Success! You’ve got a new job. Unfortunately, the real interview process has only just begun. Over the first few weeks, social interactions with your new colleagues will determine just how well you fit in.
“I think the cultural fit really sets the tone for whether the person is going to work out, but also how positive an experience the person will have on the job,” says Emily Westerman, associate director of the Office of Career Management at NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
One of the first things she usually coaches clients on, she says, is the importance of determining the cultural norms in an office. Do people go out for lunch together, for example?
In that regard, it’s crucial to spend time observing. “Take a step back,” she says. “You want to make sure you don’t do things that are going to alienate people.”
Inviting the gang down to the pub for happy hour on the first day may not be a great idea then. But tagging along if it’s something they’re already planning is crucial, even if you don’t want to. Again, let the norms of the office be your guide.
“If people don’t understand why you’re not participating, in some cultures that could sabotage you.”
Going with the flow seems easy, but it also has to be coupled with a professional and personable openness. Try this crazy move: Introduce yourself to everyone right away.
But, says Westerman, “You need to be careful to make sure you respect the personal and professional boundaries.” What those are will vary depending on the industry you’re in, and the established norms. Age is a key component as well.
“When your younger, it’s more natural for your work place to be your social network. When you’re older and when you get to a management role, that’s when you need to be more careful of boundaries.”
Ultimately, like forming any type of relationship, it should be a natural progression. Observe and react, and let the established cues be your guide.
LUKE O'NEIL
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The new kid in school: Make the right steps to fit in at the office
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Top 10 Social Sites for Finding a Job
Some of these sites allow you to craft a resume, while others are networking platforms that contain job listings. By signing up for all ten, you increase your chances of getting a job and decrease the amount of time you’ll spend searching for a new one. Three of the listed sites can be combined with other sites to be more impactful. In addition to joining, creating profiles and searching for jobs, I encourage you to support these sites with either a traditional website or blog, so that you have more to present to employers, in addition to your profile.
View the Top 10 Sites HERE:
HOW TO: Build the Ultimate Social Media Resume
Social media resumes are important for attracting hiring managers directly to you, without you having to submit your resume, blindly, to them. The problem with submitting your resume online to job postings is that most job postings aren’t even vacant, might not exist, and 80% of jobs offers are received through networking.
With a social media resume, you’re able to paint a completely different portrait of yourself for hiring managers and customize it to reflect your personal brand. With the inclusion of various multimedia elements, sharing options, integrated social networking feeds and the same elements you’d find in a traditional resume, you are better equipped for success.
Social media has allowed us to reverse the recruiting process. Instead of submitting our resume, it becomes a billboard that can be shared, distributed to hiring managers, searched and more. In one sense it showcases your talents and what you’re looking for in a job and in the other, recruiters become attracted to it and will approach you with the opportunities that you desire.
Here is the social media resume process:
Monday, November 19, 2007
Careers In Publishing
For ALL students:
Center for Career Education
Careers In Publishing
Learn from a wide variety of professionals currently working in the publishing industry. Whether your interest lies in children’s books, literary management, or magazines – join us to network and gain knowledge about this exciting industry. Also, a representative from www.ed2010.com will share the most up-to-date job search strategies specifically targeted to the field.
Panelists include: An Author of Children’s Books, the Executive Editor of CosmoGIRL!, the Former Publisher of Spin Magazine, and a professional Literary Agent.
To register, please visit: www.careereducation.columbia.edu
Questions? Contact Andrea DeMarco at ad2582@columbia.edu
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