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Make the Most of Your First 90 Days in a New Job, with Joey Price

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Each new job on your resume presents new opportunities, new challenges and new setbacks. In this episode of Find Your Dream Job, we discuss the best ways to capitalize on your first few months in a new position with human resources executive and business coach Joey Price. We also dive into the six steps you can take to turn career setbacks into personal growth.

About Our Guest: Joey Price

Joey Price is an award-winning human resources executive, business coach, and professor. He’s the founder of Jumpstart:HR, a consulting practice for small businesses and startups. Joey is also the host of Business, Life, and Coffee, a weekly podcast, and the author of “Never Miss The Mark: Career Search Strategies Provided by HR Pros.”

Resources in this Episode:

Transcript

Find Your Dream Job, Episode 140:

How to Make the Most of Your First 90 Days in a New Job, with Joey Price

Airdate: May 23, 2018

Mac Prichard:

Hi, this is Mac of Mac’s List. Find Your Dream Job is presented by Mac’s List, an online community where you can find free resources for your job search, plus online courses and books that help you advance your career. My latest book is called Land Your Dream Job Anywhere. It’s a reference guide for your career that covers all aspects of the job search, including expert advice in every chapter. You can get the first chapter for free by visiting macslist.org/anywhere.

This is Find Your Dream Job; the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life. I’m Mac Prichard, your host and publisher of Mac’s List.

I’m joined by my co-hosts, Becky Thomas and Jessica Black, from the Mac’s List team.

This week, we’re talking about how to make the most of your first ninety days in a new job.

You’re about to start a new job. Congratulations! What happens next, during your first 90 days, can make a big difference in your success.

Our guest expert this week is Joey Price. He says to make a great impression during the first three months on a new job, you need to do certain things. Joey and I talk later in the show.

Every career has its downturns. I’ve certainly seen my share of professional ups and downs. In fact, I’ve been fired twice and I know what’s it like to cash that last unemployment check. Becky has found a resource I wish I’d had when I was out of work. It’s a six-part approach to how to turn setbacks into advantages. She tells us more in a moment.

You’re hired for a job with a startup that lets you use the biochemistry skills you studied in college. But because of a change in company organization, you’re moved into a operational role. How do you best describe on your resume your biochemistry skills, especially since you haven’t had a chance to use them recently? That’s our question of the week. It comes from listener Alex in Madison, Wisconsin. Jessica shares her advice shortly.

As always, let’s check in with the Mac’s List team, Jessica and Becky.

Becky, you’re up first, because you’re always exploring that Internet. Looking for those websites, books, and tools our listeners can use in a job search or in their careers. Becky, what have you found for us this week?

Becky Thomas:

This week I want to talk about something that everyone experiences in their career, which is setbacks. I think one of the hardest parts of building up a career over the decades that we all go through the workforce,  is dealing with setbacks. Everyone experiences them. You get a fancy degree, you can’t get a job, or you get stuck in debt. You love your job but you get laid off unexpectedly. You make progress on one path, then something changes and you have to start over. Our professional lives are really mired with challenges and we all have to face them, and many of us – myself included – have been in a place where it all just feels like it’s too much and, “Why am I trying so hard?”

Professional challenges are also opportunities to build something that I just learned about called “transformative resilience.” It’s more than just moving past a challenge, which is how most people think about resilience, which is like hardening yourself against the trials and tribulations of the world. Just pushing through.

Mac Prichard:

Just sucking it up, yeah.

Becky Thomas:

Yeah, and it’s a lesson in, and I’m going to quote today’s resource here, it’s about, “How to better operate in and positively impact the world around us.” We can deal with the challenges we face and learn from them and incorporate them into our approach to life and choices.

Jessica Black:

I’m going to wait until after you explain this but I have a question about a different approach to transformative resilience, if that is part. Anyway, I’ll let you go.

