5 Things You Should Know When You Start Your First Job (That No One Will Tell You)

Those who know me know that one of the things I’m passionate about is helping young people get their careers started – a daunting goal these days. I’ve written and spoken a lot about job-hunting and networking, and I’ll continue to do that.

But today, I’d like to take a different tack and share some tips that may help those of you who are starting a first job or internship.

This topic is fresh on my mind because we have two interns on board this summer, and we’re going to great pains to help them learn some of the unwritten rules of the business world.

So, in no particular order and with the caveat that this is but a beginning of what could be a long list, here are five tips for conduct  in the workplace that no one is likely to tell you, but which could have an impact on how you are perceived.

1.  Always put your name badge on the right side of your body. The reason for this is pure practicality – as you shake hands, your gaze naturally moves right up the other person’s right arm and lands, logically, on the name tag.

 2.  Always use your name when you are meeting or re-meeting someone. Unless you know the other person very well, or are absolutely certain that they know your name, do everyone a favor and remind them who you are. “Bob, Susan James from the Marketing Department. You and I met at the investor conference last month.” Many folks will act as if you are stating the obvious. But trust me on this: they will also be incredibly grateful that you saved them from trying to retrieve a name or avoid an awkward moment.

If you practice this regularly, you will get a reputation for being an easy and pleasant person to talk to. Whatever you do, don’t make the rookie mistake of simply shaking hands when someone says, “You two have met, haven’t you?” Take that as an invitation to state your name and affiliation. And if the other person doesn’t pick up the cue (and a shocking number of folks will not), don’t be afraid to say, “Remind me of your name again,” or, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.” Many people are surprisingly weak at this part of networking. If you take the lead in introducing yourself and asking others for their names, you’ll develop a reputation as a great networker.

3.  Don’t take your seat at a conference table until you see where others are sitting. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen interns or junior associates take the “power seat” at a conference table (typically the head of the table or the center) without even realizing it. Wait until the most senior folks have seated themselves, unless you are running the meeting, in which case you will want to grab a prominent seat. Better yet, ask your manager where she suggests you sit. Even if she hasn’t given it two seconds of thought, she’ll probably be impressed that you were sensitive enough to ask.

4.  If someone summons you to their office, never, ever, ever arrive without a pad of paper and a writing instrument. Even if all they want to do is ask you what you thought of last night’s Phillies game, you’ll make a good impression by looking prepared. And if they do have an assignment to hand you, you won’t have to put everything on hold to go back and grab a notebook.

5.  Before you go to any meeting, find out what your role should be. Ask your manager or mentor what role he envisions for you at an upcoming meeting. Are you there to listen? Absorb? Take notes? Should you speak? Stay silent? Your boss may not have given this any thought, but he’ll probably be impressed that you have. I had a young employee once who was very concerned about making a good impression at a first meeting with a client. When he asked my advice on how to comport himself at the meeting, I responded: “Feel free to ask a question, if it’s a good one. But don’t feel compelled to speak if you don’t have anything intelligent to add.” He did ask a question – and it was a good one. He made a favorable impression on our client, and on me, his manager.

There are five tips to get you started. I plan to add to this list regularly. What would you suggest a new employee pay attention to in her first job?