4 Things to do before your first day of work the next day

It is the night before your first day of work at your new workplace the next day. You are going to sleep with much anticipation, and you figure whether on is there anything you have not yet prepared.

These are the things you should have done before starting work the next day.

WEAR SOMETHING YOU ARE CONFIDENT IN

You do not have to go on a shopping frenzy and purchase a new outfit to feel good the very next day. That is not the correct approach. You are going to be overwhelmed with many new things the very next day so what you need to have is something you are comfortable, yet confident in.

You would not want to wear new shoes, and limp because of the blisters on your second day. Prepare this chosen special outfit the night before so you would not be rushing off the next morning.

DO NOT PACK YOUR LUNCH

Your first day of work is likely going to be you meeting your new colleagues for the very first time. This lunch is crucial, and you would not want to be a wet blanket by informing your new colleagues that you have already packed lunch and you would give socializing with them a miss. It either shows to them you have no interest in knowing them, or you are sitting in a high and mighty place.

THINK ABOUT YOUR CONVERSATION STARTERS

You should start considering what has been interesting in your life lately that you might want to share, or try to understand what do you think your colleagues would be interested in. Think of how to engage or have enjoyable conversation starters – whether is it your favourite drama, or recent happenings.

BE SUPER EARLY

When you are the first in office, you can see fresh faces who are coming into work. These are the people that you will likely going to be working with. It also gives a very good impression to your boss that you are ready to go beyond what is expected.

Imagine rushing to work on your very first day, and all your new colleagues would get to see you panic with a head full of perspiration. You should be totally calm on your first day of work to land the great impression.

REMEMBER WHY YOU ACCEPTED THE ROLE

To constantly remind yourself when the going got tough. Remember the steep learning curve ahead of you, and constantly remind yourself that everyone must start from somewhere. Scribble this down in your notebook on your first day of work and get ready for the ride!

Encountering challenges on your first day of your role?

Have you just recently started work and swarmed with deadlines and challenges. You start to question about what have you really got yourself into and start to have many self-doubts in yourself before convincing you are a wrong hire.

Personally, you tell yourself you should have never applied for this job or feel you are underqualified for this role. Every day, you drag yourself to work although you feel uncomfortable and seem to have lost your purpose.

It is then time to think of the following:

THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVED IN YOU

Your hiring manager. Your hiring manager saw something you could bring to the team and was convinced you are the right fit for the job, in comparison to others. Unless you have conducted resume fraud, or fluffed your past working experience – then your hiring manager is usually right.

The entire hiring process takes a while, which includes candidate screening, multiple interviews before finally deciding on you. It is important that you should not be expected to perform the moment you step into office. Everyone requires some time to adjust to the unfamiliar environment and responsibilities.

Your hiring manager may have hired you not because of your skill set, but because of your willingness to learn and saw the potential in you.

CHANGE YOUR MINDSET

When you feel like this is not the right fit for you, you are merely focusing on the negative. You start thinking of the quick exit – which is the easiest path, but it is not the sustainable path. Your negativity will overwhelm your thoughts when you should really be considering on how to overcome these obstacles and how should you be able to start performing.

Remember that being uncomfortable will only push you to acquire new skills and develop new competencies – something which only people with progress will have.

Do you need to have what it takes before you submit a job application?

There are many times when you would consider before submitting a job application. However, along the process of uploading your resumes and filling in your personal, one  would usually consider and start being hesitant. One would to start to wonder that by putting in so much effort into this job application would it really lead to the ideal job.

These are the following tips to remind yourself when applying for a job although you might feel that your experience and education do not qualify. We are usually our biggest critique and would usually feel less qualified for the roles we are applying for. In fact, if you have four of these traits – you have everything to offer.

PASSION

So many times, we consider so much of qualifications and experience, but we forget about passion. It should be prioritized about the qualifications because a passionate individual would go the distance to really attain and learn to eventually be qualified for the role. Passionate individuals would also definitely be able to stay long in the role in comparison to a non-passionate but qualified individual.

So many people are lacking passion in what they do these days, and it is indeed something very unique. If you hire someone with passion, you will likely see how the passionate person can influence others to be passionate about what they do.

You express your passion by writing in your cover letters, together along with your resume.

FRESH PERSPECTIVES

Hiring someone who have done it repeatedly would also mean the Company is in status-quo. How is the company going to bring in fresh ideas and ways of doing things? One of the ways is by hiring someone who have no experience and you could be the breath of fresh air into ways of doing things in the Company.

People are usually people of habits and would never bother to discover ways to improve the process and hiring someone without any experience could be way you could be bringing value to the Company.

How do you convert your internship into a full-time job?

Internships are there for a reason – It is for you to have a glimpse into the work force, so you would be able to apply your theory to practise. However, it is also a good chance for you to prove to your future employer you can value add into this Company.

Being in the competitive market at the very moment, you would want to ensure you get a job as soon as you graduate but how do you compete with the number of people who have more experience compared to you?  You open your doors by allowing a conversion from your title into an intern to a full-time role.

