Practical career advice for new AEC graduates on landing a great job and accelerating early career success.
You got that degree. One you worked hard for. It’s either a four- or five-year degree in architecture, or an engineering degree in civil, mechanical, or electrical. Or maybe you are one of the rare birds who graduated from one of the handful of A/E programs we have in this country.
Your first task is to find a job.
Where? My advice to all students, regardless of discipline, is the same. Decide where you want to live and what type of firm you want to work for and start developing options. I say “where you want to live” because once you start putting down roots and developing local knowledge and a local network it’s hard to reestablish yourself somewhere else. I’m not saying we all can’t change our minds about where we want to live, but give it your best shot early to get there instead of wasting time somewhere you know you don’t want to live.
And as far as what type of firm you want to work for, I would check out winners of Zweig Group’s Hot Firm List (rapidly growing firms) and Best Firms To Work For. A rising tide lifts all ships and those deemed “best places to work” are probably better than those not. Another resource for identifying firms is the Inc. 500/5,000 list of fastest-growing privately-held companies that comes out every year. I think we could all agree that rapidly growing businesses probably create more opportunities for people than stagnant or slow-growth firms.
Once you get that first post-graduation job in the location you want and in a firm that seems like it would be a good place to work, here are some of my recommendations. Most of these were written in my 2019 Walton Insights blogpost, “Confessions of an Entrepreneur: What New Graduates Should Do in Their First Job to Be Successful,” and still hold true today:
- Learn about the company you work in. It is shocking to me how many new employees don’t know anything about the business they are working for. When was it founded and by whom? What are the major strategies? What is the firm’s history and what events inside and out shaped what the firm is today? Where is the firm going now? Who are the people at the top and what are their backgrounds? Knowing all of this information will help you be more engaged and informed, both good signs to an employer.
- Be willing to learn how the company wants you to do something before making suggestions on how to change things. This is a hard but necessary lesson to learn. There may be good reasons things should change. But there may also be good reasons for why they are being done the way they are currently. When you are new, you lack the perspective that comes from experience. It takes time to gain that experience. New grads who are too quick to find fault with the ways they are being told to do things may look arrogant to supervisors. I have observed this problem in a number of entry-level college graduates. You don’t want to look arrogant.
- Be responsive. Return all calls and emails promptly, including those that come in after hours. I have found often, the higher up you go in the organizational hierarchy, the quicker people respond. There is little those in management appreciate more than someone who responds quickly and seems like they are more conscientious and interested in their work than other employees.
- Work a lot of hours and put in your face time. Even though most of us can work from afar thanks to the electronic tether of our cell phones and computers, there’s no substitute for being there. Being the first person in the office and one of the last to go shows that you are all-in and want to get ahead. While I am aware there is much more to life than work, lots of hours early in your career can pay huge dividends later. Chances are, this is the point in life when you have fewer outside obligations and can put in the hours. Take advantage of that time because there will come a day when you can’t work so much. Work ethic – and, perhaps even more importantly, the impression of it – are critical to your early recognition and success.
- Watch what you put on social media. Remember that your boss or bosses are probably on social media just like you. Sharing your political ideology – no matter how passionate you are about it – can easily backfire as we live in a divided and polarized society. Gross or bad taste humor can reflect poorly on you. Too many posts showing the parties you have been to or vacations you are going on can look bad to your superiors. And if you are having doubts about your career or problems at work, don’t put that out there!
- Don’t post to social media during the work day. I know for a fact that managers notice and comment about their employees who post on social media during work hours, and the comments aren’t positive. Don’t be someone who looks like they aren’t working while you are being paid to work.
- Stay off your cell phone at work (unless it is work related). I have waited in the office of a newer graduate to speak to them about a critical work matter while they stayed on a personal phone call way too long. I have also walked clients through the office while an employee was on a personal call within earshot and who knew we were standing there, and the employee didn’t get off the phone. It was not a good impression!
- Form relationships outside of your department or work unit. Some people (those who probably won’t get ahead) might call it “brown-nosing,” but the fact is you need relationships with people outside of your work group, especially those at a higher level. You need to be known as someone who is friendly, smart, and willing to put yourself on the line – and having relationships with other people outside your immediate supervisor and work group is crucial to that. Plus, you will have a more well-rounded view of the company you work for.
- Show you are a team player. Help others even when you don’t need to. Don’t complain about the other guy. Give credit to your coworkers when you get recognized. All of this and more is critical to being viewed as someone who is a team player, and management wants more people who can get along with the other people in the firm.
- Learn about business. Yes, it is important to keep up with what’s happening in your professional discipline, but building your business skills will probably get you ahead faster in your career as they are more rare in people with educations in technical and design disciplines.
- Join your professional societies such as AIA and ASCE or ASME, IEEE, and ASHRAE, and get involved in trade groups such as ULI and NAOIP. Each of these organizations and others can provide you with continuing education and networking opportunities. Volunteer. Get on a committee. Pursue a leadership role.
So there you have it. If you think this list would be helpful to anyone you know, please pass it on. Or supplement it with your own best advice!
Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.