Many new workers try to appear more knowledgeablethan they really are. They don’t ask questions. They think they need to have answers to be valuable to their organizations, and they can’t admit to a lack of experience or understanding. They compensate for their lack of confidence with overconfidence. But here’s the secret: They’re not fooling anyone! No one expects you to know everything in your first job, and you learn and grow faster when you seek real understanding, ask questions, and petition for help. Rather than faking it, make it by acknowledging the skills and experience of your colleagues at work and using your first job or internship as a learning experience.
One of the best things about a new job is the incrediblelearning experience it provides. Every single person you’ll work with in your new position —from the receptionist to the CEO —can teach you something valuable, and each of them can be a friend and mentor in your career. Many of the happiest and most successful people I know constantly ask questions and seek guidance from everyone around them. Your office is full of intelligent, thoughtful, and experienced people. Get to know them. Treat them with respect. Ask them questions. Learn from them. And have fun in the process.
Hard work can be at least as important as talent to professionalsuccess. The 10,000 hour rule, for example, maintains that to truly master a skill, a person must put in 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. And nothing signals seriousness to your employer like promptness, perseverance, and dedication. Over the long run, diligence will earn you the respect of your colleagues.