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O P I N I O N
The new kid
S tarting a new job is intimidating. But starting a job – when you’re the first one to ever be hired for it at your firm – adds another level of stress. When your firm hires a young person to fill a newly created position, make sure you give them the support they need to grow into their role.
❚ ❚ Becoming a source of knowledge for others. Because your employee is the first hire within your division/group, they will ultimately become a go-to person. It’s incredibly important for them to be a knowledgeable source on as much as they can. It’s not as important to be an expert, but they should be able to listen, troubleshoot, research, and develop a plan. From my experience, I’ve been able to make many connections because I knew what I was talking about off the bat, or was able to follow through with my suggestions. It’s not always about having all the answers all at once, but encouraging your employee “Step one is to encourage them to get involved with other employees, to get to know people around their age, those who do something adjacent to their work, or other new hires.”
Last year, I was hired as Pennoni’s first GIS analyst within our technology solutions group. Our team specializes in several GIS-specific areas, including asset management, transportation, spatial analysis, and municipal GIS. This position was a huge step for me, coming from the world of academia as many younger employees do. Fortunately, I figured out how to forge my own path at Pennoni and have some tips for how your firm’s younger hires can do the same. ❚ ❚ Get involved. Starting as the first hire in a new division can be daunting. Your employee won’t have other direct co-workers, at least for a while, to bounce ideas off of at that Thursday happy hour. Step one is to encourage them to get involved with other employees, to get to know people around their age, those who do something adjacent to their work, or other new hires. By creating this network of in- dividuals, your employees will not only be creating friendships, but will start marketing their skills in a different way. This association will help your younger hires grow within the firm.
Julia Wolanski GUEST SPEAKER
See JULIA WOLANSKI, page10
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281
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