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Jim Citrin Leadership by Example

Jim Citrin, Leadership by Example

Six Tips for Success Right Out of College

by Jim Citrin

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2.779342/5
Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 12:00AM

Job opportunities abound across all sectors for the graduating class of 2007. According to Job Outlook 2007, employers plan to hire 17.4 percent more new college graduates this year than from the class of 2006, the fourth straight year of double-digit growth according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Many of the approximately 3 million students graduating from U.S. colleges this year will enter the workforce for the very first time. They'll have to adapt to new cultures, expectations, and schedules.

And while success will no longer be about getting good grades in class, they shouldn't fool themselves -- they'll still be graded every day. In the workplace, however, "grades" are far more subjective and ill-defined than in school.

Advice from the Top

If you're starting a new job fresh from school, Christie Hefner, chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises, has some sage advice. (Full disclosure: The company I work for, Spencer Stuart, has done client work for Playboy Enterprises.)

"A key to success in your new job is recognizing that it's no longer about your individual achievement, but the success of the team, the organization," says Hefner. "You should start out by listening -- a lot. Make the effort to understand the culture and learn the history and strategy of the organization.

"Make an effort to meet people, to make friends, to learn what other people need and value," she continues. "That includes your boss, your department, your colleagues, and the company. If you make them look good, you'll look good."

To build on Hefner's counsel, here are six guidelines to help launch your career with real momentum:

1. Maintain a positive attitude.

This seems obvious, but attitude is the single most important asset you'll bring to the early days of your job. It's also something over which you have complete control.

Be upbeat and optimistic. Be the kind of person who creates rather than saps energy from other people. Be proactive and take initiative.

Don't wait to be asked how your project is going -- make an appointment with your boss or go see the project manager to share your progress and check to see if you're on track. Listen attentively and ask good questions. Above all, don't be a know-it-all.

2. Work hard.

There's no escaping the fact that hard work on a consistent basis is a foundational requirement for success. High-level performance only comes with experience acquired through hard work and practice.

A deep body of evidence supports this contention; the top performers in any field, from business to science to sports to music, work harder than others. So as you start your career, get into the office early and stay late.

The most successful people don't just work harder, though -- they also work smarter. It's not just the number of hours you put in at the office that counts, it's what you do with those hours. Don't work hard just to build a reputation. Do it to get a higher caliber of work done, and to train in and practice the central skills that are required for achievement in your job.

You'll need to make an effort to avoid becoming a one-dimensional workaholic, however. It takes self-discipline to work hard in your job and still find the time to tend to your personal life and family obligations, and keep yourself in good physical shape. But long-term success demands it.

Taking advantage of the technology and mobile communications in your workplace will help. Handle the emails, reading, and writing you don't have time for in the office at home, either early in the morning or at night.

3. Deliver on your commitments.

Become known as someone who can be counted on to successfully complete projects on time and with high quality. This is just as important for small tasks as it is for major projects.

Don't be disappointed if your first job is narrowly defined, and some of your early assignments seem menial. They aren't -- they're opportunities to demonstrate that you can meet your commitments, and when you do, you'll earn trust and confidence.

You'll be surprised at how quickly larger and more significant assignments come your way when you develop a reputation for delivering on commitments.

4. Perform completed staff work.

"Completed staff work" is a concept that means going beyond a basic work assignment to understand why something is needed, how it will be used, and what form it will take once it's completed. This helps avoid delaying a project with incomplete, piecemeal solutions.

For instance, if a sales manager asks you for an analysis of a target client, applying the doctrine of completed staff work results in a finished product that can be shared throughout the department, passed along to upper management, or used directly with the client. Set this as the standard for all your work.

5. Focus on the success of others.

I've written about this principle consistently in my column, but it can't be stated often enough. It's a fail-safe success strategy to make others around you successful, and you'll be successful as a natural result.

Why is this true? The most talented people will want to work with you. You'll become in-demand for the most important projects by the most senior people, and you'll build a network of supporters across the organization who'll be invested in your success. Develop this habit from day one of your career.

But how, you might ask, can I help others be successful if I'm brand new in the job myself? Look for ways to be helpful. Be proactive. Be willing to take on extra or unpopular work. Stay focused on the goals of your boss, your team, and your company, and make their goals your goals.

6. Be a technology mentor.

Today's college graduates have a huge advantage over anyone born before 1980. If you've grown up with digital technology as a normal and integral part of your life, you have the opportunity to bring the tech-phobic senior members of your office into the modern era.

Teach them how to use Facebook, how to upload a video to YouTube, how to organize digital photos on Flickr, how to create a profile on MySpace, or even how to watch reruns of "Gilligan's Island" on TV Links. Even relatively standard activities like creating PowerPoint presentations can benefit from your know-how as a member of the class of 2007.

