How to Impress When Youre the Youngest One on the Team

How to Impress When Youre the Youngest One on the TeamHow to Impress When Youre the Youngest One on the TeamAs they say, everyone has to start somewhere. But being the most junior member on a team is never an easy stelle, and it can be tough to gain trust and credibility when youre learning the ropes surrounded by mora tenured colleagues. Part of overcoming this sometimes-awkward stage is achieved simply through patience and hard work, but there are also some tangible things you can do to quickly make an impact, regardless of your rank. Heres how to gain the trust and respect of your colleagues and position yourself for success when youre the new kid.Learn the BusinessOne of the hardest things about being the low person on the totem pole is that theres just a lot you dont know about your field or company. But, thats a totally fixable problem. The more research you can do- even if its anecdotal- the better off youll be when its time to impress your new team. First, dedicate time to re ading through your company website, social media platforms, and news releases, as well as industry-focused sites and publications, both before you start the job and in your regular weekly routine. Building up your arsenal of knowledge not only helps you do your job better and seem more prepared, it will also make you feel more confident about your lack of time on the job. Better yet, try to connect with people in your department or those whove held the position previously to learn from their experiences and uncover any unforeseen challenges or opportunities. Proactively ask if you can go to coffee or lunch with your new manager or others on the team- even before your official start date. Going that extra step will demonstrate your commitment and start building credibility.Be Annoyingly ReliableWhen youre the new kid on campus, its important to not only make a good first impression, but to keep making good impressions. As people begin to get to know you and feel out your work style, theyll be testing you to see how you handle different tasks. My advice is to be unfailingly reliable. This includes everything from being early to meetings to having projects completed on time and always following up with your commitments. (Youd really be surprised how far this goes) Reliability also extends to include things like your personal appearance and punctuality. Sounds simple, but the more consistency you can demonstrate in all areas, the likelier others are to begin to trust you sooner. When Mistakes Happen, Own ThemIt would be wonderful if we always knew exactly what to do and could deliver it flawlessly. Unfortunately, mistakes happen to everyone- especially when youre just starting out. And this is actually where a lot of new professionals go wrong- either trying to cover up a mistake or over-apologizing for it. Heres the verstndigung im strafverfahren If you find yourself aware of a problem or an error in your work, do your best to address it, but dont keep others in the dark. Chances are they will hear about it anyway, and if its not directly from you, you could damage the credibility youre working to gain.That being said, your team wont just want to hear what went wrong, theyll want to know how youre going to fix it. When you approach your co-workers or manager to address an issue, have all the information and facts together as well as your proposed solution. Present this in a calm, professional way, and explain what youll do to avoid it occurring again in the future. Go the Extra Mile, Even When it Feels Like OverkillThe steadier you appear to those around you, the sooner youll gain their trust and partnership. So, instead of just showing up to the task at hand, try to anticipate what will be asked of you or your role on a project, and come to meetings prepared in advance. Set up meetings with key contacts and stakeholders and compile as much information as you can so that you are prepared and ready to deliver. On a less-traditional level, go ing the extra mile also means having a positive attitude, even when things are stressful and new, and being willing to jump into things that may extend beyond your typical job description. You dont have to be everything to everyone, but being a yes person who is skilled at finding solutions is a tried and true way to build relationships and work effectively with others. Photo of woman walking courtesy of Shutterstock.

