5 Things To Do If You’re a Summer Intern or New Employee
When students and newly-minted graduates enter the workforce now, they are confronted with many facets of work life that look quite different from just a few years ago. Assumed you were going to be commuting to work in an office? Figured you would get to know your colleagues through daily in-person meetings and catch-ups in the hallway? Thought you might be able to negotiate your start date/salary/title? Get ready to adjust some of your expectations, and to consider how you may need to adapt to some new ways of working. A few thoughts to get you started:
Get prepared before your first day
If you’re beginning your new job in-person at the office, make sure you know how to get there and allow enough time for travel. With changes in locations, traffic and commuting options, you’ll want to confirm your plans so that you show up on time and in the right place. Office attire may also have changed, including due to summer-casual policies or just the overall relaxation of suit-and-tie dress codes over the last few years. Don’t assume that it’s okay to wear jeans or that it’s mandatory that you have a jacket on. Call your hiring contact or HR office to verify what you need to keep in mind for appropriate clothing.
If you’re given a list of fellow new joiners or interns, or existing employees that will be helping to get you started, look at their LinkedIn profiles or other biographical information. It can help to start putting names and faces together so you recognize them when you begin in your new role. In addition, getting caught up on news about the company you will be working for, both through media outlets and on the organization’s website, can help you stay abreast of developments so you’re aware of any major changes or updates.
Work hard to connect with your colleagues
Starting in a new role at certain times of the years, including around summer holidays and vacations, can mean that usual working patterns are disrupted. The team lead to whom you are assigned may be working largely remote or the partner you’ve wanted to meet may only be in the office a day or two each week. And some of those absences may persist on a regular basis as hybrid work especially has become the norm now in most professional services environments. That makes it all the more important to make efforts to get to know people beyond phone calls, emails and videoconferences.
Seek out ways to engage one-to-one and in small groups with colleagues. Long lunches and regular happy hours may not be the usual practice anymore, but you can work to try to get on someone’s calendar for an in-person coffee. Attend other events in the office as well when you’re starting in your new job. Even if the presentation or other purpose of the meeting isn’t your first choice, it can be an opportunity to meet others in the office and get to know people you might not otherwise interact with as much. Make a point as well to introduce yourself to someone that you don’t know when you do see them in the office
Learn how you can add value
Artificial intelligence (AI), pricing and expense pressures, and other transformations in the professional services industry are changing how all professionals are expected to contribute and grow value for their firms. Even as a junior colleague, you should be looking for ways that you can demonstrate knowledge and awareness that help the organization advance and improve its services and delivery. Leveraging particular skills and capabilities - e.g., project management, software/applications proficiency, and customer relations management -- can help you be seen as a key player in solving problems or addressing challenges. Think as well about ways that you can develop subject matter knowledge in an area that is in need of more experts, and in demand by your company or industry.
In addition, don’t underestimate your network, even if you are newer to the workforce and many of your contacts consist of university friends or other social acquaintances. Spending time with people not only in your industry but also those outside your immediate work circle can give you a different perspective and add value. For example, an engineer can spark an idea for you about how to change a process in your law firm to make it more efficient. Or a reporter’s interview skills can inspire you to think about more ways to frame questions so that you get the information you need to execute on a client research project. You’re also growing a network that helps you be more informed generally about the broader world in which you are working, and how change may be impacting you now or in the future.
Look out not only for the right experiences, but also for the right people
Not all of our first job assignments, or even our first jobs, turn out to be the greatest ones in our careers. Perhaps the subject matter may not be our first choice, or the work turns out to be less interesting than we expected. One of my first jobs was working for an organization that I didn’t know much about before I joined, and I wasn’t sure that my background was a great fit for a long-term role there. But when I interviewed for the position, I spoke at length with several of the people with whom I would be working closely. After learning more about them, they struck me as collegial, smart, and interested in finding ways for me to learn alongside them. Some of the work we did together was incredibly motivating, and some of it was at times tedious and frustrating, but I appreciated being part of a team that I respected and enjoyed. I also learned a lot about how to navigate and direct my own career, including when I was in a position to handle work more independently, advocate for increased responsibility, and manage my own teams.
Identifying people from whom you can learn and grow early in your career is critical. The type of work you do is important, of course, but working alongside colleagues who can mentor, educate and guide you as you build your work life matters even more. Look for the people that can assist you on that path, and take the opportunity to work with them, even when it may seem a new or unfamiliar area of work for you.
Be flexible
Today’s working environments can be challenging for newer employees. The job you were hired for may not be the one in which you are working a few months’ or a few years’ time. With economic uncertainty come changes that you might not have expected. Companies may decide not to hire all their interns, or to defer their incoming classes of newly minted professionals. They may also decide to change how bonuses are awarded, and when they are paid. And if one area in your organization is slowing in demand, it may be time to consider whether to switch to one that provides a better platform for work and revenue.
The willingness to be flexible, and pivot when necessary, can not only help to achieve your goals, but sometimes also ensure you don’t get derailed from them. A junior associate at a large global law firm recently shared with me that they had to do just that, when they began their career during COVID. Just out of law school, the associate was assigned to a corporate practice group where they believed they would thrive. After having little contact with their colleagues for nearly a year, except on videoconferences, and watching the group’s business dwindle as key rainmakers departed for other firms, the associate switched to another group. They recognized the work it would take to integrate into a new team but also saw that the work was in a related area of corporate work that also interested them. The move further allowed the associate to continue working at a firm that they enjoyed due to the broader relationships developed outside their original practice area.
As you launch into your professional life, keep sight of the things that matter to you. Aim for your first days on the job to position you well both for the goals you have now and the goals you will move towards in the future.
**********
If you’re looking for ways to move forward in your career advancement and development, please reach out to me to discuss how I can assist. Contact Laura