Becky Thomas:

Yeah, let me. I want to walk through some of the steps. I found this article on the New York Times, called, “The 6 Steps to Turning Setbacks Into Advantages,” It outlines the key lessons in a new book called “Type R: Transformative Resilience for Thriving in a Turbulent World.” The book should be good because the article itself provides some really interesting ideas that can be applied to our careers and our lives outside of the workplace as well.

I’ll quickly go through the 6 Steps that they outlined in the article and these are pulled from the book.

Step one: You’re in your comfort zone … you’re defined by the structures in your life. Everyone can relate to this; you’ve got your family, your possessions, your job title. Whatever is central to who you are.

Step two is: Disruption – something happens to disrupt the structure in your life. You have to question and rethink key aspects of your life. For example, you get laid off, so you may have to scale back on expenses and change your lifestyle. The key here is to reach out for external support as you’re going through this disruption phase.

Step three: Chaos ensues – you struggle to make sense of your shattered reality, as the article says. You’re typically going to be experiencing sadness, grief, sometimes denial, when you’re at that phasel. I went through all these emotions when I was laid off unexpectedly from a previous job! I totally relate to this. During this stage, it’s really important to not let your brain run away with you. Don’t dwell on all of the terrible possibilities of what may happen…you’re going to end up homeless, all that stuff. Live in the now and focus on what’s real.

Step four: A catalyst emerges. You experience an epiphany: a new idea, a fresh perspective, something that helps you jump-start your transformation. In the layoff example, maybe you realize you don’t actually like the career path you’re in and you find a new and better calling. Something like that.

Step five: You’re moving towards something new. Experimenting with your sense of identity and place in the world. You’re building a new reality in this phase. Maybe you start a new training course or land a great job.

Step six: You become comfortable with change. Once you’ve experimented with your new identity and reality, you reach a point where everything has changed and you’re okay with that. You aren’t as reliant as you were on those structures to define you and you become more accepting of change and more resilient in that way. With each, “Transformative change, we learn that we can get through it, and we discover our strengths along the way.” We come out stronger with each setback; you can strengthen and learn and discover new strengths within yourself.

This was pretty cool. I would definitely recommend everybody reading through the article in detail. It gives some really cool examples of people who have been through tough situations and what they did and how they got through it and turned it into an advantage. For a lot of professionals, especially if you’re unemployed or going through a tough time in your career, it’s really easy to put blinders on and push through, and do that “tough it out resilience”, but I think it’s really valuable to change your thinking on this. Thinking through what you’re experiencing and noticing the lessons learned and the challenges that you are able to overcome, giving yourself that awareness, and respecting what you’ve been through, being able to respect that process. That you are strong and you can get through things and you don’t need to be afraid. I think that can be really invaluable as you move forward in your career. As we all move forward into the future, resilience and embracing change is just going to be more necessary to have a long and successful career.

I really like this idea and I think that you should check it out.

Jessica Black:

I love that. I love it all.

Becky Thomas:

I think I’m going to get the book and just see how it is.

Jessica Black:

Yeah you should. I love that. I think like you said at the beginning, everyone has experienced setbacks and everyone will experience more setbacks. Being able to develop that resiliency of not just gritting your teeth and bearing through it but learning how to evolve and adapt to your circumstances and your scenarios. Being able to not only just get through it but thrive while doing that as well is really important. Change is inevitable, so yeah, it’s great, I love it.

Mac Prichard:

I love this model too and I think that it seems like it would apply to not only professional experiences like a job loss or not getting picked but also other life experiences too. Is that true, Becky?

Becky Thomas:

I would say so. I think that, in the grand scheme of things, your career is a big part of your life. You’re the same person in your career as in your homelife. You deal with things in similar ways. Your personality is still intact. I think it’s definitely applicable to all areas of life.   

Jessica Black:

Yeah, definitely.

Mac Prichard:

Good. It’s a terrific model and I’m looking forward to reading the story.                

Thank you, Becky. If you have an idea for Becky, for a resource you think we should share on the show, please write her. Her address is info@macslist.org.

Now let’s turn to you, our listeners, and Jessica who is in charge of answering your questions.

Jessica, what is in the mailbag this week?

