The credibility dilemma for young people entering the the hypercompetitive workforce is an incredibly frequent problem. To be successful young workers with little previous experiences in a given filed need to be seen as credible before they have had the opportunity to start building their expertise. This the big paradox or entering the job environment as it seems that you need to have already covered the ground before even having started working. For young and less experienced professionals, it is essential though to overcome this challenge. Getting a fast start in your career will help you gain access to experiences and opportunities that will get you noticed as “high potential” and be given the chance to learn and grow in your career.
But, how can the credibility paradox be solved?
The Brandeis University’s Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership is studying this exact problem and the first findings suggest it may be less complicated than what we think. Young people have more resources than they expect to overcome their experience deficit. They can take direct actions to compensate for and build the expertise they lack.
From the research here there are 5 useful activities that a young professional can adopt to jump-start his/her career.
1. Leverage your research skills. One of the best ways to stand out in a corporate setting is to develop aunique knowledge that makes you a go-to resource for your colleagues and clients. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to analyze and master the job industry specific knowledge, trends and information. The fresher from universities studies you are the better it is as you have active a good set of research skills that you can use to explore the industry job requirements.
2. Identify and follow your specific contribution. Identify your strengths and your contribution values, which are the areas that you fell to do your best work? Think about the results that you have been praised for in the past, your most appreciated skills and the ones that you are proud of. Use the outcome of this self-exploration activity to produce a speech or a description that will help you to better present yourself within the job market. Also consider your personal background. For instance, you may not have worked in the industry or for the specific position that you are applying for but you might possess useful insights simply because of your cultural, geographic or demographic background.
3. Volunteer willingly. Don’t be afraid or underestimate the power of grit and determination on taking on some difficult assignments. It happened frequently that in a big or smaller team there are some “secondary” tasks that needs to be done to improve the performance of the company, but few people have time to do them (market analysis, surveys, product testing and much more), ensure yourself to have the skills to complete the tasks, an take over the possibility to make a quick impression as a reliable, smart and hard worker.
4. Manage your workload and communicate proactively. Even if knowledge and experience take time to cultivate you can in the meanwhile establish a reputation for reliability with you colleagues and superiors. Manage your commitments and workload wisely, learn to say no politely when you see that you are taking too much. Be proactive in communicating and don’t hesitate on asking questions. Bring every assignment to conclusion, reliability can compensate your lack of knowledge.
5. Work to build a network of close relationships. Create your network of reliable, trusted colleagues who will provide you with ongoing mentoring, advice and feedback as you progress in your job and career. Don’t be afraid of approaching to the ones that you admire the most even if they are managers or cover some top positions, most of the times they are more than happy to provide you with feedback tips and help, moreover someone who is willing to learn is always very appreciated within a company.
