Proactivity Workplace Success Series - Part 2 (Copy)
Transitioning from a student to a full-time professional can be stressful for many international students. Based on my work with international students over the past few years, I identified 5 key skills that students need to develop to ensure workplace success.
These key skills are: Relationship Building, Proactivity, Negotiation, Visibility, and Networking Skills.
We’ve talked about Relationship Building in a previous blog. In this blog, we will focus on Proactivity.
Proactivity is a skill that’s highly valued in American culture and workplaces.
What does it mean to be “proactive?”
Being proactive is about thinking ahead, creating a plan of action, and taking steps to fulfill your plan.
In other words, if you are proactive, you are ready before something happens.
Taking initiative is what proactivity is all about.
Being proactive is not just about doing the tasks assigned to you well, but about thinking independently and strategically on things such as:
What else is needed?
How else can I help the company achieve its goals that are not already thought about?
What can I do to continue to develop my career?”
It’s the observation of “I’m new to this workplace and I’m not sure how to navigate the office dynamics with my colleagues and manager.” And the idea of how to resolve this issue, “I need to find a mentor, I need to make friends” as well as the actions to come up with a plan and execute it effectively.
So, how do you become proactive when you start working?
In this blog, we’ll be going over 5 tips on how to be proactive.
How to be proactive in the workplace
1. Apply the strengths that can benefit your career
When entering the US workplace, ask yourself, “What are my strengths? How can I apply my strengths to this job or internship in a way that would benefit my career development?”
Think strategically about what else you are going to do besides work at this company?
Think about what you want to learn as a person, versus as an employee, from working at the company.
For instance, some people are good at communication. An employee whose strength is in communication might actively seek opportunities to lead in meetings or be the leader in team-building seminars.
2. Get involved with projects that interest you
Part of being proactive in the U.S workplace is getting involved with projects that you’re interested in.
Don’t wait for your manager to discover your interests and assign you a task or a project accordingly.
If there is an upcoming project that you heard about and you feel you could apply your strengths or feel this could be an opportunity for you to develop more skills, speak with your manager, and ask them if you can be part of it. You might be surprised at how quickly you get a welcoming response.
By taking the initiative to get involved with projects, you show your colleagues and managers that you’re interested in doing more to help the company progress.
3. Seek mentorships
A mentor is someone you look up to or admire. When seeking a mentor, think of a person in your workplace, perhaps your boss or a senior colleague.
Before approaching someone to become your mentor, think about what you want to accomplish professionally in the next couple of years?
Do you want a mentor to teach you about some work processes they learned over the years?
Or do you want a mentor to talk to for career advice?
By having short-term goals with a mentor, you can set up regular meetings for a coffee or lunch to talk about their work experience and ask questions such as:
What are the valuable lessons you learned working at this company?
What advice would you give me if I want to get a promotion?
What are some skills I need to work on in order to achieve my career goals?
Having a mentor is one of the biggest steps you can take to be proactive because it shows you’re serious about furthering your career in the States.
4. Network with others
Similar to seeking mentorships, networking with people who have similar career goals or work in the same sector as you can be a very proactive experience.
For example, attending virtual or in-person networking events can expose you to new job opportunities and new connections.
By networking with new people in the States, it shows you’re taking an interest in developing professional relationships with like-minded individuals.
As you grow your network of associates and colleagues, they can invite you to other networking events or learning opportunities that you might not see listed online or in company emails.
5. Participate in company committees
Outside working hours, many companies hold extra-curricular events or have company committees where you volunteer your time for social causes. For instance, at Christmas, many companies run a charity event where each employee donates a toy or a book for a child. You could be one of these individuals who organizes the charity event and delivers the gifts to the kids.
If you’re interested in leadership programs or learning more about your colleagues on a personal level, there are women in leadership committees or men’s game nights for example.
If you’re a woman who would like to obtain a management position someday, joining a leadership committee of women who are currently in managerial positions could open opportunities for you to learn valuable lessons from female leaders.
For men’s game nights, some male colleagues like to go to a baseball or football game over the weekend to get to know each other outside of the office. If you’re relatively new to the States, joining a group of colleagues to attend a sporting event can be a very proactive experience because you get to know them socially and immerse yourself in an important aspect of American culture.
Schedule a FREE call with me
I hope you learned a lot from Part 2 of my Workplace Success Series. Your first job or internship in America is an exciting time filled with challenges. Learning how to be proactive will help you stand out among your colleagues and bring you opportunities that you otherwise might not have.
If you’re an international student who’s looking for help navigating the workforce in the USA, you’ve come to the right place.
Schedule a free 30-minute call with me and together we will discuss strategies to support you right now and determine if we are a good fit to work together.
Questions for you:
Based on this article, which proactive tip(s) are you planning to try out?
Have you ever struggled with being proactive? If so, what may have contributed to it?
About The Author
Many years ago I came to the U.S. from Taiwan and studied in a field that rarely accepted “fresh off the boat” international students from non-English speaking countries. I’m Dr. Vivi Hua, Psy.D. and I help international students navigate the cross-cultural aspects of their experience in the U.S., so they can succeed academically and socially and build a life and career that they desire!