First Job Success: Career Advice on How to Develop the Right Skills and Mindset

Entering the workforce can be an intimidating experience. However, with the right mindset and approach, your first job can be an excellent opportunity to develop skills that will benefit you throughout your career.

Here are some first job skills you need to develop to maximize your work experience.

Seek upskilling opportunities

Most employers offer training programs, workshops, and other learning opportunities to their employees. Make the most of these opportunities and take the initiative to enroll in them.

Upskilling can help you expand your knowledge, develop new skills, and improve your confidence in your abilities. It also shows your employer that you are willing to learn and grow, which can lead to better job opportunities and promotions in the future.

Upskilling can also mean engaging in training programs that are outside your current job description or even your current career track. For example, if you’re in marketing communications, you might benefit from some customer service training to help open up your interpersonal communication skills and crisis management abilities.

If you’re in graphic design, taking web development classes will help you manage web design projects more efficiently and effectively. It may even put you on a path to a career in user experience or product design.

Become your own mentor

While having a mentor is beneficial, you can also be your own mentor by setting goals and holding yourself accountable. Start by identifying areas that you want to improve and set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to achieve them. For example, if you want to improve your communication skills, you can set a goal to attend a public speaking course and practice your skills regularly. Self-reflection is also an essential aspect of self-mentoring.

Take time to reflect on your progress, what you have learned, and what you can improve upon.

Become your own mentor

While having a mentor is beneficial, you can also be your own mentor by setting goals and holding yourself accountable. You can start by creating a five-year career plan for yourself. This plan is like your professional call to adventure. According to the global job site Indeed.com, this personal roadmap should have the following:

• The starting point: Where you are now in your career
• The destination: Where you want to go in your career
• The gap: The obstacles you must overcome to reach the destination
• The route: How to close the gap to reach your intended destination
  

The starting point is where you’ll reflect on your current skills and strengths, and you’ll need to ask yourself some tough questions like:

• What have you accomplished so far?
• What keeps you motivated or excited at work? What do you enjoy doing?
• What are your natural talents and abilities? What am I good at?

From there, you’ll identify your goals. At this stage, it’s important to have an open mind and not think about hurdles that might hold you back from your dream career — that’s for later. Break down your goals into the next one, two, three, four, five years.

Once you’ve determined your destination, it’s time to make a checklist of what you need for your trip. If, for example, your goal is to get promoted in the next year, research the job description and the qualifications of your target position. From there, you can identify the skills you need to develop, the types of training that you need to attend, milestones you need to experience, or further education you need to attain in order to meet the qualifications.

Use the SMART Goals template to break down your plan in a Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound manner.

At every milestone, take the time to reflect on your progress, evaluate what you have learned, and re-evaluate what you can further improve on.

Build a professional network

Your colleagues and supervisors can be valuable resources for guidance, advice, and support. Take the time to build relationships with them by attending social events, volunteering for projects, and showing interest in their work.

Building a network can also help you learn about other opportunities within your industry and connect with potential mentors and employers.

Foster your relationships with your colleagues, and take advantage of opportunities where you can meet clients and partners. Make sure to exchange contact details and add them to your LinkedIn network, or even your other social media accounts. If you’re in sales, business development, or account management, you can also schedule regular check-ins with partners and clients to explore potential projects and opportunities.

To cast a bigger net, you can also join industry and interest groups online and in real life.

Cultivate a growth mindset

Psychologist Carol Dweck, in her 2006 book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success talked about the concept of growth and fixed mindsets.

According to Dweck, a person with a growth mindset would be able to embrace challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than obstacles. In contrast, for a person with a fixed mindset, challenging situations can be catastrophic because they believe that if they don’t already have the skills or intelligence the situation requires, then there’s no chance of them succeeding.

Adapting a growth mindset from early in your career can help you be open to feedback, take ownership of your mistakes, and use them as learning opportunities. It will help you develop resilience, creativity, and a positive attitude toward your work.

Your first job can be a valuable learning experience if you approach it with the right mindset and focus on developing the skills that will benefit you throughout your career. These skills will not only help you succeed in your current role but also open up new opportunities for career advancement in the future.

When it comes to developing skills, starting early is always a good idea. It gives you more time to cultivate expertise in your chosen area, and less time to develop bad habits that will be harder to curb later on.

The same goes for your financial acumen: the sooner you start, the more you can build for the future. Click here to learn about the tools and products that can help you hone your financial skills.