As a new professional, learning how to be one is your first task. You want to get noticed for the all the right reasons. You want to differentiate yourself from your peers in the appropriate way. You want to be effective at what you do.

Now is the time for you to show your value and fit to your new employer. You want to be seen as an asset; the new hire they want to keep and mentor. There are things you can do in your first year to ensure your employer knows and values you and your work. Here's a checklist you can use.

 

Learning the company and the business.

You have a big learning curve ahead of you. People who ask questions and really seek to understand the business and where they fit in, end up being the best employees. The employees who wait for all the information to come to them are going to be average, at best.
[  ]   I’m developing an understanding how the work I do fits with the mission and goals of the company.
[  ]   I have a sense of my direction within the company. I know what I need to do to make the next step happen for me.

 

Look for opportunities to fit in.

Everyone's workplace is a little different, but we all face the same set of challenges at a new job. Integrating yourself into the company culture is a lot harder than you think. It's important to build rapport, trust, and camaraderie with your new co-workers. Look for opportunities to get to know your new work community.
[  ]  I’m learning how things work in my team, group, division and company.
[  ]  I’m learning the codes and rules to abide by in the workplace.
[  ]  I’m making an effort to meet as many people as I can around the company. I have a list of people I want to meet. I have set up lunch dates. I have workplace friends.

 

Get to know the management.

Learning how management works might be your first priority when you start your job. Your success will likely depend on it.
[  ]  I’m learning how the manager and my immediate supervisor want things done.
[  ]  I understand the communication hierarchy.

 

Plan for your development.

As with all efforts, you must be clear about your direction. You don’t take a road trip without knowing where you want to end up. Develop a plan for your first few years and stick to it. Then look to the longer term.
[  ]   I met with my manager and know what is expected of me.
[  ]   I have measurable performance goals and systems are in place to measure my progress.
[  ]  I set up a way to track my accomplishments. Record your accomplishments in this way. What was the task I was asked to perform/problem to solve/situation to handle? What action(s) did I take? What was the result(s)?

 

Master skills.

Mastering skills is not optional in today's business environment. In a fast-moving, competitive world, being able to develop and learn new skills is one of the keys to success. It's not enough to be smart—you need to always be getting smarter.
[  ]  I know what my skills are and what skills I need to develop to move forward.
[  ]  I have a plan to gain the experience I need.
[  ]  I have someone who can give me feedback on my development.

Read more…Getting It Right From Day One.