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Teach Me Office Policy
1 (a madar)

Hi everyone. Since it's my first company experience could you educate me about office policy.

I have been hired as a design engineer in a group that most people are very experienced. I am doing OK. and getting paid as a new hire. I have a nice boss but the project that I am working on is between two groups. I feel that the other group is not very happy and sometimes I hear their complains. The reason is that they expected their boss to hire a well experienced person. It's getting into me. What is your feedback?

Thanks,

2 (a madar)

Hi

In a new job specially that you are not experienced it is very easy to get anxious about what others are thinking all the time. The fact that the other group are grumbling that your boss didn't go for an experienced person is not your problem. When your boss hired YOU over anybody else, he wasn't thinking (I hope) that she looks nice, he was thinking she can do the job. So be confident, believe in yourself and you can do anything. Stop second guessing what others are thinking of you, as I said in an earlier email, the best way to assess is to be honest with yourself and if there are any weaknesses don't deny them or blame them on others, improve YOU.

Some tips to success in work place

- Confidence in your abilities (this will build up as you become more experienced)
- Self assessment, be honest and always try to improve
- Impressing the right people (includes your boss and people who would make a difference to your career), Don't care too much if a grumpy technician is not happy with you, he ain't doing the promotions is he.
- Never take criticisms personally, valid criticisms should be welcomed and a way for you to improved
- Always admit mistakes, but never leave a situation unexplained if it ain't your fault.
- Meet deadlines (Never submit to unrealistic deadlines, it looks good when you submit to it but looks 1000x worse when you miss it than if you asked for more time in the first place)
- Think and act like the owner of the business, after all they are paying you to make money for them, so anything you can do that has an impact on their cash flow (I mean in a positive way), then be sure they will notice you.

Hope these are helpful

Good luck

3 (a madar)

Goosd Job : )

I could not agree more .
I am so proud of Madar Pedar.
In this cold morning I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to be there for each other, because it makes such a big difference .
You all have a Magical Day
4 (a madar)

Hi!

I bet you that the other group would have complained anyway even if your boss hired an experienced person!! There are always some group of people at work area (no matter what type of work area it is) who like to complain. They're not happy for some other reason that has nothing to do with you. I think there are different ways to handle this situation but if I were you, I would just ignore them and try to be positive and happy about my life and work. Pretty soon you'll find some good friends at work, and the other group will find some other subject to complain about. Be honest and do your best to do your job and at the same time take care of yourself! Being new is not always easy, there are always some dishonest people at work who might blame the problems on the "new person"!

Good luck!

5 (madar # 1)

Thank you very much. I always appreciate your comments.

Please send your replies and/or opinions regarding this subject to madar-pedar@surya.eecs.berkeley.edu.

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