"Your brand is what people say about you
when you are not in the room."
- Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon

GRADUATES

Getting your first job is exciting. 

It’s a validation of all the hard work you put in preparing for it, and the start of the next phase of your life. There are also some aspects that may take you by surprise when you begin to work as a professional.

"Professional is not a title you claim for yourself, it’s an adjective you hope other people will apply to you. You have to earn it." - David H. Maister, academic and management consultant specialising in professional services

We love grads! We like their energy, enthusiasm, and research skills. We admire the way their education has shown them how to work collaboratively, as contrasted with earlier generations where the emphasis was on independent learning.

Some American research suggests that within five to eight years of graduating some people are on a track that will create more opportunities, growth, and financial reward than others, and those who are not on the track may always lag behind.

What’s required to get on the right track? Well, we have talked to graduates about their experiences. We have talked to the managers of graduates in the client organisation and to managers of corporate grad programmes. We have read the literature.

We have some ideas about what’s required to Start Right.

Books

Start Right is a book for all graduates.

Here are the chapter headings and some sample pages. There are reflection activities at the end of each chapter.

Foundations is a book for people starting in their first job in the construction industry.

It is aimed at apprentices, people on cadet schemes, and university graduates.

Here are the chapter headings and some sample pages.

Grad Programmes

We have made presentations to groups of grads, and developed and designed a series of two-hour modules for graduate programmes. Topics include:

  1. Getting clear on expectations
  2. Learning in the work context: Fixed v Growth Mindset and Grit
  3. Developing a personal brand
  4. Communication
  5. Business Acumen
  6. Resilience

Contact us if you would like to talk some more about our work in this area.

Further Resources

This is an interesting interview with Hilary Clinton where she talks about starting out in your career.

We all rely on our mobile phones. When is it appropriate to use them in a work context, and when is it not? Find out what others think.