On the Job

Your first year on the job is an important time of transition during which you'll begin to shape your career.

The workplace is increasingly multicultural. Employers look for job candidates who have good communication and interpersonal skills and are team players.

The smart employee keeps his job-search and work-related skills up to date, even when he’s happy with his employment. After all, U.S. Department of Labor research indicates that the average worker will hold eight to 10 different jobs during his or her employment lifespan—and the greatest turnover happens before the worker reaches the age of 30.

Employers’ top e-mail pet peeves in the professional setting.

The rules for use of technology change once you enter the job market—or take your first job.  It's important to know and understand them. 

  Learn your company’s policy regarding the use of electronic devices in the workplace. 

Tips for people who want to hang onto their jobs in the bad economy.

 While your language is part of your culture and binds you to others who speak that language, it can also separate you from those who do not share it. If you’re bilingual, take care not to let your language skill create a barrier between you and your unilingual co-workers.

Mentors are invaluable contacts who can help you expand on current strengths and develop skills to be successful.

New employees need to be aware of workplace policies regarding personal use of the Internet and electronic devices.

The first year on a new job is a separate and distinct career stage. It is a transition stage; you're not a college student anymore but you're not really a professional yet. It is only by considering the first year on the job separately from the rest of the career ladder that the world of work truly begins to make sense.

We can see, hear, and smell just about everything that goes on in the next cubicle…and our neighbors are seeing, hearing, and smelling us. With all that going on, how does anybody ever get their work done?

Since you will be spending so much time in your workstation, you’ll want to “make it your own.” Cubicles are nondescript for a reason—they’re designed for work. Nothing you put in your cubicle should distract you from that focus.

Tips from employers regarding successful use of e-mail, including how to use the subject line, cc, bcc, FW: and more.

Most top-level executives look for qualities like initiative and efficiency in the people they hire and promote. Take stock of the qualities and skills you have and the ones you need to develop or refine. Here are the key strategies for making a successful transition from campus to the workplace.