Jessica Black:

We have a question this week from Alex, from Madison Wisconsin. He emailed us with a question. He gives a little background before the question. So, I’m going to read  everything that Alex sent in.

He says,

“A little bit of background first. I graduated with a degree in biochemistry and gained skills there and in my first job in molecular biology techniques, experiments, technology; everything I was hoping.

But my first and current employer is a startup, and after a year or so, there were change-ups in organization and personnel. I’m a loyal employee and love who I was working with and although I did cause a fuss, they changed my role to work in a more operational and management role.

My question is: How can I apply and show the skills I used to learn on my resume when it has been a while since I’ve used them and I never got to fully master them?

It also doesn’t help that most of the jobs require experience with certain equipment/techniques as their main requirement and I don’t feel comfortable applying without that mastery.”

This is a really good question from Alex. I’m going to disseminate this a little to restate this in a clearer way.

It sounds like, to me, Alex got a degree in biochemistry, did a little work with that degree, then in his current role started out using some of that experience but has adapted and been moved into a different type of role. To focus more on the operational/management side. That’s not the hands-on focus that he was originally in and really enjoyed. As he is looking at keeping his resume current, he wants to know how to share his experience on his resume. To continue to show that he has those biochemistry skills when it has been a little while since he used them. He also does not feel comfortable stating he has those skills when he hasn’t used them in a while. Which I think is very honorable.

It’s a good question to think about. This is a complex question.

It is a very common occurrence within small organizations, both startups and nonprofits, to have an “all hands on deck” mentality of, you may be hired to a particular position and then roles change and adapt. Even if the role itself doesn’t change, there is still everyone does a little bit of everything.

So, I think it’s understandable that his role has changed into being a bit more operational standpoint. I do think there are ways to both highlight this on your resume, but also bring the biochemistry skills you want to be using back into the forefront of your life, both within your company, but also on the side. Doing that to keep those skills relevant and develop those.

One question I have for Alex is whether there are opportunities to use these skills that you want to use in your current job? I assume this has already been something he has brought up because he mentioned that he pushed back a bit when he was moving into the operational side of things. I think that having a conversation with your bosses would be really crucial here.

I really appreciate the loyalty that Alex mentions that he has with this company, and obviously, having a team that you really appreciate working with is something that causes a lot of that loyalty. That is invaluable. You want to find a team that you really love and all of that. You also want to do work that you really enjoy. So I think that finding that compromise, and having those conversations to be able to maximize that, is really crucial.

First of all, communicate with your  current boss about your goals, and let him/her know that you enjoy working for this organization and with the team. That you are happy to take on new roles and be a team player and provide that organizational/operational side of things, but that you really loved the parts that you mentioned that you loved (the experiments and technology, and things like that), and ask for ways to utilize those in your current job, while continuing to do the role you’re hired to do. Also ask for support and a timeline in transferring some of these responsibilities to someone else to free you up to do more of the work that you are interested in doing and that you went to school for.

Having those conversations about your goals and a timeline and when to expect to implement some of these things.

In terms of the resume side of things, I would say definitely highlight all of the work you have done already, Alex, with your experience doing biochemistry. Find ways to show that you are still using some of those skills even though it may not be directly. Being able to…again, I don’t know what kind of startup this is. I don’t know what kind of work they are doing but I assume there is something related to biochemistry if he got hired there in the first place.

Maybe you are on the management side of things but you are leading other folks who are doing the actual implementation. That is still a very valuable skill that you can share your experience in biochemistry. So highlighting those types of aspects on your resume.

I would also find other ways to continue to grow those skills. Alex mentions that he does not feel like he has a solid mastery of these skills yet but he wants to continue growing. I think that finding ways to continue do the things you are wanting to do in that industry and in that aspect.    Finding volunteer and engagement opportunities to do that type of work. There is always other organizations that need support. I don’t know much about the biochemistry world but I would assume that there are spaces to be able to find that. Or clubs or something like that where you can share both your knowledge but also share information with people who are  doing those on a regular basis. Grow your skills that way. Find other opportunities.

