SECTION 1:

Wow your BOSS

Unless your job title is Duchess of Cambridge or Dictator of a Small Country, you report to someone. Best make that person’s life as easy as possible from day one. 

1. FIGURE OUT WHAT MATTERS. How? Just ask, says Alexandra Levit, author of New Job, New You. Tell your manager you want to make sure you meet expectations. What would success look like to her? Ideally, during your first meeting, you can get in writing the goals on which you’ll be evaluated during your first three months, six months and year. “The more subjective you leave this, the more open your performance is to interpretation,” says Levit.

2 . KNOW WHO YOU REPLACED. Do some subtle snooping about your predecessor. Ask your co-workers about how previous projects worked out – being mindful not to make it about people, which can sound gossipy, but about their job duties, says Levit. You can also directly ask your boss about this, says Anita Bruzzese, the author of 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy. Say, “Is there anything you’d like to see me do in this job that maybe wasn’t done before? Is there something you love about the person who had this job before that I can continue to do?” That way, you’re not asking anyone to trash-talk their former employee or colleague.

3 . HAVE A “COMMUNICATION” TALK. Within the first 90 days of your job, set aside some time with your new manager (or each manager, if you have more than one) to go over ground rules, says Lindsey Pollak, author of