Colman Collins is the author of HOW TO SUCCEED IN YOUR FIRST JOB. Colman wrote this book to help recently qualifi ed graduates to navigate their way successfully from the world of college to the world of work. The book is based on his forty years experience, initially as a HR Director with two blue chip multinationals including Nortel Networks here in Galway and more recently as the owner and CEO of Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group, which also has an office in Galway.
This book is available in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Kenny’s Bookshop, University College Galway Bookshop and online through buythebook.ie and amazon.
This is the second article in a series of eight based on Colman’s book.
This week’s topic is: Learn to listen attentively
Do this from day one as it will be an essential attribute for all of your professional life
I am highlighting this point because I have seen many graduates feeling that college was all about listening but that work is all about doing. Work is obviously about doing but only when your boss decides you are ready to make a contribution. That will take some time as you have to learn to build on your degree which is only the foundation for your career.
Listen attentively during your induction programme
Some graduates make the mistake of wanting to complete their induction programme as quickly as possible so that they can start displaying their skills and knowledge to their boss and to their colleagues. While this attitude is commendable it is a mistake not to give your full attention to the induction programme. Remember these programmes have been fined tuned over many years to ensure that graduates are given knowledge in the most effective and efficient way possible.
Listen, really listen
You may be surprised I am highlighting this but I would go as far as ranking this in my top three pieces of advice for any graduate. Listening is hard work especially when as a new employee you are trying to assimilate a lot of new information in the early stages of your career. As the saying goes we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason!!
Concentrate
This intense listening is hard work and requires much concentration. This ability to concentrate is something you will have learned in college but your first few months at work will require even greater levels of concentration that you were used to and that concentrationwill be required over the full duration of the working day.
Accept if you experience frustration
It may be frustrating for you as you begin to realise just how little you know and how much you have to learn. You need to accept this but also to recognise that all of your more experienced work colleagues had to undergo this intense learning process when they fi rsttransitioned into the world of work.
Understand why certain processes were put in place in the first instance before trying to change them
This means asking questions before rushing off to recommend some changes which may not be an improvement and which might, if implemented, actually make the process worse!!
Be Patient
Be like a sponge and absorb everything as you slowly build up an understanding of your role, your department, other departments and the company as a whole. Accept and recognise how much you have to absorb and the time involved before you are ready to make a significant impact.
Look on your first three months as a period of intense learning
This is the time you start to build the foundation of your career on top of the foundationof your college education. If you look at things in this way I am confident you will have the right attitude to prepare you for your working life. In developing this approach you will hopefully avoid making many the typical errors that newgraduates made before you.
Note: That is why I wrote this book i.e. so that you can avoid making the many avoidable and painful mistakes that I and generations of others have made before you.
Colman Collins
