I recently came across some old notes I took at a seminar, “The Extraordinary Professional,” that I attended in 2020. At this seminar, I learned lots of great tips that would be extremely helpful for a new hire just getting started in their career!
One of the main focuses of the seminar was teaching professionals how to manage your workload and create an impactful professional relationship with your boss. The speaker suggested sending your boss “keeping you up-to-date” emails every Friday.
These updates should contain four sections, including:
- Completed projects
- Ongoing projects
- Concerns, issues, and challenges (as well as possible solutions to each)
- Added responsibilities (include this section from time to time if you’ve taken on additional work and/or are working hard on something your boss may not be aware of).
These items should show how you are going above and beyond your typical ongoing projects. You may also want to refer back to this section during your yearly review to support your case for why you believe you’re deserving of a raise or promotion!
As you get busier, it can be easy to forget the various projects you have worked on and the goals you accomplished throughout the year. Sending these emails not only keeps your boss up-to-date regarding what you’re working on, but also helps you document your own progress on a weekly basis.
The seminar also emphasized the importance of owning your calendar and creating a schedule that works for you. Reserving blocks of time on your calendar can help you better plan your time and accomplish your work assignments.
Here are four suggested time blocks to place on your calendar:
- Time on Monday mornings to simply plan for your week ahead
- Time to work on ongoing projects you’ve been assigned
- Focus time (at a time when you know you are most efficient) to work on any difficult or new projects
- Time off at the end of each week to send those “keeping you up-to-date” emails and reflect on all you’ve accomplished!
Incorporating a few of these tips into your weekly routine will help you stay organized, which will contribute to your overall success both as a new hire and as a future long-term employee! If you have any questions or would like to further discuss, please contact Alyssa George, Talent Acquisition Coordinator, at Email.
Also check out: