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It’s that time of year again, when teary-eyed parents
proudly watch Jennifer or John accept their college diplomas. Whether
they’re crying because of parental pride or because of their now empty
bank accounts (or both) is anyone’s guess. But one thing is sure—Jennifer
and John are off on one of the greatest adventures of their lives—making
the transition from academia to the workplace.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 1998 1,184,000 bachelor’s
degrees were conferred, with the largest number of them in the fields
of business (233,000), social sciences (125,000), and education (106,000).
At the master’s degree level, the most prevalent fields were education
(115,000) and business (102,000).
Even with the recent economic downturn, joblessness remains at historically
low rates in the U.S. Most new graduates will become gainfully employed.
But do they possess the skills they need to become successful in the workplace?
According to the authors of a new book, How to Succeed in Your First
Job—Tips for New College Graduates (Berrett-Koehler Publishers,
Inc., 2001) the answer is "no." Elwood F. Holton III and Sharon S. Naquin
believe that many new graduate hires have not yet learned how to make
the transition from college life to work life. In fact, the attitudes
and behaviors students learn in college may actually stand in their way
of finding success in the workplace.
How to Succeed in Your First Job presents a common-sense, easy
to follow "Twelve-Step Process" that will guide new college graduates
on their first, often crucial, year on the job.
Shari Lifland conducted the following e-interview with authors Holton
and Naquin, exclusively for MWorld:
Shari Lifland: In the introduction
to How to Succeed in Your First Job, you advise new graduates: "College
has not prepared you to become an effective professional like you think
it has…Both research and experience tells us that what you don't know
about starting your career can have a huge, detrimental effect on your success."
What’s the biggest mistake new grads make when they enter the workplace?
Elwood F. Holton III & Sharon S. Naquin: The most common mistake
is failure to recognize the importance of making the transition from their
familiar roles as students to their new roles as professionals. The college
environment and work environment are dramatically different; each has its
unique set of requirements, expectations, and customs. New grads need to
recognize the differences between college and the workplace early in their
first year on the job. There are certain aspects of college that can actually
counter-train students and, if these attitudes and behaviors are carried
into the workplace, they have the potential to negatively impact the new
employee’s career potential. Failure to properly adapt to the changes associated
with their new environment can create problems for the new employee.
SL: What are some of the unrealistic expectations that new graduates
have about the workplace?
EH & SN: New graduates often fail to recognize how they have
been shaped by 17 years in an educational culture. When we conduct workshops
for new graduates after they have been at work for about six months, we
ask them to list their work-related frustrations. We post these lists on
flip charts along one wall. Next, we ask them to recall their college experiences
and post these list on the opposite wall. The "aha" they experience is that
80 to 90% of their complaints are either the result of or are exacerbated
by their failure to recognize and let go of their deeply ingrained college-learned
attitudes, expectations, and behaviors. They are always shocked to see how
powerful the influence of college is, even though they thought they fully
understood that college and work are different.
SL: How important is one’s first year on the job? Isn’t that the
time to test the waters, make mistakes, "find oneself?"
EH & SN: Research indicates that a new employee’s actions within
the first year on the job have a major impact on both job satisfaction and
future opportunities (i.e., salary, advancement, assignments, etc.). The
impressions that a new graduate makes and the perceptions that others have
of the new graduate and his/her abilities are formed within that first year.
It’s hard—sometimes even impossible—for a new employee to overcome
that image if it’s a negative one.
It’s certainly true that college students and recent graduates frequently
express a desire to "find themselves." Sometimes this manifests itself in
conventional ways, such as adopting new hobbies and interests, and other
times through less conventional means (body-piercing, tattoos, etc.). When
the new professional’s attempts to find himself/herself are incongruent
with the organization’s culture (i.e., pierced eyebrows in a conservative
banking environment), there will inevitably be repercussions. For instance,
the new management trainee with pierced eyebrows working in a conservative
bank may find that she is not invited to observe the meetings between the
loan officer and an important client. Instead, she may be relegated to observing
back room operations.
SL: You write that while a new grad employee is worried about his
ability to do the actual tasks of the job, the employer is most concerned
with the employee’s ability to do the non-task components of the job. What
are these "non-task components," and how can the new worker identify them?
EH & SN: The 12 Steps in the book define these non-task components.
For example, Step 1 is to adopt the right attitudes, because your attitude
helps you get opportunities for success. The harder part is identifying
the specifics required in each different organizational culture. We provide
the template, called the Quick Start Learning Tool, which guides new graduates
in how to interview people in the organization to learn about the non-task
components. We also provide a set of worksheets on our website to help new
employees interpret the interview responses.
SL: In your "12-Step Process" for new grad employees, the first nine
steps have nothing to do with the actual accomplishment of job tasks, but
everything to do with one’s impression on others. Does this mean that window-dressing
is more important than job performance?
EH & SN: No, it does not. Make no mistake -- accomplishing your
job tasks effectively is a MUST. However, this question highlights an important
mistake that people often make, which is thinking that a person can perform
well without the first nine steps in our process. The reality is that they
cannot. New graduates can have all the technical knowledge in the world,
but if they don't build relationships, understand the culture, develop work
smarts, etc., their job performance will suffer greatly.
SL: Step 10 of your "12 Steps" is "Develop Work Smarts." What are
work smarts, and what tips can you give for acquiring them?
EH & SN: Work smarts are the skills that every professional needs
to manage his/her work on a day-to-day basis. To succeed, college students
need to know how to manage class assignments and how to study. New professionals
need to master the "work smarts" of managing time efficiently, writing business
documents, and meeting management in order to be successful. Other work
smarts, such as how to sell your ideas, how to meet deadlines, the appropriate
level of quality for a given project, etc., are learned from colleagues
within the organization.
SL: What goals should a new employee set for him/herself?
EH & SN: Of course new employees have to perform their assigned
job tasks well. But, the typical mistake that a new graduate makes is in
thinking that performing job tasks well is sufficient to obtain a good performance
rating. Graduates who make successful transitions realize that there are
three other goals: earning acceptance, earning respect, and earning credibility.
Our 12-step process is designed to help new graduates achieve these goals.
SL: What are some of the key "success-related attitudes" that new
graduates need to develop to success in the workplace?
EH & SN: There are two that are particularly important. The first
is open-mindedness. The worst thing a new employee can bring to the job
is a pre-conceived notion about what work ought to be like, how it ought
to be done, and what he/she is supposed to do. The second is humility. New
graduates have a right to be proud of what they have accomplished and to
be confident. But, college has provided them with only a foundation. New
graduates can be confident about their potential, but should remain humble
about their newness and lack of organizational awareness.
SL: How can a new graduate employee, who may not yet understand the
culture of the organization, avoid becoming embroiled in office politics?
EH & SN: The best strategy is to sit on the sidelines to watch
and learn, staying out of controversial political situations. New graduates
should use their first year on the job to build up their poker chips through
good performance and helping others. They can spend these chips later, when
they know how to do so wisely.
Click here
to read "Key Differences Between College and the Workplace," from How
to Succeed in Your First Job.
To purchase a copy of How to Succeed in Your First Job -- Tips for New
College Graduates, visit Amazon.com.
About the Authors:
Elwood F. Holton III is Professor of Human Resource Development and
Executive Director of the Center for Leadership Development at Louisiana
State University. He is author of The Ultimate New Employee Survival Guide.
Sharon S. Naquin is Assistant Professor of Human Resource Development and
Director of the Office of HRD Research at Louisiana State University.
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