You've graduated from college and are starting a new career in tech. Congratulations!
You made it through graduation speeches that may have felt inspiring when you first heard them, but you can barely remember them now. Now you're starting your first job. You want to do a good job. So what should you do to make that happen? What do you really need to know and do to succeed in your first job?
Summary
Starting a new career in tech means matching your values with the company, finding mentors, and using your strengths. The advice here is about staying strong, learning from failure, and keeping a good attitude. Success comes from hard work, not taking things too personally, and being ready to learn in real work settings. Stay honest, keep learning, and commit fully to your role.
Not an easy question to answer, but the answer may be simple.
The Question: Advice for New Talent
At a recent LinkedIn Live event about top financial services companies for tech talent, Karl Sprules, Global Head of Technology and Operations at Alliance Bernstein, was asked:
What advice would you give new talent entering the workforce?
Sprules didn't hesitate. He said:
What part of the company's culture fits you? That matters, because culture shapes the people you meet and what they do. If you do not know that, you may not know what you are getting into.
Most important, find a role that's aligned with what you're good at, not just what you like to do. If you are good at something, people respond, you get better, and you can build on that.
Find people who can help you—mentors, managers, and people who have done it before. Don't be afraid to ask questions. When you can, help others.
In the workplace in general, never take anything personally. Things don't always go your way. You may not have all the facts. If you feel that something unfair happened, go home, reset, and come back the next day. I've seen careers go every which way because someone took something personally. Remember, the focus is not always on you. It could be something else.
Reflections and Additional Advice
I like these. They make sense to me, and if you think about it, Sprules gives practical advice not only for work, but also for life. I gave this idea of sharing advice for new employees some thought and came up with a few first job tips for recent graduates of my own:
Be a Good Person
My advice for recent grads and others entering the workforce: be a good person. Don't forget the principles, values, and beliefs that have brought you this far in life.
Education vs. Work: Finish the Tasks
School can be valuable, but the lesson is simple. In school, you get a set of tasks you must finish. You cannot quit on them. Work is the same. It is a set of tasks you must finish. You cannot quit on them.
Learn from Failure and Take Action
In school, you were graded on how well you did those tasks. The goal was an A, but some of the best lessons also come from failure. So don't be afraid to fail. Stop trying to do everything perfectly—just do it. When you think that way, it feels freeing.
Trust Your Gut and Help Others
You do not have all the answers. But you do have your gut, your feelings, and your thoughts to guide you. If you act in the best interest of the people around you, good things will follow.
Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously
I wish someone had told me when I was starting out not to take myself so seriously. We worry too much about things we think will happen. But most of those scenarios are made up in our heads. They usually do not happen. Somehow, things work out. So stop worrying. Find your Why and let it guide you.
Commit Fully and Talk with Your Manager
You have a lot going for you, except real work experience in the job you took. The only way to get that is to sit in the seat and go all in. Talk to your manager. Tell them you are new and that you will make mistakes. But also tell them you will make a mistake only once, and that you will learn from it. Ask for patience and promise to be the hardest worker in the room and give all you have.
That's it. That's all you can do. Good luck at your first job!
Q&A
Question: How do I judge whether a company's culture and values fit me?
Answer: Start by identifying what matters most to you—teamwork, learning, honesty, or customer focus—and then look for signs that the company lives those values. Ask interviewers for real examples of how values show up in daily work, decisions, and leadership. Research employee reviews, watch how teams interact, and think about whether the culture fits you, since the importance of workplace culture will shape the people you meet and what they do.
Question: Why should I choose a role based on my strengths instead of just my interests?
Answer: Strength-based roles help you get results fast. That builds confidence, earns good feedback, and creates momentum. As Sprules said, when you're good at something people respond, you improve, and you can build on that base. Interests matter, but for tips for starting a new job, strengths often speed up learning, trust, and new chances.
Question: How should I deal with setbacks or unfair moments at work?
Answer: Don't take things personally. You may not have all the facts, and acting too fast can slow you down. Step back, reset, and return with a calm mind. If you want to know how to stop taking things personally at work, treat setbacks as learning moments. Ask clear questions, look for feedback from mentors or managers, and focus on what you can control: effort, attitude, and follow-through.
Question: What's the best way to work with my manager when I'm new and lack real-world experience?
Answer: Be open and take action. Tell your manager you're green, that you expect to make mistakes, and that you will learn from them. Ask for patience, stay in touch, and commit to being the hardest worker in the room. Clarify priorities, due dates, and what success looks like, and use your manager as part of finding a mentor at work.
Question: How can I aim for excellence without fearing failure?
Answer: Move from perfect to progress. Treat work as a set of tasks to finish and learn from, not a test you must ace. If you need advice on how to handle mistakes at work, see each one as a lesson, take action instead of overthinking, and trust your gut—especially when you are trying to do what is best for others. Keep your perspective, don't take yourself too seriously, find your Why, and let it guide steady effort and growth.
