What Matters when Starting a Job
First impressions matter! Here are some things to watch out for when negotiating or starting a job.
In today’s post, we’ll get on top of the things you need to master when starting a job so you can kick your career off to a good start.
Readers and listeners have written in, ferklempt that their job isn’t going well. Sometimes, it’s too late. But sometimes, the right moves at the start of a job lay the foundation for everything that comes next. First impressions are important. That’s why I wear jeans and a T-shirt. It’s my deeply rooted fear of success. My therapist and I are working on it.
In order to be successful at any new job, there are a few things you must do before accepting the offer.
Make Sure You Have the Right Job Title
Your starting job title matters. If you change titles, it’s never just a change. People consider it a promotion, demotion, or lateral move. If they think you’re being promoted or demoted, the politics start.
Due to a terrible mixup, a new manager was given an individual contributor job by mistake. In the month it took to sort out the problem, people’s impressions were shaped by her initial introduction and title. When moved to the job she was hired for, the gossip mill already said, “Why should she be promoted to manager after just six weeks? Other people have been here longer.” If she had started as a manager, no one would have batted an eyelash. But once they thought “individual contributor,” management meant promotion.
People also remember your first role. If they know you as a people person, they might never trust your math skills. If they know you as a numbers geek, they may not let you work with people or make strategy.
Make Sure You Have the Right Starting Salary
Your starting salary determines your salary going forward. That isn’t psychological; it’s mathematical.
Your starting salary determines your salary going forward. That isn’t psychological; it’s mathematical. Raises are a percentage of your salary. If you’re making $30,000, a 5% raise is $1,500. If you’re making $60,000, that same 5% raise is $3,000. The rich get richer faster than the poor get solvent. This makes your initial salary terribly important, maybe even worth trading benefits for. People who start at different salaries and get identical percentage raises will have vastly different salaries after a few raises.
First Impressions Matter
Now that you’ve got the right title and starting salary, it’s time for your first day. When starting a new job first impressions are of the utmost importance. Imagine you’ve just met Kirby, a svelte, tall, sophisticated, upset, stubborn, annoyed person. What does Kirby look like? What’s your impression, just from that description?
Now clear your mind. Think of artichokes or ladybugs or something.
Next, imagine Stacy. Stacy is annoyed, stubborn, upset, sophisticated, svelte, and tall. What’s your impression of Stacy, just from that description?
Your impressions of Stacy and Kirby are probably different, even though the descriptions were identical. We build impressions by starting with the very first thing we hear and filling in the details. If the first word is “annoyed,” that conjures a very different image than “svelte.” By the way, were Kirby and Stacy even the same gender?
Treat People Well From Day One
From day one, treat people with courtesy and respect. You never know where the power in the office resides, and you never know who’s an enchanted demon, waiting to devour your soul. So it’s only sensible to assume the worst and treat everyone the best. When a new bank Vice President waltzed in his first day with an attitude of superiority, it didn’t take long for the rest of the office to start detesting him. Within weeks, he became less and less able to get things done, because people would subtly block him at every opportunity. Don’t be him.
What you do at the start of a job lays the foundation for everything that will come next. Make sure you get the right title, role, and salary. Come in with an attitude of “How can I help?” rather than “Here’s what you can do for me,” and you’ll quickly build a base that lets you be successful far into the future.
This is Stever Robbins. Join my Facebook page at Facebook GetItDoneGuy
Work Less, Do More, and have a Great Life!
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About the Author
Stever Robbins was the host of the podcast Get-it-Done Guy from 2007 to 2019. He is a graduate of W. Edward Deming’s Total Quality Management training program and a Certified Master Trainer Elite of NLP. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS in Computer Sciences from MIT.