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89 Comments

Showing comments 6-35 of 89<< PreviousNext >>
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  • Yahoo! Finance User - Saturday, June 30, 2007, 12:30AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Awful! maybe we can add more cliche.... 1. fake it until you make it 2. don't give up 3. if you fall, get right back on the horse gotta love the yahoo experts

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Thursday, June 28, 2007, 8:41PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    I agree with most of the author's points except for number six. I don't think my supervisor would appreciate a Facebook tutoring session.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 27, 2007, 9:09AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Good common sense advise. Item #6 needs to be thought through a little, but the other items are gold and will help new grads, and anyone else, immensely.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Tuesday, June 26, 2007, 10:16AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    C'mon, Playbot enterprises? At least try to pretend you have some integrity and common decency.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Sunday, June 24, 2007, 1:36PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    A lot of this advice seems obvious (e.g., "work hard"). As for "technology mentoring," I agree that the examples are lame, but the advice is sound. Universities are still centers of research and new thought...you may be more familiar with cutting edge research than your colleagues. Use that as a starting point for conversations: "I did a research paper on "X", it seems like it's applicable to how we do "Y." ------------------- I give this article an extra star simply because it offsets the crap spit out by Penelope Trunk this same site (menial work is beneath me and that I shouldn't have to work long hours).

  • msw2001 - Saturday, June 23, 2007, 2:44PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    As a "senior born before 1980," I was astounded that the author thinks that it's okay to instill ageism into the thinking of new grads. Maybe the author forgot who the bosses of these young workers will be.

  • Rod - Saturday, June 23, 2007, 9:57AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    True story; enthusiasm, commitment, integrity, reliability, value added -- that's what we, employers, look for. I liked it!

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Friday, June 22, 2007, 11:42PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Show your boss facebook and myspace? Pull up videos on Youtube? Is this guy nuts

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Friday, June 22, 2007, 4:04PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    i guess this was okay. a fair piece with obvious advice that you can sometimes forget. i'm graduating in another year and a half, so it was an interesting read. however, i thought it was almost patronizing with the attempt to "reach out" to the youth by quoting chistie hefner [omg playboy!!!11] as well as facebook, youtube, myspace and flickr. thats like saying my generation's ability to use these services is our only redeeming quality.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Thursday, June 21, 2007, 2:14AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    To the poster below posting a message at: Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 9:50PM ET and got screwed by his coworker. I think a large part of the reason 'they' betray you is due to your field. Finance is filled with people that are greedy and ready to screw anyone for money. In finance money is the game and obviously it will draw such people.... I do not suggest that everyone in finance is like this, just that you are more likely to meet such people. I work in engineering and never once had a co-worker screw me over in any fashion. In the rare cases things have happened it is due to miscommunication. I agree witht the 'trust no one' though, always keep your ace. However, never screw other people over. Perhaps, it is time to move on to a different field.... Just my opinion. The article posts many excellent posts, and you would be surprised at how many new graduates lack understanding and only have a sense of entitlement. I firmly believe in work hard, but if your hard work does not pay off after a certain time, then it is time to move on.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Thursday, June 21, 2007, 12:39AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    It's easy to notice only good comments. However, saying "good job" doesn't move the conversation forward. It's easy to simply blast away on people who don't like the article. As for me, I hope that companies will eventually see that their policy isn't dogma. And that the new grads will be treated as people who choose to work for the company, rather than slaves.

  • Nikos - Thursday, June 21, 2007, 12:14AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    What does YouTube and FaceBook got to do with TECHNOLOGY?? I can show my grandmother how to upload videos to YouTube but I can't explain to her how TCP/IP works!

  • goeagles - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 11:12PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    When I graduated college Steve Forbes spoke at my commencement and discussed the fact that you need to wrk hard to be successful. In this article Christie Hefner talks about the same things. I have a big problem with both of these people giving advice considering both of their fathers were the ones that worked hard and started their respective companies and handed them over to them. They may work hard to maintain their product but both already had a HUGE leg up.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 10:15PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Obviously the individual writing before me did not follow the first point of this article. "Have a good attitude." If you set yourself up to be the victim that is exactly what you'll be. This was a great article with some very good advice.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 9:50PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    I graduated college three years ago. I've worked extremely hard, I'm in a fortune 500 company, I help everyone around me, and I'm the go-to tech guy in the office. I also have a master's/bachelor's in finance. You know what it's gotten me? I make less than an elementary school teacher while the people I helped all betrayed me and got rich. If I had it to do over again, I'd say trust no one. Screw everyone. Steal other's work and claim it as your own, and always look for a way to betray people without their knowing. Everyone who has done these things to me has become wildly successful, while I'm just a piece of trash on their boot. You're so far from the real world, you can't see that people are fundamentally evil, hateful, conniving and backstabbing. Trust no one. You'll do much better.

