HR leaders share their tips for early career success

HR leaders and recruiters reveal the secrets to early career success

February 13, 2024 5:30 AM

A group of employees gathering around a computer and smiling.

Upon entering the workforce, young workers are often eager to make the most of every opportunity they get. But they still need a little help figuring out where to start.

In 2024, Gen Zers will make up more of the workforce than baby boomers, according to a forecast report from job search website Glassdoor. What's more, 92% of Gen Z employees said they were considering moving on from their current jobs in 2024, according to a survey from job search platform LinkedIn, which means it has never been more important for young professionals to set themselves up for success.

Yet while it's the perfect time to experiment and some missteps are a given, without a good understanding of how every stage of the employment process works, these young employees risk setting themselves — and their careers — back unnecessarily.

"When they're early in their career, people often feel like they need to prove themselves and avoid making mistakes," Kirsten Moorefield, co-founder of automated coaching platform Cloverleaf, said in an interview with EBN earlier this year. "But if they approach it that way, they're just going to be stressed out and disappointed in themselves because that's when you're guaranteed to make mistakes — it's how they learn from them that matters."

The first few years after entering the workforce are pivotal for a young employee — it's where they learn how to navigate the recruiting process, adapt to new environments, learn what they do and don't like and define what they want their careers to look like as they advance.

From avoiding resume red flags and making a good first impression, to tips on how to thrive in a new role and the importance of soft skills, here are some of EBN's most recent and relevant pieces of early career advice:

Tidy up your resume

A resume is all that stands between a candidate and the reject pile, but there are a few key changes applicants can make to stay in the clear.

Career resource platform Resume Genius recently published its list of Worst Resume Red Flags of 2023, in an effort to help job seekers take a second look at their resume writing habits before submitting their applications to companies and inviting recruiters' scrutiny.

"Red flags on a resume aren't a deal breaker — they're more like little warning signs," says Eva Chan, a career expert at Resume Genius. "Job seekers just need to be aware that there are things on a resume that an employer might ask about, should they proceed to move forward with you. So it's just something that you should be prepared to explain."

Read more:

9 resume red flags that scare off recruiters

Make a good impression

Only about 20% of applicants make it to the interview round in the application process, according to training and learning platform Simplilearn, so it's important to make the time in front of recruiters count. Resume Genius recently listed a guide to help job seekers navigate their interviews successfully.

"Interviews offer a chance to really connect with the employer — beyond just a candidate's resume, cover letter, or portfolio," says Chan. "In 2024, we're seeing more layoffs and competition in the job market, and employers are going to be choosier about who they hire, which means prioritizing professionalism during an interview can significantly impact your success in securing a position."

Read more:

4 ways to make a good impression in a job interview

Don't forget about your soft skills

Everyone knows that common hard skills such as language or marketing experience matter to employees. But what about soft options like creativity or communication skills?

Forty-eight percent of companies are looking to expand on existing skill sets within their workforce, according to name generation platform Business Name Generator's recent survey. In order to do that, 84% of employees and managers believe new employees must possess soft skills when entering the workforce, and to make it easy on both parties, the platform listed those most in demand.

"The introduction of new technologies like AI has catalyzed the shift in demand for specific skills, requiring employees to deepen their existing skill sets or acquire new ones," Katrina Haggarty, a spokesperson from Business Name Generator, said in a release. "Many of these will be soft skills — the personal attributes and non-technical skills that describe how people work and interact with others."

Read more:

The 11 most in-demand soft skills

Figure out how to thrive in new positions

While starting in a new position is often a new opportunity to advance their career, many employees still worry they'll struggle to do well in new roles, especially in the wake of hybrid and remote work, and the new skills needed to navigate the workplace.

To help new hires find their footing, Moorefield shared a few tips they can rely on.

"The focus comes back to relationships," she says. "Who do new hires go to when they need something and they're just learning the ropes? How do they most effectively plug into the people around them when they're new in a remote or hybrid setting?"

Read more:

Starting a new job? A career coach shares 3 tips to thrive

Don't let rejection keep you from succeeding

Rejection is arguably one of the largest challenges a young professional will face in the early days of their career, and knowing how to react can be the key to moving forward successfully.

Sarah Doody, the CEO of a career strategy and coaching program, shared how applicants can cope with unfavorable outcomes, and her strategies for how they can better position themselves in the future.

"Rejection is an inevitable and uncomfortable part of the job search," she says. "If you don't learn how to handle rejection in your job search, you risk losing a lot of time and energy second-guessing yourself as a candidate and trying to understand why you didn't get hired. Spoiler alert: sometimes you'll never know."

Read more:

How to keep rejection from stunting your job search