First Job, First Mistake(s)
In your opinion, do most people make mistakes in their first "real world" job? Did you?
How long was it before you really nailed the basics?
I've come to my own personal realization that no matter how large a wealth of knowledge one has on a subject, there really is no substitute for actual experience...
Any personal examples or other such musings are more than welcome.
Thanks!
Answers (15)
Mark W
Experienced workers compensation professional, manager Linked groups SELF INSURANCE FORUM and WORKERS COMPENSATION FORUM
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It is difficult to know what you want to do with your life immediately after graduating college. I think it takes a couple of attempts and failures for a person to "find themselves" in the world. No matter how good your education is, nothing can fully prepare you for the real world.
I started in claims after working two other jobs in unrelated fields. I saw an advertisement in the paper looking for a college degree and 1-2 years of work experience and applied. They were looking for someone with some real-world experience, rather than people just out of college. 18 years later, I feel that was a great career move for me.
Michael C. D
Senior Manager, Corporate Finance Global Credit at a Large, Publicly Traded High Tech Firm in the Silicon Valley
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In my first real job after leaving college, I was recruited into a management training program for a major bank. I remember attending meetings in which my peers and one or more layers of management would be in attendance. Inevitably, at some point, someone would ask if anyone had any questions or comments about an issue or problem that had been discussed. I mistakenly thought this was an actual opportunity to offer ideas, suggest additional issues, or raise questions.
It took me a while to realize that I was the only one that was "taking advantage" of the opportunity to share my perspectives with senior management. Needless to say, the perspective of a young, inexperienced trainee was not of much interest or of much value to the senior managers in attendance. Since then, I have learned from this mistake and I am much more cautious about when and under what circumstances I offer perspectives and opinions to senior management.
Clarification added 11 months ago:
As clarification, I think I was more naive than arrogant.
Karan S
In-charge Strategic Alliances & Business Acquisitions at RebelFone
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My first job was right after my Graduation, they paid me decent and I spent about 5-6 months there.. during this time, my performance was great and I was being considered for my first promotion .. my first ever promotion. .. And what happened? I left the job, because a girl I was dating also left . .could you believe that, I regret that decision now. But i guess it happens, it was my first job and my priorities were set wrong.
Cheers!
- Karan
No huge mistakes come to mind but I'm sure I made a few little mistakes here and there. Nobody's perfect, obviously, but in my experience it is crucial to have a work environment where you feel safe to ask for support when you need it. Otherwise, you're constantly operating from a place where you're terrified of making an error - not a good thing.
I agree with you that you can study a subject til the cows come home, but there is no substitute for real experience, which is why I'm so glad my university degree included work placements for credit. Definitely made me feel more comfortable in my first post-university job.
I started with Allianz in the UK on a graduate scheme along with a number of other people, suffice to see I've seen (and some are my own!) plenty of mistakes. I'll list a few more common ones below, but I think its worth saying that EVERYONE makes mistakes when they first start a role, the CEO will have been no different when they were 20 so when you make a mistake, don't beat yourself up about it, just learn from it and move forward.
(1) Arrogance - you may have a certain level of schooling, or have that youthful arrogance that makes you think you know it all - you do not. Don't be afraid to share what you think or feel, but don't be arrogant or think you have all of the answers. I once encountered a guy who had spent 3 months in the head office of our company and then went out to one of the branches and told one of our most experienced underwriters that he knew more about a certain aspect of his job than the underwriter did...needless to say this is not a way of winning friends and influencing people!
(2) Expecting to just get promotions and pay rises because you think you're worth it...I've lost count of the people who take the attitude 'I don't get paid what I'm worth, when they give me a promotion/better job title/pay rise/bigger bonus then I'll put the work in'.
When you first start there will be times when you feel this way, learn that, while it may not feel fair at the time, it always works the opposite way around. You must prove that you're worth the promotion/bonus/pay rise before you get it, always aim to be working one or two grades/promotions above where you actually are. If you want a management position you have to show that you are ALREADY capable of being a manager, you won't get one on the promise that you'll become one once you've got the job title.
(3) Watch the ego...you may be doing very well, and you may be feeling very smug about it but resist taking this position amongst your peers. They will resent you. Some people seem to forget that their peers that they annoy in their twenties are potentially going to be the other senior managers in the company in your forties - you'll need to be on good terms with them.
(4) Don't moan, do something about it....if there is something you don't like about your job don't waste time complaining, you could be spending that time doing something about it. If you're not involved in projects and you want to be, don't moan, do some research about what projects there are/are coming up and find a way to get yourself on them, make it clear to managers that this is what you want and why you would make a good team player on a project, etc
Anyway, I could go on and on, get in contact if you want more.
