SEAHO Report - Winter 2018 - 34

SEAHO Features

Challenge Accepted: The Journey of the New Professional
By Aneshia Jerralds & Charlie Clausen, Duke University

Introduction
You are a new professional, how wonderful! Whether you are in your first year or if you've got a few years
under your belt, there are numerous opportunities to learn and grow in your role. In our third year, we identified
a need for content on the new professional experience due to jarring statistics surrounding retention of new
professionals so we put together a proposal, which was fortunately accepted, and developed a highly attended
and encouraging session. Off the coattails of encouragement from the presentation, we thought we'd try to share
our experience and information more broadly through SEAHO and what better way than the SEAHO Report.
This article highlights advantages and challenges of the new professional experience. We explore challenges
more deeply because they often feel more salient and we'd like to provide some suggestions on how to accept
the challenge, rise to the occasion, and excel as a professional. Underlined sections correspond to different
aspects of the same challenge.
Advantages
One significant advantage is having a sizeable paycheck. We have enjoyed getting paid more than our grad
stipends and imagine you will too. Beyond the paycheck, other employee benefits have also been appreciated.
From accruing vacation and sick time to being provided medical insurance options, being employed full time
has its perks.
Aside from compensation, though we enjoy learning, being out of school and not needing to juggle those
priorities with work is beneficial. Being employed full time and not taking classes was particularly freeing in the
evenings and on weekends.
Challenge #1: Your Role
Finding Your Voice
As a newer professional, you may struggle to find your voice. In graduate schools, everyone is told to observe
and listen before speaking. Although observation is crucial, that should not be used as a crutch to not speak
up. Once you start your job, you will be given a "seat at the table" or even sit on working committees. These
are key opportunities for you to share your ideas with the larger team. All in all, you should be confident in
yourself! You were hired for a reason and you have the skill set to be successful. Therefore, believe in yourself
and others will believe in you!
Finding Your Place
As a more "senior" new professional your role on the team may change quickly. You could be in your 3rd year
and be seen as the veteran on the team. In this situation, your role may be to help incoming new professionals
find their voice. They may be nervous to speak up or just struggling to transition to the institution. You have
successfully made it thorough that transition. You may need to adjust your role on the team as the years go by.
Challenge #2: Supervision
Being Supervised
Adjusting to a new supervisor can be challenging. Your supervisor may value efficiency and you value
flexibility. Although these values are different, there can be overlap. Often times, we can chalk up differences
to being insurmountable. As a new professional, it is important to learn your supervisor. I know - that feels
weird to say, but what we mean is this - you should understand what your supervisor views as important and
adapt accordingly. It doesn't mean be inauthentic to yourself, but it means that understanding your supervisor
SEAHO Report Winter 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SEAHO Report - Winter 2018