{"id":38451,"date":"2018-08-07T15:02:06","date_gmt":"2018-08-07T15:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=415056"},"modified":"2018-08-07T15:02:06","modified_gmt":"2018-08-07T15:02:06","slug":"youve-got-the-job-now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2018\/08\/07\/youve-got-the-job-now-what\/","title":{"rendered":"You\u2019ve got the job, now what?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Building your career is a journey filled with challenges, excitement, and forks in the road. And journeys are easier with maps. In this column, job experts answer your questions and deliver advice to help you take the next step.<\/em><\/p>\n

Question:<\/strong> I landed an exciting job. Now that I\u2019m settling in, I don\u2019t want to lose my momentum. What should I do to keep my career moving in a positive direction?<\/p>\n

Answer:<\/strong> You\u2019re right\u2014your career is a moving target, so it\u2019s a good idea to be open and willing to develop yourself for what lies ahead. Whether you\u2019re new to the workforce or have been with a company for years, one role probably won\u2019t be the end of your journey.<\/p>\n

Microsoft recruiter Heidi Landex Grotkopp believes that developing your career can be an illuminating trip into self-discovery, skill development, and building strong relationships. Here are some of her top recommendations for staying sharp and ready for what\u2019s next, whenever it might come.<\/p>\n

Give yourself time to settle in<\/h2>\n

It can take about a year to get fully ramped up in any role, Landex pointed out. Before you begin to set your sights on the next gig, give yourself time to get to know your work. Spend time with your peers and managers to learn more about the business, the expectations, and the customers.<\/p>\n

As you build relationships in your role, ask for periodic check-ins\u2014with managers as well as with peers\u2014to ensure that you are on track with agreed-upon expectations or areas of improvement. This tactic helps you build a rapport, while gaining visibility within your team and organization.<\/p>\n

Landex said that your ramp-up is the perfect window to gain insight from others\u2014and yourself. In this ongoing process, consider what you\u2019re doing in your work and how you\u2019re doing it. This will help you notice how you are evolving in your role, reflect on challenges you have taken on, and figure out how to keep growing, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk yourself, if I had been a bit bolder, what would I have done differently?\u201d said Landex.<\/p>\n

Fill in your skill gaps<\/h2>\n

As you continue to gauge your strong suits and identify areas of development, focus on your strengths, but don\u2019t be afraid to know and publicly acknowledge your areas of opportunity. Those may be the very areas that could lead you into something new and exciting, something unexpected.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say you don\u2019t have a specific skillset or it doesn\u2019t come naturally to you, but you love 90 percent of the rest of your job. You might be in the right role, and you should get mentoring and training to \u2018skill you up\u2019 on the 10 percent that you are concerned about,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Go to your manager and have a conversation about the identified gap. Landex suggested communicating about your growth area but that you know it\u2019s a skill you can improve. Then lay out a plan to execute that: a training, a long-term class, or help from a mentor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour manager should be able to help you identify someone in the organization that would be a great help,\u201d she said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be a local mentor. It could be someone in a different job or different location than you. The idea is to find someone who you can shadow a bit, in person or virtually, and ask questions about how you can improve within your specific scenarios.\u201d<\/p>\n

And remember, Landex said, \u201cYou might not be the strongest in a skill, but never look in a mirror and think you\u2019re not good enough.\u201d Everyone can improve once they set their target.<\/p>\n

Build connections beyond your role<\/h2>\n

Landex also believes employees should seek a sponsor or champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cA sponsor is not a mentor but someone who can help you in your next career step,\u201d she explained. \u201cLet\u2019s say you don\u2019t have all the right skills or the right technology, but you have the right effort and capabilities to get there. With the right sponsor, they will help you connect with the right people and opportunities to get you to the next stage of your career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be your best data keeper<\/h2>\n

Having a record of your career path can be surprisingly insightful. Landex said she does this in two ways: by documenting her accomplishments, and by asking colleagues to share their feedback about her.<\/p>\n

The personal document is just for you. \u201cIt can be 10 pages or no limit,\u201d she said. \u201cPut in all the different roles you\u2019ve had. Write in your achievements and how you managed. Keep it chronicled and make note of what\u2019s relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then revisit it about once a year or as your accomplishments happen. Continue to think about how your direction changes, and adjust your entries to showcase relevant details.<\/p>\n

This personal document is a great way for you notice trends in your accomplishments and pinpoint new, in-demand skillsets that you\u2019ve obtained. Also, by calling out how you got there, you\u2019re making note of your way of thinking through a problem or project.<\/p>\n

Landex also suggests collecting unsolicited feedback. Whether it\u2019s a kind note from your manager about a project you rocked or an appreciative hallway chat with a peer about your work ethic, save it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually capture my feedback on LinkedIn,\u201d said Landex who feels the Recommendations section of the platform is an underutilized tool. \u201cWhen I get good feedback from someone other than my manager, I ask the person if they could share their feedback as a recommendation on LinkedIn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Understand that your career is evolutionary<\/h2>\n

With every great role, you\u2019ll find great lessons and potential successes. By chronicling your experience, expanding your connections, and showcasing your well-earned accolades, you are setting a solid foundation to nurture your career development.<\/p>\n

Never treat a new role as the \u201cend all, be all.\u201d It\u2019s simply a milestone of your career evolution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Building your career is a journey filled with challenges, excitement, and forks in the road. And journeys are easier with maps. In this column, job experts answer your questions and deliver advice to help you take the next step. Question: I landed an exciting job. Now that I\u2019m settling in, I don\u2019t want to lose […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[134,50],"class_list":["post-38451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-microsoft-news","tag-microsoft-life","tag-recent-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38451\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}