How To Stand Out As A New Employee, Tips For Fresh Grad

After earning your degree, you will probably look for a job. And when you do, there are certain things that can help you stand out. If you don’t have an idea of what you need to do, then here are a few tips we’ve gathered from real professionals. That way, you would be able to showcase your talents. And who knows if you’d get that promotion sooner than you thought?  

Show Genuine Respect To Everyone  

First of all, you need to be respectful of everyone. Regardless of the position, you must treat everyone the same way. Make sure to be polite and greet them as necessary.  

Just in case there are new ideas from other team members that you think will not work, don’t butt in as if you know everything. Instead, listen to them, list down important notes where you feel improvements have to be made, and wait for the perfect timing to give your recommendations.  

Attend Meetings  

If you are a new employee, you should learn as much as you can about the company. And you shouldn’t confine yourself to your department. If your company will allow, attend meetings of other departments so you can have an idea of your full operations. This can be your advantage in the future.  

Of course, we are not saying that you have to know everything. But scratching the surface could definitely help. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions  

Remember this. There are no stupid questions. If you want to know something, then ask your team members or your superior. However, always observe if they are busy to accommodate your concerns. Perhaps, you can set a time with them and send your list inquiries in advance. That way, they could prepare, and you will get the best response.  

Don’t just go to their office whenever you want to. While your passion to learn more is impressive, know that they are busy with other tasks as well.   

Be Empathic  

You need to practice empathy now that you are going to work with different people. You see, different employees will have different personalities. You must know how to work with them and adjust your behavior accordingly. Of course, you must also set limitations. If they are already abusive, then that’s a different story.  

In a nutshell, make sure to check your emotional intelligence. How well do you work with other people?  If you think you need improvement, there are trainings specifically for this. 

You Are Open To Learn New More Things  

If you want to become an employee who will stand out from the rest, you must have an open mind. You must welcome new learnings and ideas.  

While you might think that the ways of the older generations are quite irrelevant and too primitive, you can also learn from those. Some of the best ideas could come from there. So if you know a seasoned employee that could mentor you, don’t be afraid to reach out to them.  

Improve Your Time Management Skills  

Even if you are the smartest employee around, if you can’t submit your reports on time, it would be useless. Those who know how to manage their time have leverage. If you are a new employee, you can use tools and techniques that can help you finish tasks.  

One of our favorites is the Pomodoro technique. It’s where you hyper-focus on your task and give yourself a break for a few minutes. Likewise, if your company doesn’t have a project management tool, you can use Trello or Basecamp to keep track of your deliverables.  

Have Your Own Side Project  

Apart from your core tasks at work, you need to look for side projects. Maybe you can initiate clubs in your company. How about a fitness group or a book club? This can show your leadership and how you can organize things. Plus, your superiors will be impressed that you know how to balance a variety of things.  

Never Be An Order Taker  

When a task is provided to you, don’t just accept it and work on it right away. The best approach is to understand the entirety of things. What is the project for? What are you trying to aim? How can it help the company? That way, you can provide solutions, if you think there are better ones.