As you and all other new college graduates begin to enter the workforce and join your waiting employers, you can be assured that you are ready and capable of doing great things for yourselves, your families and your employers. You are ready to embrace the challenges that lie ahead, ready to move in the direction of your hopes and dreams and ready to accept the responsibilities that make your futures possible.

You’ve been selected by an employer that believes you can contribute to their success. Now, all you have to do is prove it. Along the way, it will be helpful for you to appreciate their history and anticipate the challenges that lie ahead. Although it may be a bit scary, you can get off to a good start, when you follow a few basic principles of success.

Make A Good First Impression - Smile! Be pleasant. Express an interest in your co-workers, in their work and in the company. Try to remember names and faces, so you can greet people properly the next time you meet. Go to lunch with a group of employees from your department. Since you are an unknown quantity, they want to find out what you are all about. Be ready to pitch in. However, understand that it may take you a while to learn the ropes.

Show Respect - The fastest way to lose your new job is to treat your supervisor, your co-workers or anyone else with a lack of respect. Regardless of the position they hold, everyone deserves to be treated with respect. It’s a fact that people at all levels can either help you or hurt you. When you treat people with respect, you will draw them to your side.

Find Out What Is Expected Of You - Show your supervisor that he/she made a good choice, when you were selected. As a new employee, you will be expected to prove yourself over and over again, until you have gained the confidence and respect of the people around you. It is very important to learn your job duties and your supervisor’s expectations. Although it is important to understand what you should do, it is just as important to learn what you should not do.

Learn Your Supervisor’s Likes and Dislikes - We all have preferences. Some of us have idiosyncrasies and peculiarities. Therefore, wise employees quickly learn about the preferences of their supervisors. Obviously, when you are able to give supervisors what they want, when they want it and the way they want it, it will be easier for you to find success. Keep in mind that you will be expected to make the adjustments, not your supervisor.

Listen Carefully And Observe The Way Things Are Done - There is a history to the way things are done within every company. Before you criticize the process and the methods, learn the history. Recognize that when you criticize the way something is being done, you may be criticizing the person who designed that process. Savvy employees not only find out how things are done but also why they are done that way and who was involved in the process design.

Pay Attention To The Unwritten Rules - Every employer has unwritten rules. The rules usually have to do with the things you are not allowed to do. Sometimes they come about because of the preferences and beliefs of a powerful executive. Wise employees follow those unwritten rules, in order to avoid the wrath of that executive.

Be Willing To Help Others - Most supervisors and employees appreciate a person who is willing to jump in, when there is a problem. You will be accepted more quickly, if you come to the rescue of one of your co-workers. Remember, the other employees are evaluating you. They are trying to figure out if they like you and whether they can trust you.

Listen To And Watch The Most Respected Employees - After you identify the most respected employees, you may want to model some of their behaviors and philosophies. They are respected for a reason. When you see their actions, learn the way they operate, hear their words and admire their accomplishments, you may very well have discovered a great role model and mentor.

In the beginning, your job is to be the best employee you can be. In that regard, you should be ready to solve problems, improve quality, save time, serve your customers, present a positive attitude and demonstrate your capabilities. When new employees embrace their jobs in this way, they will be rewarded with opportunities to reach their goals.

All new graduates hold their futures in their hands. They can do with those futures as they will. However, you and your fellow graduates all have the chance to do something and be something great. You can be a valued employee, a business owner and a great leader. You can create a faster computer chip, write an inspirational novel, teach the next generation of students or become a politician and a servant of the people. Therefore, for many reasons, we hold out great hope for you and wish you well in your first job.