure you have the necessary office keys and alarm codes and know the lockup procedures. At a small company, the system may be relatively simple, whereas at a large one you may need to have your photograph taken for an ID or electronic pass.
