Starting next week in consumer goods coverage

Tips on what to do on the first day/week starting at a BB in ER?

Most of my friends say is just about IT stuff but would like to know if there's anything that would leave a good first impression.

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Can’t believe I have to type this stuff but our new hire (~30 year old MBA) hit the desk a few weeks ago at my BB and manages to F up incredibly hard every day. Here are little non-IQ related things to keep in mind:

  1. Check-in before signing off at EOD (at the beginning). Throw your seniors and juniors a bone and at least attempt to reach out before taking your leash off. Just type out the usual “hey wrapping things up on my end you all good?” Actually, fuck it - maybe give someone a ring. Voices are cool to. Phase this out over time.

  2. Don’t have a rebuttal for every single piece of criticism or learning exercise. Sometimes, just listen, take notes (mentally/paper), and say thank you. If u know it, great. If u don’t, idc. I just don’t want to hear about it either way. And def don’t want to hear your sad attempt at connecting “things”

  3. Don’t be a hardo out of the gate trying to “improve” everything you touch. Follow formats. Stick to the status quo. Then, after establishing some sort of freedom and control over a process, feel free to jack up the underlying procedure and formats. Not my responsibility anymore.

  4. Chyll on the formal emails. Find some middle ground between a well punctuated novel written in the 1700s and the MD who gives no fucks when he sends 3 word emails. There is a middle ground. Normal people use it and you should to.

  5. When your boss/senior/junior give u a deadline in “3 days” - maybe take a stab at gettin-her-done early. Ya know, check-in on day 2 to be sure u are on the right track with group expectations/formats/systems/naming convention. Don’t jam people 5 mins before the deadline when it is convenient for you and when there is no time to correct it. Everyone hates surprises.

  6. Chyll on the personal texting. I know we live in corona69 era but I don’t know you, don’t care about your IT issues, and prly won’t respond either way. Keep your work questions and daily notifications in your email/chat until u establish an actual social relationship with me.

End rant

 

Looks like a classic case of an MBA associate from what I heard, hahaha. I will try my best not to make the same mistakes, but in Corona times how do you feel about the social part, it's best to just be professional without much small talk? A friend of mine recommended I at least try to schedule a 15~ min call with everyone that I will be working the most with to introduce myself and to show I am available to help, you think that it is too much?

 

It definitely isn’t easy. Just er on the side of less is more. That has always been my style. Not a bad idea to reach out to a few people over the first few weeks to catch up. Let them do the talking and don’t waste time with small talk. Maybe try to tie in some sort of common ground so it doesn’t come across as random or “weird”. “Hey XYZ saw you Cc’d on a few emails and we spoke on the ABC call. Not trying to kill too much of your time just wanted to introduce myself and put a voice to the name.” The talkative types will carry on with a 30 min convo and the busy/standoffish tougher types will ask the usual questions, wrap it up, and appreciate it next time u send em an email. Short n sweet. Save the sob stories.

 

#3 kills me, it's unbelievable. This is the biggest mistake new employees make. Let's generalize this point further -- unless you are a very senior hire (and if you are, you aren't posting on WSO for advice), no one cares about your opinions on day 1. You have no political capital, and you have shown no evidence that your work can be trusted. This covers everything from process and formatting to your investment pitches. In your first year at a new job, your role is not to convince your boss on how to change things. It's to fit into the team's way of working.

Everyone hates the person who has five ways of "optimizing a process" their first week on the job. Everyone hates the person who shows up to their first investment pitch meeting with an idea that goes against the grain of the CIO's worldview, or the ER associate who tells their boss to switch their rating from buy to sell. Lay low and learn how to fit into the team dynamic. Once you show you can operate well within the existing environment, you can slowly start to work in your own agenda, so to speak.

 

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