First Week-Do's

Be a Kickass Assistant: How to Get from a Grunt Job to a Great Career
by Heather Beckel

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What to Do and What Not to Do

Your first few weeks on the job will be stressful, as there will be a lot to learn. And at the risk of increasing your stress, you need to be aware that you'll be creating a first impression that will stick with you-not just with your immediate boss, but with everyone else you come in contact with. The following are some guidelines of things to do and not to do at work, especially during the first couple of weeks at your new job.

First Week-Do's

• Admit mistakes and apologize if necessary. You're going to make mistakes; don't allow your pride to stop you from admitting to them. It's always better to admit to having made a mistake early, and ask for help in fixing it, than to wait until the mistake is discovered (and it will be discovered). When a mistake is discovered you'll look more foolish than if you owned up to it in the first place, and it will be harder to fix the mess you made.

• Pay attention to the details. You'll succeed or fail as an assistant because of your ability to pay attention to details.

• Answer questions directly, don't ramble. Give the most succinct and honest answer possible when asked a question.

• Listen and watch during your training period. You won't be expected to perform as an assistant, so spend all your energy paying attention to what is happening around you and learning.

• Take a lot of notes during your training period and first few weeks on the job because you'll be absorbing a lot of information, and you'll forget things.

• Be very political. Watch what you say and how you behave with everyone. It will take you some time to understand all the relationships within the organization where you're working, and in the meanwhile you don't want to form allegiances or insult anyone. Trust no one and do not open up to anyone; offices are full of backstabbers. Avoid cliques, or you could quickly get labeled in a way that you'll later regret.

• Speak softly. Someone who talks loudly is annoying and noticeable in a negative way. (There is always someone like this in every office. She invariably sits in a cubicle, so everyone around her is forced to listen to her phone conversations and has trouble concentrating on their own work.) Speaking softly is not only thoughtful, it adds to the impression of calm that you want to present in your office.

• Plan time alone in the office as soon as possible, after your training period, to go through everything and take ownership of the space. This will give you a sense of confidence.

• Dress simply. You don't want your clothes to be noticed or remembered. Once you have established yourself and earned respect, you'll have more latitude (depending on your industry and company) to express yourself through your dress.

• Introduce yourself to everyone you come in contact with, no matter his or her status in the company. First impressions are very important, and to do your job well you will need relationships with everyone from the person who delivers the mail to the CEO. You may find that people aren't particularly friendly toward you, but don't let that intimidate you: Take the initiative and introduce yourself to others. In a perfect world, everyone would be coming up to you to say “hello” and to welcome you but it rarely works out that way.

• Use your last name when introducing yourself; it makes you appear serious and grown-up.

• Pay attention to the way everyone behaves. Learn the unspoken rules of what is appropriate and what isn't in your new environment. For example, do junior-level employees leave the office for lunch, and if so, for how long are they gone? Do boyfriends and girlfriends stop by the office to visit their partners?

• Smile a lot. Smiling makes you appear happy to be there, and approachable. A grump is hard to integrate into the team.

• Make eye contact with people you're talking to. Making eye contact shows confidence and honesty.

• Say “please,” “thank you,” and “you're welcome.”

• Be helpful to the former assistant as she continues to run the office, while training you.

• Be prepared to stay late while you're in training and during the first weeks on your new job. You should never leave the office before your boss.

• Arrive early on your first day on your own, after your training period. You'll need some time alone to get comfortable with your surroundings before the business day starts.

• Stay calm-take deep breaths if necessary.

• Look at the newspaper headlines before you arrive at work. At the most dramatic, it is possible that your boss, company, or industry will be involved in some breaking news that will affect your day. In any regard, it is a good habit to get into, so that you are aware of the world outside your office.

• Err on the side of caution when making decisions. Until you know your boss's personality well, and understand her and the company's goals, it's better to make cautious decisions.

Copyright © 2002 by Heather Beckel

About the Author

HEATHER BECKEL was the executive and personal assistant to George Stephanopoulos during the Clinton 1992 campaign and during the president's first term in office. She owns a restaurant in Connecticut and currently works in public relations for a luxury bath company.