HOT BLOG: One of the things we like to do at Frog, apart from the usual frantic daily activity... is to check out internet sites and BLOGS that offer fresh, easy to read, pithy content.  One such site is ‘Brazen Careerist Blog’ and here we have abridged a recent posting for you...

Feeling Smart in Your New Job When You Know Nothing

Often, people with little work experience or brand new on a job feel stupid at work. And rightly so. Everyone has to teach them what to do. But the problem is that if you can’t show that you feel this way because no one will want to work with you. After all, the geniuses hired you thinking they could teach you quickly to add value.

So be the person they thought they hired – and focus on ways you can add value even if you don’t know anything:

1. Show potential. That excites people. They hired you for your ability to learn and they knew they’d have to train you. Let them know you’re on the right track: Dress right. Say the right things. Show up to meetings on time. Don’t be uptight. People will excuse that you don’t know a lot because it’s exciting to be the one to teach an ‘up and comer’.
2. Ask good questions. You might not have all the answers, but you can help narrow in on good answers by asking insightful questions. An ex-boyfriend, (who was actually a better catch than I had realized at the time,) once told me, “There are no right answers, just sharper questions."
3. Don’t try to be something you’re not. It’s OK if you are at a client meeting and have only one or two things to say. The client knows that she has 15 years of experience in her business and you have 15 minutes. But if you’re invited, ask questions so that she knows you’re engaged and interested and she can get a sense of how you think.
4. Compensate for your boss in small but significant ways. Think about the personality traits you have and your boss doesn’t. Are you good with details? Someone who isn’t will appreciate that you are.
5. Pay attention, and use slow times for synthesizing. Creative solutions don’t come when you’re slogging though meetings or endless in-boxes. The new ideas come during quiet, unstructured time. Gain an edge by giving yourself these moments — you might come up with a truly brilliant idea.
   

Maybe this won’t put a dent in the nervousness you feel around bigwigs. Take solace in the fact that smart people have such a huge need to be right and add value that they sometimes never shut up.  So for those of you newbie’s working with geniuses who always need to say one more thing - recognize that sometimes these people just like to hear themselves talk. The ability to see through such chatter is something you bring to the table.