Quiz | December 2011

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Congratulations! You just landed your first full-time job. Think you're ready for it? Take our ten-question quiz to see if you're really ready for the real “real world,” and learn some tips to start your career on the right path.

Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 1 of 10

The structure and culture of college will prepare you well for an office environment. True or false?

A. True
B. False

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

iStockphoto

Question 1 of 10

The structure and culture of college will prepare you well for an office environment. True or false?

You're right! B. False is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is B. False.

While higher education may give you the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the workplace, the culture, structure and environment of college generally do the opposite. In school, you take a test and, a week later, receive a grade. At work, your duties are much less structured. You won’t be told exactly what to do every day, you won’t receive praise or feedback on every one of your projects, and in general, you will face a fair amount of uncertainty. Also, be prepared for the 40-plus-hour workweek -- it can be just as exhausting as a week spent in classes and at the library, if not more so.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 2 of 10

You’ve been on the job for two weeks, and you feel like your company is approaching a task or project in the wrong way. What should you say?

A. “You’re doing this all wrong. Here’s what you should be doing.”
B. Don’t say anything; wait until you’ve been on the job for longer than a few months
C. “We could enhance this project by doing this.”
D. “I would love to take the lead on this project, if you’ll let me.”

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 2 of 10

You’ve been on the job for two weeks, and you feel like your company is approaching a task or project in the wrong way. What should you say?

You're right! C. “We could enhance this project by doing this.” is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is C. “We could enhance this project by doing this.”.

When you’re new to a job, remember that you have to adjust to the ways of the company rather than the other way around. Don’t be afraid to suggest improvements, but steer away from saying something that may come across as judgmental. Instead, add value to something they’re already doing. Over time, you can help your colleagues see that something might be done better another way, but it’s important to observe and assess before suggesting any drastic changes too strongly.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 3 of 10

You've seen a couple of colleagues wearing flip-flops to work, but the dress code is classified as business casual. How should you dress?

A. Wear flip-flops, too -- if other people are doing it, then it must be okay
B. Stick to business casual… for now
C. Ask your boss if it's okay for you to dress more casually
D. Dress code? What dress code?

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 3 of 10

You've seen a couple of colleagues wearing flip-flops to work, but the dress code is classified as business casual. How should you dress?

You're right! B. Stick to business casual… for now is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is B. Stick to business casual… for now.

It's extremely important to pay close attention to your appearance at work, particularly when you're fresh out of school. Dressing appropriately is one of the easiest ways to signal that you're serious about your job, while neglecting to do so is one of the quickest ways to ruin your workplace reputation. Even if you see others in the office dressing a certain way, err on the side of caution. Take note of what some of the more successful people in your office are wearing, and dress accordingly.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 4 of 10

In the first few months of your job, try to ask as few questions as possible. Employers would rather see you figure things out on your own. True or false?

A. True
B. False

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 4 of 10

In the first few months of your job, try to ask as few questions as possible. Employers would rather see you figure things out on your own. True or false?

You're right! B. False is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is B. False.

While many employers do expect recent grads to hit the ground running, you should not feel embarrassed if you don't understand something. Asking questions and seeking advice signals to your peers that you're trying to learn and grow in your new position. New grads are often surprised by how little direct attention they receive from supervisors, but that doesn't mean they aren't willing to help --just understand that you might have to actively seek them out rather than wait for them come to you.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 5 of 10

If you don't know exactly how you're being evaluated or aren't receiving feedback on any of your projects, you should…

A. March right on up to your boss and ask
B. Prioritize your tasks on your own
C. Figure they didn't tell you for a reason -- you'll be able to figure it out as you go
D. Quit. If the company neglects to give you a job description or tell you how you're doing, then of how much value can you really be to them?

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 5 of 10

If you don't know exactly how you're being evaluated or aren't receiving feedback on any of your projects, you should…

You're right! A. March right on up to your boss and ask is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is A. March right on up to your boss and ask.

You absolutely need to know what is expected of you, or else you will spend all your time worrying and wondering about your performance. If the company doesn't give you a formal job description, then ask your boss what his or her main priorities are for you and write those down.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 6 of 10

You took down any inappropriate pictures on Facebook when you were on the job hunt. But now that you've landed the gig, what should you do with your page?

