InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
June 21, 1999
Make The Most Of Your First JobManagers play a key role in the success of their IT recruits
By Sally Richards
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s companies supplement their IT teams with code jockeys and hardware gurus with millennium skills, college recruits are being hired faster than they can frame their degrees. Prepared or not, graduates' first IT jobs could end up a nightmare if they're unsure of what's expected of them. As such, IT recruits' success on the job is in large part the responsibility of their managers.Thorough interviews with personnel and IT managers often weed out new hires who are overconfident, unwilling to pay their dues, or just plain lazy. The candidates who survive the first round of personality interviews may be required to go through technical testing to pinpoint aptitudes and strengths. And the testing doesn't stop once recruits are hired. Those who don't make the grade within their first three months on the job are often terminated.
Managers are putting recruits through rigorous interview processes for good reason. They can't afford to hire recruits who don't work out; eventually, their inability to choose competent workers will affect their own jobs. Some IT managers have a sink-or-swim attitude after they've hired a recruit. Others show empathy toward their new hires and try to help them until they catch on. Whatever the approach, most IT managers and recruits agree that mentoring is a major priority. The faster new IT workers are up and running on the technology and politics of their employer, the more effective the IT team is.
Learn By Doing
At American Express Corp., the goal is to pair all new IT hires with mentors, says Beverly Sneed, the financial-services company's development leader of technology. After that's accomplished, the game plan is to learn by doing, she says. New recruits at American Express are immediately given tasks and projects to give them some experience. Many of these tasks center on team efforts. If a team member needs help, the recruit is asked to pitch in. It could be something as simple as looking up an algorithm or as difficult as backtracking code on a relational database to locate a synchronicity problem.
"Sometimes, recruits hesitate to ask questions," says Sneed, because they're afraid of seeming needy or foolish. "We stress that we want them to ask questions, but not to ask them unless they're going to write down the answers." Recruits are also encouraged to raise questions in a timely manner and not wait until after they're in over their heads.
Being part of a team can be a new experience for college recruits who have spent years alone in front of a computer. This was the case for Veronica Silva, an information architect analyst in the business information systems division of Weyerhaeuser Co., an international forest- products company in Tacoma, Wash., that employs 3,500 people. Silva has been on the job for nearly a year; she admits it took patience and a good manager to help her deal with the dynamics of a team environment."Working with others can be difficult at times, especially when you're new. I always try to be calm and make it a habit never to raise my voice," Silva says. "I remember the first time someone said something that hurt me," she recalls, not wanting to reveal the details of the difficulty. "I didn't know what to do." Instead of confronting the person who offended her, Silva went to her supervisor and they brainstormed about how to handle the situation. Silva's manager advised her to confront the person in a calm way and explain why the comment offended her. The situation was resolved, and Silva says she's confident that she'll be able to handle future differences on her own.
Look For Opportunity
The best advice for IT recruits, Silva says, is to jump at every opportunity to improve their base knowledge. This doesn't mean saying you know something when you don't, Silva warns. Instead, it means volunteering for projects and learning new techniques and technologies. This shows you're willing to take on opportunities that come your way, she says.
Another challenge new IT hires need to deal with--usually sooner rather than later--is meeting deadlines. In scheduling your day, decide which priorities are urgent and keep up on everyday tasks, as well. Time management is a huge part of a performance review and critical to being part of a team. If one person delays a deadline, the entire team can fall behind.
Weekly meetings, common in team environments, are a good forum to reaffirm priorities that may have shifted. Priorities change every day--sometimes several times a day--and if you're working on a dynamic project you should keep an open line of communication going to ensure the group's direction.
Anne Wahrmund, manager of application information architecture at Weyerhaeuser and Silva's direct supervisor, has some sage advice for new recruits to help ensure a successful first year on the job: Learn how to manage time, priorities, and responsibilities. "Every hour of your time is your responsibility," she says. "Some people may be looking for more structure and guidance, but it's really up to individuals to organize their own work and to understand what they're being asked to do."
Wahrmund suggests structuring the day so the hours don't slip away. She stresses that a good workday is based on pinpointing priorities and selecting the right tasks to do at the right time. "You can't allow yourself to get bogged down on a project," Wahrmund says. She suggests setting a reasonable period of time to work out a problem on your own. If at the end of that time you still haven't figured it out, you should find someone who can help you.
Many IT recruits can relate to this scenario. "My biggest fear was deadlines; I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make them," says Steve Kanter, a software developer in the IT department at American Express. Kanter, a recruit from the State University of New York at Albany, is in his first year on the job. "The first piece of advice I have for recruits is not to waste time being afraid," he says.
Kanter recommends that new IT staffers seek out resources. One that he's found invaluable is American Express' time-management training program. "It really helped me organize my days," he says. "Those are skills they don't really stress in school."
Kanter also says the transition to full-time employment is easier if new hires communicate their concerns and problems to those around them. He suggests making sure the people on your team know what your skills and special interests are. "The people I work with knew my background when I came in, so sometimes they ask me if I need help if they know I'm working on something I'm not familiar with," Kanter says. "If your co-workers don't ask if you need help, ask them. Don't work in a silo; build a network of people you can use as resources."
Strike A Balance
When part of a team, it's important for new IT staffers to strike a communications balance. They should never whine or be over-confident to the point of arrogance, says Donna Shirley, a management consultant and author of Managing Martians (Broadway Books, 1998). "Don't assume you know more than the people you work with, but don't be too humble," she says. "Be balanced, and learn the skills they didn't teach you in college." Shirley also advises IT recruits never to say, "It's not my problem," when something goes wrong within the group. "When you're on a team, you're a team player," she says.
Arash Aghevli was recruited from Pennsylvania State University for a computer engineer position at NASA's smart systems group in Mountain View, Calif. During his first year on the job, Aghevli learned early about being honest with his managers about his job. He began in the smart systems group programming the automatic docking mechanisms of the team's software. As time went on, he found his aptitude and interests were in programming data displays and having more of a team role.
"I was doing a job that I wasn't suited for," Aghevli says. When he realized he wasn't happy, he talked to his supervisor about doing something else. "Now I'm working on code, and I'm much happier. Had I not communicated my needs, I'd still be doing something I wasn't suited to do."
No matter where you land in your first IT-related job, one piece of advice is universal: Make your first impression a strong one. "The impression about how you perform your first project will last far longer than the project, so it's well worth the effort to work extra hard at it," says Paul Hoffman, manager of the research technology services division of the IT group at the University of California at Los Angeles. "If you fail at that first project, you'll have to work five times harder on the next project to overcome the reputation you've earned. But if you've made a great impression on your first project, you'll really have to mess up in the future for people to think you aren't doing a good job," says Hoffman, who works with IT recruits at UCLA.
Remember When
IT managers should consider where they were professionally and emotionally when they started their first IT jobs. Cutting new hires some slack can enhance their productivity. "You have to make sure their first project is a reasonable one," Hoffman says. "Recruits need that sense of success and accomplishment. Give them the support they need and keep an open-door policy so they don't feel like they're part of a bureaucracy. You'll find that you'll have a much more productive and satisfied team if you keep expectations at a reasonable level."
If you want to succeed in IT, remember that your first year will probably be the most difficult. During this time, it's the small things that will be monumental on your reviews. The areas in which most IT recruits fall short, according to IT managers, are listening, punctuality, and the ability to follow directions and retain information. So keep your ears open, your PalmPilot charged, and above all, be flexible and ready for change. Giving things careful consideration now will save your reputation and start you off with your best foot forward.
Photo by Ellen M. Banner
Illustration by Martin Stabbler
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