Here are tips on how to do it:

BE PUNCTUAL

To put in simply, no one would want to hire late comers. It just shows that you take no pride in your work, and you are taking this opportunity for granted. It ultimately shows your lack of discipline as well.

Being punctual shows, you are responsible, and you care ENOUGH to be on time.

TAKE INITIATIVE

Do not just do what is expected or what is defined by your responsibilities at work. It works both ways because as an intern, you get to learn from the role as well. Objective of internships is to ensure interns get a glimpse into the workforce, but it can also be because it is based on a short-term project assignment the company have. For an employer to want to convert you into a full-time role, you must show you have what it takes.

This means that you should do something, no matter how insignificant the tasks. If you have completed your assignments on hand, see how you are able to help the others.

BE COMPETENT

Check your work to ensure you have completed the tasks well and understand how your work is able to value add your colleagues. It will be good to understand how your work process is like, so you do not just think your role is a standalone role as well.  Ensure you complete your work on time as well and do not submit when it is way past the deadline.

BE LESS DISTRACTED

It is optimal if you fidget less on your phone during work hours for personal reasons. This shows your work focus as well as commitment, as well as it shows you are grateful for this employment. Imagine using the office phone for your own personal reasons or always being constantly on WhatsApp entire day. You have

Mistakes to avoid making on your first day of work

You have just recently changed your employment with another Company. The day before you commence your work, you would get the butterflies and anxiety wondering how your first day of work will be.

You ask yourself if you should just be yourself, or should you be friendly. You pause and then think to yourself what if they think I am overly-friendly? Would they have their own usual lunch gang? You start to worry.

Here are the following tips to making your first impression at work

ASK QUESTIONS

You’ll likely be asking your new colleagues about questions at work instead of their own personal life on your very first day. This would be the most interaction that you would have with your new colleagues. It is most definitely all right to ask questions as jargons could be overwhelming an intimidating. If you are concerned that it will make you look stupid, then you will really end up being stupid because even the most experienced people ask questions – which shows you are curious enough to learn.

Secondly, do not even apologize for asking questions. It will just appear very negative to your colleagues. Instead, you can thank them for their time. This will allow you to start on a good start with your new colleagues for appreciating them.

BEING SITUATIONALLY READY

If you feel you are still too shy to ask too much questions, or if you feel that your colleagues or managers are always unavailable because of their tight schedules, you can ask them to divert you to someone who is more readily available to share information with you, or resources. Therefore, onboarding process is crucial for new hires.

ATTENTION YOUR EMAILS ONLY TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM

One of the most annoying thing is clearing emails, obviously. One email do not have to be copied to everyone. Generally, your emails should only be send to someone who you are expecting a response from. The others in copy of the email are basically kept in the loop but need not respond.

If you are replying emails, keep it short but not too short. You do not need to type paragraphs to convey a message across, but it need not just be “noted” as well. Take your time to understand how your email can value add your colleague’s time.

FORGETTING PEOPLE’S NAME

It is perfectly all right if it’s your first day and you forget people’s name. It will not be all right if it is after a week. Secondly, if people correct you with regards how to address them – it will be good to have an apology although you might be embarrassed. People will appreciate that.

PRETENDING TO KNOW YOU KNOW A LOT AND PROVE YOUR OVER CAPABILITY

If you are tasked to do an assignment, it is all right to ask for guidance. What bothers is when you agree to complete to do the tasks, but has clearly taken the wrong direction to complete the tasks. That will be a waste of everyone’s time.

If you share that you are unsure of how to complete the tasks, it shows you are courageous, honest and able to identify your personal strengths. It is also important you understand your flow of work and understand how your work can affect your colleague’s deliverables as well. It is fundamental for you to understand the rationale and the roots of why you are doing what you are doing.

If you are overloaded, talk to your boss about it and assist them to help you prioritize what is more important to complete. Making mistakes and knowing your limitations will help your colleagues respect you better. If you have made a mistake, it is important you acknowledge it rather than hide from your mistakes. Acknowledge the mistake and keep moving forward.

Leaving the Military to pursue a Civilian Job

Every day, we see people leaving the military to pursue a civilian role. These people come with a very niche skillset and based on that, will be worried that the transition to a civilian role is going to be a challenging start. Here is how you’re going to stand out from the crowd.

REMEMBER YOUR WORTH

There are still companies who are keen on the look-out for people who have served the country for awhile. Good starting point would be finding the list of companies who are on the lookout for you.  There are still companies who value military veterans for your service, as well as your long-standing career in the military.

In the process, you should consider your value. Consider what are the skills you have learnt in the military and how these skills would be required in the civilian roles. For instance, if you have been serving in the police force for quite a while, you should be the most suitable candidate for any positions or managerial positions in the security industry. The skills down here do not just refer to technical skills, but also your soft skills as well.

