Our co-founder Sophie Adelman has penned some thoughts on the skills she wishes she’d learnt before embarking on her career
An article caught my attention this week that focused on ‘The Social Skills you weren’t taught at school’. It got me thinking about all the career lessons I’ve learnt over the past decade that I wish I’d known before starting out on my career path.
Here are a few I thought I’d share:
Managing Up — when you’re starting out in your first job you have a steep learning curve. I’ve found that learning how to manage your boss effectively will help you be more successful. Of course, it’s your manager’s job to make sure you’re on the right path and that you’re focusing on the right things, but feedback and expectation setting goes both ways.
What Everyone Should Know About Managing Up
Prioritisation
It’s often difficult to know which of the millions of tasks on your to do list you need to complete NOW. Learning how to ask the right questions to determine when things are due and how important they are will enable you to prioritise your to do list.
The Eisenhower Method For Taking Action
Giving and receiving feedback
Knowing how to offer constructive feedback to others is an incredible leaderships skill. Feedback should always be a two-way process; it’s not just something that more senior people give to you. How you respond to feedback from others will set you apart as someone who wants to learn and develop themselves. It’s important to have the mindset that feedback is a gift that others give you to help you improve rather than a criticism of who you are today.
The Art And Science Of Giving And Receiving Criticism At Work
First impressions really do matter
Most people make snap judgments in the first few minutes of meeting you and these first impressions colour their view of you going forward. This can affect your ability to get the job you want, the projects you’re excited about, and the promotion you deserve. Set yourself up for success by creating a great first impression: turn up on time, dress appropriately, smile, ask questions and appear keen to help.