I think its around six months to a year to nail the basics but I've been here nearly four and I still learn or develop more business skills all of the time, I think the key is to never stop learning
I made tons of mistakes.
I got a little secret for you. I STILL MAKE MISTAKES....Shhh, don't tell.
I got another secret for you. If I am not making mistakes, it's because I am not trying hard enough. If anything, I need to make more mistakes. The more I fail, the faster I can get to success.
All of my accomplishments were wrought from numerous head injuries as I ran into and sometimes right through walls. For some reason, progress is resisted because "we might make a mistake"...WHO CARES. Make those mistakes! As long as you don't sink the company or nobody dies, keep pushing.
Experience is great. How do you get experience? Through making mistakes.
When I look at a candidate for a job, I'd trade 90% of their experience for 20% more attitude, common sense and positive energy. Life is too short to have to deal with experienced people that are conflict and risk adverse.
In my opinion, mistakes help a person grow in the areas of their life in which they're focused on growing. I'm fifty years young, and have had numerous jobs, positions, careers, or anything else I've referred to as what I do.
Too many of us limit ourselves to goals set by others. Set your own goals; don't settle for the status quo. And make your goals measurable. You've got to research the problems ares, (the so-called mistakes). Study all possible results. Ask yourself, "Is there anything more I should do?" Let your creativity guide you to acheiving the results you want.
I honestly think that if you want to 'nail the basics', you have to have a reasonable well-thought plan. That plan will work for you when you organize it; give it structure. Follow the steps that will get you where you want to go by taking action with passion. Filter out the internal and external distractions that come your way. Track what changes are occurring as you press on. Adjust your approach to improve on your results. And last, but definitely not the least, evaluaute your results.
Practice this every day you work for six weeks until it becomes habit. I gaurantee, you'll learn to appreciate not only nailing the basics, but every experience you have will present itself with opportunities you probably never knew existed.
Clarification added 11 months ago:
Oh yes...one more thing; have your assistant edit your work submissions for spelling and language errors. (You probably noticed that I spelled two words incorrectly. 'areas' in paragraph two and 'evaluate' in paragraph three).
Subhas C B
Management Consultant
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My first job was from first interview.
I realized my mistake of joining a large public-sector Steel plant - using obsolete technology while the industry facing recession.
Corrected that mistake by choosing a posting that enabled me to get out of the industry earlier than most of my batch-mates.
On experience, I value diverse (cross-functional) experience more than subject (functional - vertical) experience/expertise. In a fast changing world, one need to decide very early in a career whether to take horizontal or vertical skill and/or experience.
Joan L
Chief Underwriter / Underwriting Specialist at Chubb de Mexico
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Yes. Most people do make mistakes in their first "real world" job, but also afterwards.
I have interviewed a lot of youngsters who have recently finished their university studies, and the first thing I notice is that most of them do not really know what they want to do with their life.
It is surprising how many of them decline jobs as trainees with great potential and benefits in a multinational company, and end up working in a very small company with no projection whatsoever, just for a slightly higher salary.
They realize that until it's too late.
Other common mistakes are, as other people have mentioned: arrogance (some of them want to "eat the world" and "grow fast", thus they end up believing that they make things better than others), but also the opposite: they reach their confort zone quite fast, and do not develop as great employees.
Yes, off course they do. Everything is new to them. On top of that they are nervous because they want to please their manager in order to keep their first real world job.
In my opinion people in their first real world job need about a year te settle in and learn the basics.
My first real world job wasnt that demanding so i nailed it relatively quick. After about 6 months. And yes i made mistakes too.
I Joined Allianz Cornhill which is an offshore centre for Allianz UK as a Management Trainee. As a trainee you do have some liberties to make mistakes and learn from it. However I was little bit lucky during my intial days in my office as our COO was always there to guide me, he gave me many opportunities to test myself in various situation.
It is always hard initially to decide what you actually want to do, or choose the field where you want to pursue your career. As fresh from the college, when you come in you think you know everthing, as happens in the case of most of the MBA graduates.
In a business environment there are always certain basics which everyone needs to learn, for example -
The relationships that you make with the others in the office, which helps you to make your job little bit easier, now again it depends whom you choose as there are always people around who are on the positive side and there are others who crib.