I don’t know if the reason he is looking for this advise on how to highlight these on his resume is because he is looking for more opportunities but that is also a factor if your current workplace isn’t really receptive to the conversations or ideas or your interest in staying in the biochemistry side of work. That is something to think about. Looking for other opportunities or other organizations that you can do a little bit more of that work.

Also, highlight these operational and management skills you have acquired at this job that will be valuable for other jobs.   

Do you guys have any other feedback?

Becky Thomas:

I think that last point was a good one because he could possibly differentiate himself from other biochemistry specialists who might not understand the operational side and that could be a differentiator. A way for him to stand out.

I was rereading his question and he is still in his first role, or employer, after college. It sounds like he really does want to be doing this biochemistry. He mentioned everything in that first assignment at that job was what he wanted. It was all about the techniques, the experiments, the technology. He said, “everything I was hoping,” so I think that he needs to be true to himself and if he cannot do the things he wanted to do at this job, he needs to move on.

Jessica Black:

That is exactly my gathering from that message as well. Talk to your employers and let them know that you love this organization but that you are not happy doing the operational side. You would rather be doing the hands-on implementation. Find a way to make that happen where he can stay there but also do what he wants to do. Be really clear about that.

Becky Thomas:

Yeah, be really clear about that.

Jessica Black:

I’m really glad that you reiterated that because I think that is really important.

Mac Prichard:

That is the way I read it, too, Becky. When he has that conversation, and if it doesn’t look like there will be opportunities to be able to do the kind of biochemistry work he wants to do, I also saw in his question that he has a clear idea of other jobs that interest him and he is concerned because they require experience and skills that he either hasn’t had a chance to acquire or practice. Kudos to him for knowing where he might want to go next if this role does not work out at the startup.

I think future employers will recognize at a startup, and you made this point, Jessica, that it is an all hands on deck approach. Everybody does a little bit of everything. I think that will be appealing to many employers. If he is looking for ways to either practice or acquire those skills, particularly using equipment, in addition to volunteering, if there are courses or certifications he can get that matter to the employers that interest him, that might be another thought to consider.    

Jessica Black:

That is a good point. Just furthering the education or just the practice at least. Practicums maybe. Yeah that is great advice. Thank you, guys.

Mac Prichard:

Thank you. I appreciate that, Jessica, and thank you Alex for your question. If you’ve got a question for us please write Jessica. Her email is: info@macslist.org. You can also post it on our Facebook page; just go to Mac’s List on facebook. Or you call our listener line. We love voicemails with questions. That area code is 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the show, we’ll send you a copy of Land Your Dream Job Anywhere

We’ll be back in just a moment. When we return, I’ll talk with this week’s guest, Joey Price, who will discuss how to make the most of your first 90 days in a new job.

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And now, let’s get back this podcast!

Now let’s turn to this week’s guest expert, Joey Price.

Joey Price is an award-winning human resources executive, business coach, and professor.

He’s the founder of Jumpstart:HR, a consulting practice for small businesses and startups. Joey Is also the host of Business, Life, and Coffee, a weekly podcast, and the author of Never Miss The Mark: Career Search Strategies Provided by HR Pros. He joins us today from Memphis, Tennessee.

Joey, thanks for being on the show.

Joey Price:

Mac, thanks for having me.

Mac Prichard:

It is a pleasure. As you know, Joey, our topic this week is how to make the most of the first 90 days of a new job. Why are these first 3 months so important, Joey?

Joey Price:

The first three months are incredibly important, Mac, as I’m sure you know from prior experience. You are really trying to establish that connection with your employer. You are also trying to figure out, does this role really fit for me? It’s within those ninety days where the microscope is really on you. Your boss, your team, they are evaluating the possibilities for you to scale and grow and make an impact in the team. So while that lens is on you, it is up to you to make the most of that opportunity and learn as much as you can about the company and add value right away.     

Mac Prichard:

Candidly, some people don’t make it through the ninety days, do they?

