Tips to building a strong foundation

The first year of employment can be different for everyone. Some realize they are “lifers” and plan on staying with the company for the rest of their career. Others need more time to decide how they feel about their new job and company. Hopefully, you’ve found a home at Mayo Clinic and plan to build a strong relationship for years to come.

Here are a few tips to help you do so:

• Learn everything you can about Mayo – Read anything published by the company and soak up as much information as possible during the first year. Two public blogs include Sharing Mayo Clinic and In the Loop.
• Ask lots of questions – To develop your understanding of company culture, organization structure and technical issues. Be curious.
• Seek feedback – Ask your peers or supervisor to comment on your performance and to provide suggestions for improvement (but only if you’re willing to do something about it!)
• Look for opportunities for professional and personal development – This will help you advance within the organization, your career and your work unit. Finding ways to educate yourself will help make you a better employee and person.
• Get to know people and be nice to everyone – Administrative assistants, mailroom staff and custodians can have influence beyond their job titles. Don’t get wrapped up in office politics. Be friendly and do a good job.
• Have fun – Enjoying your job will make a world of difference for you, your customers, and your co-workers.

(Adapted from Barbara Mulligan’s “Build for the Future During Your First Year on the Job”, JobWeb.com)