You're Hired - Now What?

Rod Colon of ETP Network shares with us some great onboarding practices:

Learn to Take Charge in Your First 90 Days

1. ADJUST TO YOUR NEW JOB

a. Project a positive attitude: the most important success factor

b. Project a positive, professional, and competent image

c. Develop and practice good interpersonal skills: be a team player

i. Be a team player

ii. Be tactful

iii. Treat people the way you want to be treated

2. GET OFF TO A SUCCESSFUL START

a. Learn about the company

b. Pay attention to your job orientation

c. Be smart about compensation and benefits

d. Plan for retirement now

e. Be aware and alert

f. Learn the organizational culture

g. Use a Q&A notebook

i. You will improve your efficiency by clarifying information that hasn’t been
explained fully

ii. You won’t have to repeat your questions

iii. Your supervisor will appreciate your efficiency

h. Be dependable, punctual and industrious

i. Manage your time

i. Be on time

ii. Determine priorities and plan your work around them

iii. Use time management tools: calendars and job-tracking forms

iv. Develop good time management habits

v. Keep your work area well organized

j. Focus on people as well as job duties

i. Get to know you coworkers

ii. Be aware of organizational politics

k. Be a good communicator

i. Use excellent phone manners

ii. Listen actively

iii. Recognize communications styles

iv. Use strategies for effective writing

1. Pre-write

2. Draft

3. Revise

4. Edit and proofread

5. Present and publish

6. Follow the “4 C’s”: complete, concise, correct and clear

v. Use e-mail appropriately

l. Manage yourself

m. Build a network

n. Seek feedback and accept criticism

o. Make your supervisor look good, and be supportive

p. Demonstrate maturity

i. Know your customers

ii. Don’t be afraid to take risks or to fail

iii. Take initiative

iv. Set goals

v. Offer feedback

q. Prepare for your job performance evaluation

3. Succeed in Today’s Changing Workplace

a. Meet your employer’s quality needs

i. Produce top-quality work

ii. Produce the highest possible quantity of work

iii. Be alert for problems, and take action to prevent or solve them

iv. Contribute efficiently and effectively as a team member

b. Be Flexible and Manage Change

c. Stay up-to-date – Innovation

4. Manage Your Career Development/Advancement

a. Be willing to take on new responsibilities

b. Earn your advancement or promotion

i. Maintain and update your curriculum vitae

ii. Seek a mentor

iii. Develop expertise

iv. Be a professional

v. Expand your knowledge and skills

vi. Do high-quality work

vii. Increase your organizational awareness

viii. Increase your visibility

ix. Use subtle self-promotion techniques

x. Seek a promotion

c. Think like a free agent

i. Career-long employment with one company is no longer the norm; in fact,
today’s workers can expect to change jobs about 10 times during the course
of their careers

ii. The average length of a job today is 3.7 years

iii. An employer and an employee are partners in a contract that has to work for
both parties

iv. Portfolio career – a career made up of a variety of complementary activities
that capitalize on our strengths and provide you with an acceptable level of
income

5. Maintain Your Network and Career Management Program

a. Once you’re employed, send a thank-you note to all the members of
your network who helped you or expressed interest in your job search

b. Realize networking is not a job search activity to be discontinued
once you get a job