Joey Price:

No, and that is why this time period is so important. It is still called in many organizations the “probationary period.” That is literally the time where the organization is more inclined to let you go if it does not seem like you are going to be able to latch on.

Mac Prichard:

We are going to talk in a moment about how you can stand out in those first ninety day. Before we get there, Joey, let’s talk about some common reasons why people may not make it through those first three months. Why are people let go?

Joey Price:

Well, honestly Mac, it is a two way street. As much as it is being let go by the employer, it is also the new hire feeling like, ‘This isn’t the place for me.” I would like to briefly touch on those two sides of the coin.

Let’s start with why people are let go. One being that they don’t adequately express the ability to do the requisite skills of the job. Another reason would be that they don’t seem to fit the company culture. For example, if you could do the work and you are just not a team player in the way that your team needs you to be successful, that might rub your team the wrong way and  and the supervisor the wrong way.

The third reason why people get let go is because they could, in some way, have a writ with a team member and not quite get along.

Those are three reasons why people might get terminated early on.

Why they might leave the organization willingly… One is if the job that was communicated originally isn’t what they experience on the first day. It is very important… that whole interview process is a porting phase, it is a time where the employer is communicating what expectations are going to be like and what the role is going to entail. If that does not match up with reality, a lot of job seekers these days are in the position to say, “You know what, I could take my talent elsewhere.”

Another reason why it does not work out, honestly, a company culture may stink. With the whole porting phase, it may be described as an awesome place to work, but then when you get there you may realize, “The people working here don’t even like working here.”  So they leave the organization because they just don’t feel like this is the place that they want to be.    

Thirdly, this is more of a technical thing, but if the benefits package is not as average high or it isn’t as great as it could be or should be or what a person is used to, they may try to take their talents elsewhere.   

Mac Prichard:

I’m so glad you brought up the point, Joey, that it is a two way street. It is a time when the new employees are checking out the employer and they may be surprised by things that didn’t come up in the interview process or when they did their homework and their due diligence.

Let’s talk about what people should be doing right in those first thirty days.

You mentioned culture. Why is it important to understand culture right away, Joey, when you are a new employee?

Joey Price:

When we talk about culture, think about if you are traveling and you arrive to a new destination and it is completely different than what you are used to. In order for you to survive as a traveler in a foreign land, you are going to have to be in a position where you are able to get along with people quickly. Figure out how to get things done and build a team around you.

That can apply in the workplace where culture is important because every company does things…they do the same things in different ways. Culture is important because that is the essence of what the organization is really about and what they are marching towards.  People can discount culture and think, “Oh, well, I’m just here to do my 9-5. I know what skills I have and what skills I can bring to the table.” The culture, though, is really the essence  of what you should be looking to be availing yourself to. A way you can do that is get to know the people, get to know the mission, and get to know what your supervisor thinks is most important for the job.   

Mac Prichard:

I’m glad you brought up understanding what matters, not only to your peers, but to your supervisor.

Let’s talk about the importance of building a relationship, Joey, with a new boss, as well as other leaders in the company. How much time should you pay attention to this specifically in those first three months?

Joey Price:

To be honest, your relationship with your supervisor should be the primary thing you focus on in a new job. When we think about why people leave an organization, the number one reason is because of the relationship with their supervisor. So if you are not working to build that relationship and understanding what makes your boss tick, what your boss likes, and how to communicate well with your boss, you are going to have a harder time adjusting and your boss is going to find a harder time trying to justify giving you a promotion or a raise or give you opportunities.   

Your relationship with your supervisor is the number one important thing that you need to take into account when you go on to a new job.

Mac Prichard:

What is your best tip about how to build that relationship with that new supervisor?

Joey Price:

The best thing is to really be consistent. Bring your full effort to work. Be known as a person who is reliable. That is the number one way to build trust is to have that reliability. Secondarily, I would say is keep your eyes and ears out on how your boss responds to other people. How your boss responds to other people and what they like and dislike about other members of your team.

Mac Prichard:

You mentioned trust and reliability and I have seen that coming up again and again with employers I talk with about their new employees and the people who stand out among the new hires.