A. Make it your professional page, too
B. You can put the pictures back up -- just don't "friend" any of your co-workers
C. Continue to refrain from posting anything inappropriate
D. You don't need to worry about what you post now that you have a job

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 6 of 10

You took down any inappropriate pictures on Facebook when you were on the job hunt. But now that you've landed the gig, what should you do with your page?

You're right! C. Continue to refrain from posting anything inappropriate is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is C. Continue to refrain from posting anything inappropriate.

Just because you're now a valuable employee doesn't mean that your boss won't continue to check in on your social networks. Unlike in college, you now have your professional -- and your company's --reputation to protect. As a general rule, do not post anything on Facebook or Twitter that you would not say or show to your boss in person.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 7 of 10

When you're in your first job, it is inappropriate to...

A. Continue networking outside of the company
B. Find activities outside of the company that will strengthen your resume
C. Think of your position as a jumping off point for the rest of your career
D. Set individual goals for yourself, in addition to what the company wants you to accomplish
E. None of the above

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

iStockphoto

Question 7 of 10

When you're in your first job, it is inappropriate to...

You're right! E. None of the above is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is E. None of the above.

Very few of us get where we ultimately want to be in the first year of our careers, so you want to try to avoid just settling into your position. Keep your eye on the future and your long-term career goals. While doing everything you can to help your company, you should continue to network -- both inside and outside of the office -- and make sure that you're building your resume as much as possible.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 8 of 10

You and another colleague are working together on a project. He or she proposes something to your boss without telling you and makes you look bad. How should you react?

A. The competition is on; you don't want your boss to think you're slacking, so you think of another proposal and spring it on your colleague at the next meeting
B. Shake it off -- you're new, and your colleague probably just forgot to tell you
C. Complain to your boss about your catty colleague
D. Talk to your colleague about it; then try to come up with another great idea, but let your team member in on the plan

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

iStockphoto

Question 8 of 10

You and another colleague are working together on a project. He or she proposes something to your boss without telling you and makes you look bad. How should you react?

You're right! D. Talk to your colleague about it; then try to come up with another great idea, but let your team member in on the plan is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is D. Talk to your colleague about it; then try to come up with another great idea, but let your team member in on the plan.

Don't compete. Particularly when you're new to a job, you want to fit in with the company and learn its culture. If your colleagues immediately see you as somebody who is not a team player, they'll have a more difficult time accepting you into their fold in the future. At the same time, you don't want to just ignore the problem and risk being seen as a doormat. First impressions are absolutely critical in a new job.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Question 9 of 10

You hear a couple of co-workers complaining about another colleague at lunch. What should you do?

A. You can't stand them either! Join right in
B. Walk away. Avoid office politics, if you can
C. Join them, listen, but don't participate
D. Go tell your boss

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

iStockphoto

Question 9 of 10

You hear a couple of co-workers complaining about another colleague at lunch. What should you do?

You're right! C. Join them, listen, but don't participate is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is C. Join them, listen, but don't participate.

As noted earlier, it is very important to get to know the culture of the organization: Who has the most power, what makes some people more successful than others, which one of your colleagues complains or gossips the most? While you want to participate in office politics as little as possible, you also want to know the ins and outs so you can surround yourself with positive people and stay away from Negative Nancy.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

iStockphoto

Question 10 of 10

It's appropriate to socialize with your colleagues outside of work. True or false?

A. True
B. False

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

iStockphoto

Question 10 of 10

It's appropriate to socialize with your colleagues outside of work. True or false?

You're right! A. True is correct.

Sorry, wrong! is incorrect.

The right answer is A. True.

While there are boundaries to mingling outside of the office, definitely get to know some of your co-workers in a nonwork setting. It will give you the chance to show a different, more casual side of yourself, and it's also comforting to see that your colleagues, including your boss, are real people, too. Just don't get too drunk at a work happy hour or bad-mouth your boss to your new associates.

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Quiz

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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Quiz | December 2011

How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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How Well Can You Navigate Your First Weeks at a New Job?

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