If you would like personalized assistance, please contact the CDC for an individual appointment, or stop by during drop-in hours Monday through Friday between 2 P.M. and 4 P.M.
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Alumni: Planning a Successful Career
Becoming Successful in Your New Job
- Identify the decision-makers and approach one as a possible mentor.
- Learn the organization's culture.
- Learn about your position by reviewing previous employee's memos, files, etc.
- Meet your colleagues and remember that your support/administrative staff are crucial members of your team.
- If you don't know, ask.
- Thank people for their assistance.
- Keep up with current news, especially that which effects your organization.
- As you become acclimated to your position, seek new and diverse responsibilities.
- Do more than the minimum, and let your supervisor know that you aspire to move up in the organization.
- Refrain from gossip; you could hurt yourself and others.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate.
- Keep your sense of humor.
Should You Switch Jobs, or Stay Put?
Preparing for Change
The job market can be unpredictable. Always be prepared to take advantage of new opportunities and manage change.
In an Interview with John Challenger on MN Public Television's "Right on the Money", John Challenger, author of Managing Job Loss, recommends:
- Take advantage of tuition reimbursement programs, " If you can take advantage of that while you’re at your current company and you have the time to do it, certainly that will benefit your potential job change. "
- "Join associations, industry associations, professional associations. Keep
out there in your community because that will help you if you do make a job change. If you can build a network and keep it strong through being involved in various communities, that is very beneficial to the search."
- Be prepared financially, "We recommend that everybody keep about six months of pay savings for a job change so that you don’t find yourself without severance, unable to make that transition, and that puts you in the position of taking a job you otherwise wouldn’t want. So best to be prepared financially."
- Track your accomplishments, "Companies want to know what you’ve done primarily in the last three to five years that suggests you can do that in their company."
- Keep your resume updated.
In addition:
- Be prepared to write compelling cover letters.
- Plan ahead and compile a list of references and some letters of recommendations, so you're prepared when a prospective employer requests them. Get contact information for your co-workers, vendors, customers, etc. so you'll have it for future networking purposes.
- Check on eligibility for continuation of health and life insurance benefits, accrued vacation pay, unused sick pay, and other payments terminated employees may be entitled to. Keep in mind, that there may be a lag between when your current health insurance coverage ends and a new policy starts. If you've been terminated, ask your employer about eligibility for continuing cover through COBRA and file for unemployment immediately. You may be able to file over the phone.
- Use non-work contact information for all your job search communications.
That way, if your access is cut-off at work, you'll still be reachable.
- Have a home phone or a cell phone with voice mail so potential employers can reach you.
- Use a personal email account, not your work account.
- If you are concerned that your current employer will react negativly if s/he knew you were searching for another position, use job sites that let you apply anonymously.
- Reason for Leaving: If you've quit, or are planning on quitting, be prepared with an answer for interviewers who are going to want to know why you resigned.
Leaving a Position
Leave on the best terms possible. Let the company know in advance that you're leaving, let them know why (as diplomatically as possible) and thank them for having had the opportunity to work there. When leaving, clean-up your computer by deleting personal files and email and bring home your personal belongings.
Layoff Worries? Five Things to Do Today
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