Secondly the opportunties you grab or given to you, now this is what you can't decide initially, because with a fresh mind you feel like you can just go out and grab the world
The important bit in all this is how much you have learn from the mistakes that you have done, like in project management, after every project or assignment I always create a lessons learnt document just to make sure that I don't repeat the mistakes that i have done and guys this really helps.
Yes i agress that it always take some time to learn the basics, but the important thing is learn from the mistake and move on....and never stop learning in life.
As someone has rightly said "Failures are the ladders to success".
Jesus K. L
Executive Director, Property & Casualty at Lockton Companies
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Shawn:
Let me tell you about two of our largest professional mishaps.
Early in my career (early 80's I guess) , I began working for a large insurance broker as a systems manager. I already had almost 4 years of professional experience in my field, but still too young. I just felt I was too good for my job, and almost felt immortal (ever had that feeling?).
Anyways, at that time technology was pretty much advancing in gigantic steps, Microsoft had just launched MS-DOS, and personal computers were starting to become useful tools in the office.
The first mishap, is that a very small software company approached us in the US looking for risk management services and advice. We rejected that company, for being too small. That company eventually grew a bit larger and was named Microsoft. Ouch.
The second mishap happened when we wanted to update our computer equipment, and I vehemently suggested to go for a computer brand which 6 months later went bankrupt. I went directly to the CEO prepared with my written resignation, but he told me: "Are you nuts? I just invested half a million bucks in your education. You must be crazy if you think I am going to fire you now". Well, if my boss had been Donald Trump, that would have been a very different story.
Professional mishaps are all over the place, I guess....but my experiences pretty much have taught me that the combination of arrogance and/or inexperience, is a very powerful one!
Clarification added 11 months ago:
By the way, I now have almost 30 years of experience, and in some issues, I am still trying to nail the basics! You never stop learning in life. Be humble and never forget that.
My first job after finishing college the first time was at the same place I worked while in college. Before going into insurance I was a nurse. I don't think I made any huge mistakes because I knew the people I was working with. BUT, there was definitely some hostility from a couple of older nurses who felt I should be working Med/Surg on the night shift to 'pay my dues'--I had a day job in an emergency department, and new grads don't usually end up there.
So, just because you are in a familiar place doesn't leave you immune. In some cases, it could make you have to go through more hoops to prove yourself. Don't engage in the petty nonsense that goes with it. Know who your friends are, know where to find good resources and try to be tolerant of those who think you should still be doing their bidding despite the formal change in your position.
Eric K
Helping people achieve their career vision (and next job) through innovation. Email:epkramer@gmail.com (610-624-1953)
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If I had to highlight one mistake that is almost universal - people go for jobs they do not go for opportunities to use their strengths in meaningful work.
Most people have what I refer to as "happenstance" careers. They graduate from high school or college and land a job. One thing leads to another (promotions, family, mortgage, job offers) and 20 years later they are asking themselves "how did I get here".
I wish I had a nickel for every 50 year old that has said to me during career coaching, "I need to figure out what I want to do when I grow up." These people are just starting to really focus on what they want and love to do.
So here is my suggestion to avoid career mistakes-
1- Write out your perfect day at work in great detail and use it as a career vision to work toward.
2- Know what you are good at and love to do. These will be the things you look forward to and do not procrastinate getting to.
3- Choose jobs where you can do the activities you love. The industry or profession is less important than the activities. The typical worker in the USA spends 15% of their work day doing the things they love to do.
4- Keep in mind the primary goal in life is being happy and this is best achieved by using your strengths in meaningful activities both in and out of work.
Shawn,
I've made all the mistakes and trained many people through them. The biggest mistake for a newbie, whether it's their first job or not, at any firm is to model their behavior after the wrong people. Just because someone has a job at the firm you just started at doesn't mean that they model the ideal behaviors your supervisor is looking for or that will bring you success.
The people that are already there might already have built enough success (or sales in a selling organization) that their behavior is being tolerated, or they might be on their last leg with the boss. If you see some negative behaviors stay away from them; too many breaks, complaining about the job or the boss, wasting time on personal items. These might all be tolerated where you work, but they aren't getting you on the fast track.
I would recommend modeling your behavior after being the best employee you can be; deciding each day that you are going in to work as hard as you know how. Ask as many questions as possible. Learn as much as you can. Create new and creative ideas that could further the company, be the BEST. Be impressive. As someone else pointed out, don't be arrogant and be careful that you don't shoot your boss in the butt about what he/she is doing, but show that you have the intelligence and the work ethic to get the job done. This might be the opportunity for your boss to set a new standard for your employer and you become the new top dog, even though you are the new guy. Promotions are earned based on ability, not time served.
