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How Entry-Level Employees Can Stay Positive

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Entry-level employees often face several challenges as they begin their careers. A lack of experience can lead to confusion about how to navigate the professional world. This can create the feeling that they lack guidance and recognition.

Steve Gilliland is a motivational speaker whose books and keynote addresses contain a wealth of tips for entry-level employees. While his insights and practical direction can be helpful at every level, professionals who are just starting out can benefit from learning how to recognize and capitalize on advancement opportunities. These obstacles can be particularly difficult for entry-level employees in workplaces with high levels of competition for jobs and a focus on performance and productivity.

Check out this blog post that explains how to deal with conflict resolution in a diplomatic and lasting way. These skills can take years to accumulate, but with Steve’s helpful suggestions, and a variety of other resources by this famous motivational speaker, workers don’t need to wait that long to understand the workings of the corporate world.

Having a Vision and Believing in It

Workers making their professional debut often arrive highly enthusiastic and committed, but without experience, it can be difficult for them to demonstrate their skills and value. This can lead to a lack of confidence and self-doubt, an instant downfall for their passion. However, if you step into the workplace with a strong sense of where you want to go and a personal vision for yourself, you’ll be self-doubt-proof.

A vision helps you to identify your strengths and passions. By thinking about your long-term goals and what you want to achieve in your career, you identify the areas where you excel and the things that truly excite and drive you. This is incredibly powerful, as it allows you to focus on building a career that is meaningful and fulfilling to you.

Once you have identified your strengths and passions, you can use this knowledge to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.

An architect making a sketch

It’s easy to get sidetracked or discouraged when working toward long-term goals, but smaller ones can help you feel in control even when the going gets tough. Your early years in the workforce are vital for developing your values and priorities, so the more focused you are, the more focused they’ll be.

You can begin to plan for the future strategically and proactively. This might involve investing in education or training, networking, or simply speaking to your superior about taking on more responsibility. Although you might not realize it, you’ll make the most of your time and resources.

Along with that, the world of work, and every industry within it, is constantly changing. While new employees might know this, they might be unprepared for its impact on them. When you know you want to achieve, it can help you stay resilient and flexible in the face of change and give you the confidence to embrace new opportunities.

Say Goodbye to the Fear of Failure

Many entry-level employees are expected to learn on the job without much guidance or mentorship. This can be frustrating and overwhelming, particularly for those trying to understand a new industry or field. The best motivational speakers in the world will remind audiences that while there’s nothing wrong with feeling afraid, it’s always better to act and fail rather than do nothing and play it safe.

Employee speaking to superiors at an event

Taking risks in your career can be intimidating, but it is also essential for personal and professional growth. By stepping outside your comfort zone and trying new things, you can expand your skills and experiences and open yourself up to a quicker learning process. Here are some tips for entry-level employees on how to approach risky moves:

Take Calculated Risks

While it is important to embrace challenges and practice your problem-solving skills, it’s also important to be strategic and mindful. As a new employee, only risk what you know how to recover, which means start small and work your way up. Before making a big decision or taking a significant risk, consider all potential outcomes and weigh the pros and cons.

Be Upfront with Your Superiors About Your Intentions

If your superiors don’t sign off on something, it’s best to let it go, no matter how strongly you feel about it. No amount of success can make up for an untrustworthy employee. Being open to criticism and being honest are two important qualities that can make you more likable in the workplace. Coworkers and superiors will feel comfortable giving you input that’ll be valuable.

This can help to foster a sense of trust and respect and can make you a valuable resource to your colleagues. When you demonstrate your integrity and your commitment to doing the right thing, it almost always pays off. Even if you weren’t given the go-ahead to take on tasks from the get-go, building trust will get you there.

Identify Your Goals and Values

Before taking risks in your career, prioritizing can give you the direction you need to make it count.

Seek Out New Challenges

One of the best ways to take risks in your career is to seek new experiences that push you out of your comfort zone. This might involve taking on an unfamiliar task at work or learning new skills. You can expand your skill set and hone your abilities by capitalizing on growth opportunities.

Learn from Failure

Taking risks in your career will sometimes fail, which is impossible to rule out. While it’s tempting to avoid failure at all costs, professional speakers emphasize that the benefits of recognizing failure as an opportunity for learning and growth will empower you to lean into your ambitions. When you fail, take the time to reflect on what you learned and how you can apply those lessons in the future.

A new hire suggesting a plan

Don’t Throw Yourself into Work

Your love for your field might tempt you to stay at work day and night, with prospects being new and exciting. While this might be enjoyable and make it easier for you to keep on top of your work, avoid making it a habit. As advised by inspirational and motivational speakers, a balanced approach to your career will help you progress professionally and maintain a healthy mindset.

For starters, you’re more likely to be focused and productive. This is because you won’t become overly stressed by taking time to recharge and refocus. As a result, you can tackle tasks and projects with energy, which will be far more effective than time. When you are overwhelmed, it can be difficult to think clearly and make sound judgments. Regular breaks and a good routine make you better able to think things through and make smart decisions.

You’ll build strong relationships with your colleagues, clients, and supervisors, too. Being well-rested will be a major factor in your propensity for being patient and understanding with others. Doing too much work continuously has been shown to negatively affect overall well-being, and you can often fall into this trap before realizing it.

Coworkers shaking hands

When you’re overburdened, it takes a toll on your mental and physical health. Remember, when you’re developing long-term success and happiness, you can’t expect to fast-track the process.

Create Your Own Creative Outlet

If your work isn’t already creative, find a way to apply your creative thinking. All companies value innovation and new ways of thinking, so whether it’s adjustments to a supply-chain process or a more efficient way of documenting, find ways to execute it.

Creativity in the workplace is one of the larger contributors to job satisfaction. When employees develop new ideas and create value, they’re likely to experience a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work. Creativity will also help one stand apart from the crowd, earning appreciation for their meaningful contribution to the organization.

In addition, creativity creates a positive and supportive work environment by demonstrating the strength of shared ideas. Business motivational speakers highlight the importance of a workplace where competition is second to support.

By setting an example, you might open up teammates to the idea of collaboration, meaning you’ll have access to more support. This is extremely helpful for employees working remotely or in isolated roles, as it instills a sense of community and connection.

Employee presenting to the team

To learn more about how to streamline and optimize your induction into the business world, check out these books by the top business speaker Steve Gilliland at his onlinestore. His material is even available as Motivation Bites, short, bite-sized videos that can be downloaded and played on the go. As a funny speaker for conferences, his virtual and in-person appearances have helped companies worldwide develop a healthier company culture.

If you’d like to experience this Hall of Fame motivational speaker firsthand, click here to book Steve.

“After you spoke at our Leadership Summit, I remember saying to you, ‘It would be great if we could start every week having you motivate our employees.’ Motivation Bites is the answer. WOW and thank you!”   – Don Lloyd II, CEO, St. Claire Healthcare

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