  • Cecilia - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 9:05PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Why not write somehting a little more meaningful? Where did you "borrow" these obvious remarks? Of COURSE this is good advice! Now try following your own number 4 !

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 9:01PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    I've hired a lot of people, and promoted and fired people. Seemingly simple concepts 1-5 make a huge difference. #6 -sorry, easy to think you're a whiz 'cause you understand a gizmo.

  • Patrick - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 8:57PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    WOW work hard really what about number seven become a kiss ass

  • Jeff A - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 8:26PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Brilliant Insight.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 8:24PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    I agree with the first 5 guidelines. I have assisted many training classes and coached new employees. Often when we hire a college grad, the new employee comes into work with an egotistic attitude. The first week in the training class he/she is demanding to know how to move up in the company. It does take time. I've seen more demands made by recent grads than people who have worked for the company for 20 years; like you need to adjust my schedule, I need more time... my performance is lacking because I'm still in grad school and have to study... and then they threaten me stating "would the company allow a good employee to leave?" if their demands are not met. Good employee? You have only been here 1 month. Deal with your current job first and stay off the internet during work! This is why the technology mentor is inaccurate. Some good advice would be, your performance counts every day and not just on your exams like in college. You can't just show up late and miss work regardless of your excuses and numerous emergencies. It's all about your team and not just about you. Learn from those who have experience. Learn from some college grads who have been in the work force for several years. Remember the company pays you to work and abide by their rules. I recommend against challenging every policy and procedure with idealistic values and morals until you have at least learned the business and discovered why the rules were made that way. Be friendly and trustworthy to all ages and not just young people. Be successful and then ask for promotions and advancements.

  • WhatAreYouLookingFor - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 8:22PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    This is good advice, but it is common good advice. Nothing special. It is still worth reading though. Good job.

  • brrrrrrrrrrrrr - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 7:35PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    Good plain straight forward advise. Thats the problem people have these days .Its to easy to understand. To all those one and two star people out there who want to be angry and make things complicated I can only assume that they have made bad decisions with theri lives and they need to be generally angry at anyone who is not a LOSER like they are. Heres to all the one star people ( underachievers)

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 6:44PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    absolutely excellent advice .... no doubt the exact opposite of what Penelope Trunk would advise ... ha ! .... and for you under-30 crowd who are whining about having to work hard and earn your place ... tough sh*t !!!

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 6:28PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Made me angry to read this. Made me angrier to see that others thought so highly of this it. To those who gave it five stars: While it might be solid and good advice for young people that too often forget these simple truths, the problem then lies with today's youth. The fact that many neophytes may ignore these pieces of advice does NOT mean that this is a well written article. Bottom line: Even if the six guidelines were correct, anyone could have written the explanations. The writing is prosaic and Mr. Citrin has weak support with pointers coming from such figures as Christie Hefner who inherited her wealth and "success."

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 6:23PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    Nothing here that hasn't been good advice for a long time. I do object strongly with the advice on HOW to be a technology tutor though. FaceBook, Utube and all of the other wastes of a narcissus’s time don't cut it in a competitive workplace. Excel, Access, or other WORK related software/technology skills are where value is added, not subtracted.

  • Mr. Main Event - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 6:21PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    Everything in the article is absolutely correct. However, the author fails to mention that employers usually don't trust their newly hired employees and, as a result, they will monitor every single move that their new recruits make. So, make sure that everything you do is within company policy, ethical, legal, and will not make your boss look bad - even if you are right and your boss is wrong. Don't try to be a maverick or a superstar. Some of us had to learn this the hard way. ;-) http://www.FinancialSuccessSolutions.com

  • C - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 5:46PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    The article can be summed up as; Maintain a Positive Attitude, work hard, deliver on your commitments, perform completed staff work, focus on the success of others, be a technology mentor. He must have just filled in the rest because he had a word limit or something.

  • Eugene - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 5:07PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    these comments are good advice in any era. but what I like is the stress on the availability of today's technological tools which I did not have but my daughters do.

  • Scott - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 4:57PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Wisdom only truly understands wisdom. This article is knowledge from wisdom. Use this knowledge, believe it, apply it, and you too shall find the wisdom. Love the 1 star rating comments that are so short sighted and narrow minded... you all look and sound like imbeciles, lol! Some of this I knew and some of it I discovered on my own over the years. However, make no mistake, it's all very good information that you can and should put to work for your own sake. An article like this isn't designed to tell you something that you don't know, it's to draw your attention to the most important foci of developing a successful career. To avoid posting a 1 star comment that makes you sound like a fool, remove your head from your rear end first, then type, lol.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 4:26PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    As a hiring manager of grads in interns the only thing I think they should focus on can be summarized as "Just do your freakin job". Anyone who uses corporate time and systems to go on to facebook or YouTube WILL be fired, trust me, as we look at EVERYTHING people do with there computers.

Showing comments 6-35 of 89<< PreviousNext >>
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