Let’s talk about the work, Joey. You are a new employee. You are given assignments. How should you approach it? Is it about checking tasks off a list or should you take a different approach?   

Joey Price:

You know, Mac, that is a great question. I would say it is dependent upon the way your manager likes to see things get done. I really stress that manager relationship because I might give you one particular strategy and a listener takes that as the gospel and  that could completely flop with the manager that they have in their dream job.  I know that this podcast is all about preparing people for success. So , without dodging the question, I would say it really does depend on your manager’s style.

If your manager is a person who values getting things done, then yes you want to make sure you are attentive, crossing things off the list, showing that you have added value in that way.   

If your boss is a person that values chemistry and teamwork, you want to make sure that you are showing yourself as a team player. And you can be flexible with the work that has been given to you.

So I don’t want to prescribe one particular way but I do want to say focus on how your manager likes to see things get done.

Mac Prichard:

That is almost a reoccuring theme as we talk. The importance of matching  up and knowing what your immediate supervisor wants and how they like to do work. Isn’t it, Joey?

Joey Price:

Yeah it is. We have moved from that industrial age where everything is done the same way. That whole factory type of  work environment. Where knowledge workers are more nuanced and so the skills required and the soft skills required to get a job done vary, not only from company to company, but also position within a company. So that unique, organic chemistry of individual task and manager is something that is unique to any relationship at work.

Mac Prichard:

Every job comes with a description and it’s a list of roles and responsibilities but do employers really know what they want that new employee to do? How much room is there for a new worker to define the job?

Joey Price:

Mac, that is exactly why the manager relationship is so important because employers don’t know. Trust me, I’m on HR side of things. I see people onboard into organizations and I have seen, working with clients, where the job descriptions are literally copied and pasted from an online source. Employers say they want one thing and then that can change in the hiring process, it can change based on a particular candidate and the certain skills they bring to the table and how they want to make that fit in the organization.

So, it is really this living and breathing thing that changes from moment to moment. The primary thing I could say is, as long as you can get along with your boss and show that you have the skills to get done whatever is needed, then that is a huge value to add.

Mac Prichard:

So don’t be surprised if you are asked to do something outside  of that job description that you talked about in the interview.

Joey Price:

Absolutely. That is why there is that little dot that says, “Other duties as assigned.”

Mac Prichard:

Well said. Joey, what are some other steps people should take in those first ninety days to help them stand out and not only have a great review at the end of those first three months, but to position themselves for success at the company?

Joey Price:

I know that I have been giving a lot of tips about getting to know your manager and putting your best foot forward in that regard but don’t neglect your team. I would advise you to take time and go to lunch with some of your team members. Get to know how they work. Get to know what it is like at your organization. Build rapport with your team because you never know how you are going to need to rely on them in the future.

Another thing is, really study deeply the mission of your organization and what it is all about so that you can continue to add value in meaningful ways.

Another thing I would do is, remember that a job is a marathon and not a sprint. So don’t burn yourself out trying to put your best foot forward but be consistent.

Mac Prichard:

One thing I’m not hearing you say, Joey, is that good work alone will speak for itself.

Joey Price:

No, that is definitely not the case. You’ve got to be a likeable person.

Mac Prichard:

Well, it has been a terrific conversation. Now, tell us what is next for you.

Joey Price:

What is next…I’m speaking at a convention in Chicago in June. I’m super excited to talk about a topic similar to this, which is how to do employee engagement for this “me first” generation. I will continue to be a social influencer for Southwest Airlines, and new episodes of the podcast.

Mac Prichard:

Great. I know people can find your show on iTunes  as well as your book, “Never Miss the Mark: Career Search Strategies by HR Pros”, on Amazon.

Joey, thanks for being on the show.

Joey Price:

Mac, I thank you for having me.

Mac Prichard:

We’re back in the Mac’s list studio with Jessica and Becky. I’d love to hear your reactions to my conversation with Joey.

Do you want to talk first, Jessica?

