New hire with Latin honors given clerical tasks

I’m a recent graduate with top honors from a prestigious university. When I was hired by a major corporation, our department head assigned me to work in the back office, encoding and filing documents. After one month, I realized that management was not doing justice to my academic achievements. I’m planning to resign and look for another job. Is that a wise decision? — Pink Lotus.

Of course, not! Resigning from a job due to unfulfilled expectations would not bring you any happiness or career success, from both a short-term and long-term perspective. Don’t confuse a slow start with a dead end. At the very least, you should talk to your management about your concerns to be properly enlightened about your current situation.

Having an impeccable academic record from a top university but with zero corporate experience often leads to expectations that success must be instant and dramatic. It’s not as simple as that.

First, you should prove your worth by doing menial tasks and excelling at them. Efficiency is one gauge, but so is improving the work process, among other things.

At that early stage, you should not expect to lead a project team, manage an irate customer, or make a difficult decision for the department. You need to start at the bottom even if you think you don’t deserve it.

You must prove your worth in entry-level jobs and gradually move up with the help of consistent wins, big and small, along the way.

Therefore, if you’re not sure, you need to clarify management’s intentions. I’m sure they have a road map for all new employees. If there’s none, then create one for yourself and seek management approval. Some major industries, have a Management Development Program (MDP), which is often a career map for people singled out as having potential.

MDPs are typically one-year structured training programs to help young people achieve their full potential while trying to work their way up. It is beneficial for employers as it creates a pool of management talent whose potential is validated. They’re soon assigned to different departments, say, after three months or as soon as opportunities come in.

BE STRATEGICWhat should you do? Think long and hard. Keep your arrogance in check. Be humble but strategic. A resignation can give you the impression that you’re in control of your dreams. You may very well not be. It may not adversely affect your image on a resume to take a one to three-month break after graduation. But that’s not the point.

After all, being assigned to the back office is not permanent. In many cases, an MDP has a maximum one-year period, sometimes 15 months. There’s nothing to worry about. As soon as you’ve proven your interest and value, and there’s a job vacancy elsewhere, you’ll be assigned to an area of your choosing.

That’s on the condition that you pass the interview requirement imposed by those departments. In the meantime, do the following:

One, do a deep dive of the organization. Know personally the people who have the influence or power to move mountains. Discover the cultural dynamics and the unwritten corporate rules. Understand how and where the real value is created, and how that propels the career advancement of young professionals. 

Two, use your current assignment as a career laboratory. Learn how the business works. Find a connection between encoding and its impact on the business. Ask yourself: Why can’t we “assign” this job to customers using technology? Calculate the potential savings from dedicating your time and talent elsewhere. Better if you can think of a low-cost solution.

Three, build friendly, enduring, and warm ties. Impressing them with your academic credentials doesn’t matter unless you give them value as friends. Even if you possess unique skills in the organization, you’ll find yourself on the losing end if they see you as an opportunist.

Four, volunteer for difficult projects that matter. If there are none, busy yourself with low-hanging fruit. Make the small wins a launch pad for your career moves. What’s important is growing exponentially with small improvements. It’s the best way to leverage your talent over time.

ONE-YEAR TIMELINEGive yourself at least one year to discover the fit between you and the organization. Your formal performance appraisal may be due by that time. That’s assuming you’ve followed the advice of your boss. Most organizations do a periodic monthly one-on-one engagement dialogue. If that happens, that means you’re being closely monitored for something unacceptable.

If things don’t progress after one year, then plan your exit strategically. Start by sending out your resume to major organizations, preferably outside of your industry. Do it without emotion. Hatred can translate to a negative vibe that might derail your chances of getting a job elsewhere.

Bring Rey Elbo’s unique leadership program called Superior Subordinate Supervision to your organization. Send a DM on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com.