After a long hard slog, you have finally managed to get a job that you are really happy with. You like the working environment. Your colleagues seem pretty approachable. Your boss is not too bad. And most importantly, you are contented. This is the all-important beginning to your long-awaited career, and you are not about to let yourself down.

Make Your Mark!
Whatever the career and the company you choose, once you have entered the working-world you are networking and proving your ability the minute you step through the door. Everyone you talk to, everyone you meet, will usually know someone-who-knows-someone in the industry, and your aim is to get on the good side of as many people as you can--without becoming an all-and-out pain. Treat all equally whatever their position because you don't know whom they know.

I can remember a secretary in the first company I worked for--The Daily Telegraph Newspaper, London--who admittedly was a little slow at her job. She was, however, a nice enough person, and the work she did was good and consistent. One colleague was especially rude and abrupt with her and told her that most of the office thought she was bad at her job. She was so distraught that in the afternoon she ended up resigning and leaving the company. Sadie: "I was so upset; here was a guy who had not been through the door for five minutes telling me how to work. It was really humiliating."

It just so happened that this young lady was the daughter of an influential member of the company and although nothing happened to the male colleague, his actions were noted by many and never forgotten. It did nothing for his reputation; and even after five-years, many still bring up the day and remember his actions as appalling.

The point of this message is that you have to treat all your colleagues equally; be firm but fair. Do your job and do it well, but make sure you don't tread on too many toes along the way. Be professional and you'll be OK. You never know who will be promoted next, and you never know when you will bump into the person you disagree with.

Toe the Line
Within every office and company there are working ethics and politics. Just exactly what are they? It is very difficult to define what office politics are because they differ in every company, in every office, in every building. When you work day in and day out with the same people and the same environment, you will notice how colleagues interact and the roles people play in their daily work function.

In any working environment rules are set. Some are written out on papers and in contracts for you to follow; others are created and form on their own, as you get to see where you fit in the working environment. In any working environment, people will have different opinions and may have conflicts over something as simple as who makes the coffee at 3 pm for the team or whose turn it is to pick up the post. This is where the team players stand out from the troublemakers and get ahead. Be keen to go with the politics, but don't be so keen that you get only the smaller jobs. Make sure that you pull your weight without getting walked over. This is when working ethics will set in and show who is fair and will work fairly. Try to be as ethical as you can in all your judgments and people will start to respect you for your decisions.

The best way is to follow the rules and don't try and rock the boat. Newcomers either go with the tide or don't, and it's usually the latter who end up getting drowned. Mark Gosby was a trainee graduate on a fast track scheme at a large engineering company. He encountered hostility from a co-worker who had been with the company for several years and did not like younger blood coming in.

"I started to work for an engineering firm after I graduated. I got onto a graduate scheme and ended up becoming the same level as some who had been there for five-years. One guy in particular was very annoyed with this and decided to make my life a living hell. I used to go home every day upset and ready to punch his lights out, but I kept my cool and was as polite and civil to him as I could be." Today Mark is the troublemaker's boss; and although the resentment has gone, Mark cannot forget the trouble his colleague caused.

Listen and Learn
At the beginning of any position you have to prove that your company made the right choice to employ you. You have to knuckle down and show that you are worth their time and money. Taking in all around you and learning from as many people as you can will show that you are not only eager but a great team player with the qualities to get you that bit further.

Delphine Low, Director of Sales for an Internet company: "I started as a secretary and used to listen to all the sales staff trying to get advertisers for the site. 'What an exciting job!' I thought. Later the company was expanding and looking for more employees, and I asked if I could apply for the role. A little dubious my boss said yes. In the interview the questions were in-depth and hard; but I had learnt so much through listening and taking notes in my spare time that he was very impressed with my answers and gave me the job there and then. I have never looked back and love the fast pace and the money sales can provide!"

Don't be a wilting violet. The key is not to be a "yes" man or woman, but to be enthusiastic. Show initiative and willingness to learn. Try to bring in new ideas and ask questions of as many people as you need. Show respect for others and learn to appreciate their role in your company. Remember, you are a team; without each other you will surely wilt. And finally, go for it! This is your chance to prove to yourself that you can.