Jessica Black:

Sure. He gave such great concrete advice on how to get into a new job and really put your best foot forward right away. He talked about…I think it was great that he reiterated the crucial component of that first ninety days. I really liked his emphasis on it being a two way street.

That first ninety days is very crucial in both ways, of it’s the employer feeling out the employee and the employee feeling out the employer. Specifically, I really thought his point about the interview process being so important to be able to suss that out. I think that was something that I thought about when he was speaking, about people having those moments during that ninety-day period of realizing that it isn’t a great fit and how having a longer, intensive interview process is really important to help suss that out and answer all those questions that you might have. Before you get in there.

We, here at Mac’s list, and your other company to Mac, Prichard, has a really extensive interview process but I think it’s for good reason. Where you do… we get to meet every person on the team and there’s lots of opportunities for questions and to get to know the company culture and ask questions about the job description specifically. Opportunities like that. Which I think is becoming more of a norm that other companies are doing the same thing, of longer interview processes and more intensive ones like that.

As intimidating as that sounds, it is actually really beneficial to be able to get a really good concrete sense of the team and the supervisor and the other people you are going to be working with, the job description, the general company culture as well. To be able to know…the employer gets to get a good read on you, lots of touch points, lots of conversations with you. You, as the job seeker, get a lot of those questions answered for yourself because again it is that two way street.

So I thought that his emphasis on that was really important. I don’t know, I was just thinking about how I really appreciate our intensive interview process and I think that that is something that could be implemented in other organizations. To be able to alleviate some of that turnover in the first ninety days, either by the employer or employee. Not having a good fit is…

But also, I want to hear what Becky thought, but one more thing. I thought that he gave a lot of excellent concrete advice and tips on how to develop a really positive relationship with your supervisor. Being able to understand your employer or your supervisor’s personality style. Not the Myers-Briggs or whatever; you don’t need to get that far into it but like communication style and what that supervisor values. How to relate on that very important step to be able to have a really good working relationship.

I think some of his advice could potentially come across as, “Be exactly what your supervisor want you to be”, and I don’t think he meant it that way. He meant to just understand your supervisor just to be able to maximize your relationship.   

I just thought he had a lot of really great advice.    

Becky Thomas:

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing about getting that relationship started off on the right foot. He said the main reason people leave is because of the relationship they had with their manager. That is huge.

Jessica Black:

It is huge.

Becky Thomas:

So I think just really just digging in in those first ninety days and asking those questions  and doing as you can to suss out what your manager needs and how they best like to receive work and receive feedback and give feedback. All of that stuff that is really essential to have a healthy relationship for the long term.

Mac Prichard:

I agree. I loved his emphasis on the relationship with the manager. When I was coming up in my career, my twenties and thirties, conventional wisdom was, “Look for  early victories in your first three to six months.” Something that would make you stand out. I think there is value to that but as the years have gone by, I think it is much more powerful to concentrate on that relationship with the supervisor. Figure out what she or he wants and how they like to work. It  isn’t that you are changing to mimic them, it is that you are just trying to understand their needs. Make that investment early on and it will continue to pay dividends.

Becky Thomas:

Just try to start making their life easier as quickly as you can.

Mac Prichard:

Yeah. Managing up is just crucial. When I see the people have had the most success in their careers  and got the most out new jobs, it’s the people who have figured that lesson out. The ones who it does not quite fit and they don’t leave during the first ninety days, maybe it is at the end of a year, it is because they didn’t build that relationship with the manager.

Terrific. Thank you both, and thank you, Joey, for joining us this week and you our listeners, for downloading today’s episode of Find Your Dream Job. 

And don’t forget to check out the 2018 edition of the Top Career Podcast Guide. Discover 78 podcasts, including the one Joey hosts, that can help you get hired and have a great career. Get your free copy of the Top Career Podcast Guide today. Go to topcareerpodcasts.com.

Join us next Wednesday, when our special guest will be Mary Blalock. She’ll explain how knowing your strengths can help you get the best job fit.

Until next time, thanks for letting us help you find your dream job.