SEEK HELP

If you are having challenges securing an employment, you can always consider getting a mentor. The best person would likely be someone whom have walked your path before and is having a successful civilian career now. Alternatively, you can also get someone whom you are reporting to in your military to write you a very good reference letter. A good reference letter most definitely will not hurt in your pursuit of seeking a role elsewhere.

BE RECEPTIVE

It is important to continuously equip new skills, and show to your future employers you are taking the initiative to learn and progress individually. This would help you land a better impression to your future employers who might have a concern that you may not adapt well to the civilian lifestyle. In addition, be ready to negotiate and start from scratch in the civilian workforce, like the rest to have more exposure.

Interview Questions invading personal space

While most candidates walk into an interview expecting to be asked to ask questions like "give a brief description of yourself", "tell me about your weak and strong points", or "why do you think you should be hired for this position", but most of the time an interview is more about that.

Interviewer might ask awkward questions during the interview that could have made interviewees uncomfortable. These questions mostly revolve around one's personal life and could be seemed as unrelated to the position that they are applying for.

Candidates often feels discomfort when being asked these questions due to the tone that the interviewer might have sound offensive or they are being caught off guard thinking that these questions are irrelevant to the interview.

Companies are now hiring employees not only based on their education level, they are looking for someone to join their company and is able to commit and perform together with the company on a long-term basis. By asking about questions that are out of the norm would allow the interviewer to understand where the candidate is coming from and whether they are fit for the position even better.

Questions like these can range from those related to your family status, religion, lifestyle to even personal habits.

Studies show that most candidates (40%) choose to answer the questions in a sensitive and tactful way. About 30 percent choose not to answer such questions, 20 percent gave their honest respond towards the questions, and the remaining 10 percent just walked out of the interview without responding. 

Candidates are encouraged to respond in a polite way indirectly, for example if being asked about whether there are plans of expanding your family, you can reply politely by saying "not anytime soon".

So, for candidates who are preparing to go for an interview, they should not resist answering questions that might be awkward to them. There is always a reason to the questions that is being asked by the HR, instead of being caught off guard when being question, take some time to prepare yourself for these questions on top of the norms.

Creating a learning culture

As the Chinese proverb states, "Learn till old, live till old", no matter how old one is, there is always more learning or studying left to do.

Corporate Executives are empathizing on the ability an employee is to adapt in the rapid development in the current workforce. Employees on the other hand, are continuously trying to learn and grow while being on a job. The opportunity for training and development has become one of the most popular benefits that candidates are looking at when looking for a job.

Research shows that as technology advances, approximately half of the jobs available in the market will be automated, thus emphasizing the importance of employee's learning to keep up with the advancement. 

Even though organizations understand the concept of encouraging constant learning, but it's often the execution part that is tedious. In order for companies to create an effective learning environment, one can consider taking these few steps below.

Skills VS Conduct

Skill is usually teachable to individuals be it online or offline and could be assessed later. This can be done by conducting lessons or workshops to teach employees with the skill required and conducting a test after to measure their level of understanding.

Whereas conduct which means how one should react when faced a situation, which is difficult to be taught as it everyone already have different approach when dealing with different situations. Instead of commanding your employees to behave in a certain manner, one can emphasis on the importance of why the behavior should be implemented.

It's about the Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs)

In order for learning to positively influence the culture, organizations should encourage employees to improve on their Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.

Different individuals take different duration to adapt to absorb the new skill that they are impart with, it will definitely take some time to put the skill to action. After employees managed to incorporate the skills they learnt, it will eventually become their habit to act in the way that was being taught.

Be encouraging

Managers should take lead and show others that they understand how the learning culture operates and why it is being implemented. Top executive should make sure that the objectives of learning are synced with the business goals and encourage employees not to be afraid when faced with failure as it would just be a part of learning and growing with the company.

Communicate

Each individual in the company should be reassured that the value of learning is not only beneficial to the organization but also to themselves as well.

By putting up posters or sending notices to employees might not be the best way to convey the message to them, HR department should actively engage employees to share about the philosophy about learning and encourage more opportunities to grow.

Customize your platforms

Currently there are many learning materials available that can be bought off-the-shelf to be used for in-house training. They might be good enough for a basic training but there is no such thing as one size fits all, in order to make sure that it is suitable for your organization, they can be customized to meet your company's needs.

Take time for feedback

Feedback might be deemed as tedious, but it not only determines the effect of training held, it also provides information of how you can keep the management up-to-date. In the long run, such feedback would allow you to be able to measure the amount of impact of different aspects of the business on top of just the knowledge and performance.

Experiment with what you have

If the turn up rate of a certain workshop is not what you expected, review to check if the topics are relevant or take a different approach.

If the approach of doing the workshop offsite is not showing results, try doing an in-house workshop. Let your employees choose a way that fits them best.

Organizations need to deduce on the most effective way to convey the new knowledge. There must always be a balance to learning as well, do not flood all the workshops at once, take your time and enjoy the journey while trying to change the culture.