Starting a new job? 5 things you can do to make a good impression!

For the past 6 years I’ve been responsible for a training program that brings in a group of new employees, right out of school, and gives them an opportunity to learn about our organization and participate in hands-on job shadowing rotations over the course of a year.  During this one-year process, I get to witness their ups and downs of starting a new job and wondering “what’s next,” and along the way I offer feedback about their individual performances: “If you know you get sleepy in the afternoon, maybe you should become friends with the coffee machine.”  Every so often I give advice and answer questions on how to handle work-situations:  “Is it okay to email a top executive directly?”  My answer is usually “Yes,” followed with a quick, “but it depends.” (It’s always ok to thank someone for their time or follow up on an initial meeting. It’s not ok to email a list of your suggestions for “things we need to improve” if it’s your first week on the job.)

My new group just started work a couple of weeks ago, so I thought it’d be a good time to share some of my most frequent “make a good impression” pointers as they’re starting their careers: 

Speed Networking - A How-to Guide

You've probably heard of "Speed Dating," an activity designed for single people to get together and meet as many potential Mr. or Ms. Rights as possible.  A couple of months ago, I was at a party, and we did a different version of speed dating - more like an icebreaker to get to know everyone at the event.

I decided to take the idea a step further, so we could use it in a work setting.  We have people moving in and out of our departments all the time, and usually we only know them well enough to say "hello" at the coffee pot.  This is a fun (and fast) way to get to know people - at work, in a social club, or even at a party!  You can always adjust the questions to slant it more toward the social, or more toward the professional, depending on the group!  Here are the basics - but you can tweak any of the steps so it can work for you.