MAKING A SUCCESS OF YOUR FIRST YEAR AT WORK

Matt Evans Managing Director, Talent Acquisition at JP Morgan gives his views

As Head of Talent Acquisition for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Global Asset & Wealth Management at JP Morgan, I lead recruiting teams responsible for running several school leaver programs and onboarding a significant number of graduates and experienced external hires every year.

The bullet points below are just a few of the tips I would pass on to those starting a new job or even moving to a new company. There are plenty of other things to think about, but the list highlights a few of the most important in my view.

 Be realistic, accept you are new to working life and the company. Give yourself time to learn the culture, be inquisitive and do not be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a “stupid” question and the more you ask, the more you learn. You must show you are interested, keen to learn/develop and eager to progress.

 Be ready for feedback – in the workplace you will (hopefully!) find a culture of continual feedback. This is designed to help everyone improve. Be sure to take it in the way it is intended, it’s not there to offend or upset you, it’s there to help you grow. You will be managed proactively against objectives so understand your deliverables and over-deliver. At JP Morgan I receive formal, written feedback on a twice-yearly basis BUT more importantly, I receive daily / weekly feedback from peers, my clients, and my team.

 Be open to every opportunity – as a new starter, you’ll naturally get some attention and people will want to know more about you or the programme you’re on. That tends to lead to people giving you opportunities to get involved in things beyond your day-to-day. Whether that’s extra work projects or outside work social-type events. Get involved as much as you can with extracurricular activities/ opportunities. It is a great way to build your “brand” and add value to the company.

 Build your network and look for mentors – it’s all about networking and you can start this from day 1. Think about what you want to know more about and find people who can tell you about it. Don’t just use networking or mentoring as a chat – have a purpose to it.

 Communicate professionally – and figure out what channel is appropriate for what message. Are you just providing info? Then maybe an email is the way to go. Is there a discussion needed? If so, schedule a meeting but have minutes and actions with clearly defined deliverables, owners and delivery dates. Also, not everything has to be done on zoom….don’t forget the impact of a face-to-face meeting.

 Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but don’t hide them either – mistakes don’t age well but a good firm will never be overly harsh with you if it’s an honest mistake made once – ultimately that could be because the training wasn’t good enough! Do not be afraid to look for relevant changes and suggestions for innovation….we don’t hire people to accept the status quo, we hire people to help us move forward.

 Understand how to best manage your wellbeing in the new company culture. This is hugely important to all employers, but you must take responsibility for your own situation and be clear on what works best for you.

Best wishes,

Matt Evans, Managing Director, Talent Acquisition

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful and I’m happy to receive suggestions to enhance my list. Good luck in your new role and don’t forget to keep an eye on relevant opportunities at JP Morgan!!

https://careers.jpmorgan.com/

I really enjoyed my time at LWC, whilst my mates were considering University, I realised that I would be more suited to taking a more vocational course, which is why I joined the Royal Navy to undertake a degree apprenticeship in engineering.

It’s given me the opportunity to gain valuable engineering skills by working alongside experienced and highly trained colleagues, whilst gaining my degree at Portsmouth University. In your first year of work, I would definitely recommend speaking to as many people as possible; asking as many questions as you can as that’s the best way to learn and build on your knowledge.