4 ways to help get over career bitterness

4 ways to help get over career bitterness4 ways to help get over career bitternessWhen disappointments inevitably happen at work, we can make the mistake of letting that emotion fester into bitterness. Instead of processing our feelings, we let it stew inside of us. Why did he get the promotion over me? Why am I missing time with my family to make this report? Heres how to healthily process everyday work disappointments, so that you wont get consumed with unhelpful bitternessIdentify the causeThe first step in letting go of unhealthy bitterness is recognizing that its there and accepting responsibility for it. If you dont, youll become increasingly disengaged with the work you do.Burnout is about resentment, Marissa Meyer, the former Yahoo CEO once said. Its about knowing what matters to you so much that if you dont get it that youre resentful.Understand that there are usually underlying vulnerabilities behind work bitterness. Your job is to figure out what exactly is causing you to feel upset.As social worker Dan Maher advises resentful people in Psychology Today, Observe it. Allow it to simply be. Hold it. Visualize putting space around it. Notice what happens. Practice identifying and allowing yourself to feel the underlying emotions that anger may be superimposed upon- such as hurt orfear.Separate fact from fiction in your feelingsWhen you feel resentment, you are telling yourself a story about your circumstance that may bedrngnis be entirely true. Joseph Grenny, a business social scientist, says that part of reckoning with your resentment is separating your personal nightmares from the realities. To do this, you need to name the roles in the story you assign yourself. That way, you can see if your frustrations are legitimate or notIs it avictimstory - one that emphasizes my virtues and absolves me of responsibility for what is happening?Is it avillainstory - one that exaggerates the faults of others and attributes whats happening to their evil motives?I s it ahelplessstory - one that convinces me that any healthy course of action (like listening humbly, speaking up honestly) is pointless? Naming my stories helps me see them for what they are.Put the resentment in perspectiveReframe your bitterness from an unhealthy obsession to one that can be a useful signal for change.To do this perspective shift, you need to understand that disappointments and hurt are part of what it means to be human, and pangs of jealousy over your peers work achievements are normal. Brittany Luse, producer and podcast host at Gimlet Media, advises employees to be on the lookout for these emotions. That way you can catch them before they become insurmountable resentmentsInstead of letting your emotions feel like a catastrophe, see these setbacks as signals you need to switch paths. Take it from Oprah.Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul and master advice giver, says she does not believe in mistakes, choosing to reframe these setbacks as learning momentsThere is a supreme moment of destiny calling on your life. Your job is to feel that, to hear that, to know that.And sometimes when youre not listening, you get taken off track. You get in the wrong marriage, the wrong relationship, you take the wrong job, but its all leading to the saatkorn path. There are no wrong paths, she toldStanford Graduate School of Business students.Channel the resentment into useful actionsAfter you identify and mentally process the source of your bitterness, it can also be helpful to work through them through action. Maher says that physical expressions of your disappointment can be a healthy coping strategy Share these feelings with safe, supportive individuals whom you trust. Journal or write about them. Discharge them through physical activity by working out.Journaling about your fears is a science-backed way to productively worry becauselabeling emotions through writing helps us put them in perspective.Tiny annoyances and petty feuds can build into mountains of resentment if you are not careful. Thats why mastering your emotions is so important. When you learn how to own and honor your emotions without letting them control you, you become the master of your own career.

Do Your Job Search Techniques Show Your Age - FlexJobs

Do Your Job Search Techniques Show Your Age - FlexJobsDo Your Job Search Techniques Show Your Age -2Ageism is a common experience and complaint among job seekers of a certain age. Whether at the younger or older ends of the job seeker age range, some employers unfortunately take into account your perceived age when considering your job application.LearnVest, one of the leading personal finance and lifestyle sites on the web, has a great breakdown of how people conduct their job searches based on their generation, and we thought our job seekers could benefit from the info. Members get 15% off any financial plan from LearnVest Subscribers to LearnVests financial planning service get personalized help from Certified Financial Planners on all aspects of their financial needs, from budgeting help to debt reduction to retirement planning and mora. Learn more about LearnVest discount at our Member Savings site.Here are some of the key points from, Does the Way You Job Hunt Show Your Age?A s urvey of over 5,000 job seekers representing in richtung Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomers found that they have the following job search techniques in commonAll spend the majority of their time looking ansprechbarMost favor online job boardsAll three groups spend between 5-20 hours a week lookingAll generations use social media in some form but Twitter is the least popular job search tool for everyoneThats where the similarities end.Check out your generations results to see how you differ from job seekers of other generationsGen Y Job SeekersGen Y, also known as millennials, is more optimistic about finding a job, values workplace flexibility, and is more likely to plan to go back to school instead of continuing their search. Theyre also seeing more results 33% of millennials said they were able to find employment in less than one month, compared to 29% of Gen X and 24% of boomers. Aside from requiring lower salaries, they may be bagging jobs because theyre prepping more 68% said they pra ctice interview questions before an interview, whereas only 60% of Gen X and just 52% of boomers said the same.Gen X Job SeekersGen X has the most angst about looking for work. 72 percent of this group are stressed and frustrated, more so than boomers (69%) and Gen Y (61%). Whats on Gen Xs wish list for that ideal job? Sixty five% said job security, while 62% said employee benefits like health care and 55% said location. Gen X isnt content to wait for an employer forever. Thirty-six percent said they have considered starting their own business instead of continuing their job search, compared to 35% of boomers and 31% of Gen Y.Baby Boomer Job SeekersSurprisingly, boomers spent the most time on social networks of all three generations. Baby boomers job search online the most and use social networks, especially LinkedIn when conducting a search, says Dan Schwabel, founder of Millennial Branding. Boomers, though, are having the toughest time getting a job. Twenty-five percent have been job searching for over a year (compared to 17% of Gen X and 10% of Gen Y). Boomers feel like theyre being singled out because of their age 65% said they suffer from age discrimination, compared to only 22% of Gen X and 21% of Gen Y. Boomers, however, were least likely to say they would consider going back to school than continuing their job search (23%), compared to 35% of Gen X and 48% of Gen Y.If other generations are conducting their job searches differently than you, or have a different attitude or outlook than yours, it may be worth adapting your job search to include their techniques. Especially in the world of online job searching, reworking your job search to make your age less of an issue is totally possible.Readers, do your job search techniques show your age? Share with us below