The first year of your career
A few thoughts on how to make a great start to your career:
Be reliable. If you commit to having something done by 5pm on a Wednesday, get it done by 5pm on Wednesday. This alone will put you ahead of most people.
Get to know everyone in your team. Not just what they do, but who they are. A coffee is the best investment you can make.
Figure out what is really required for advancement. Often, only a few things really matter. Figure out what they are, get really good at them, and cut back on everything else.
Don’t overcommit. People notice the quality of your work more than the amount of work you do. See this blog for more on working smart.
Communicate problems early. Try to solve a problem yourself for a sensible period of time. But then flag the issue without delay, so that relevant people are aware and you have time to solve it together.
Plan your day. The most important decision in any given day is what you choose to spend time on. Make this the first thing you do each morning.
Run to the biggest problem in any team. The expectation bar is low, but the value bar is tremendously high.
Write everything down. You’ll thank me later.
Further reading:
All the Evidence-based Advice We Found on how to be Successful in Any Job, 80,000 Hours