Month one is when the job starts to get real. You are expected to start producing and moving past the “I’m new here” stage. 

Based on what we have learned this first month, here are the main take-aways for how to prepare yourself for the first month as a new IDOL.

Feedback is Hard.

As a teacher, I got used to kids being brutally honest with how they felt about my lessons so I thought I was prepared for feedback in the ID process. I did not know what I had coming. Receiving and processing difficult feedback is something that comes with the territory. However, I was not prepared for how personally I would take the feedback I was given. I need to work on this!

Follow the ID Process.

There is a reason there are so many models of ID processes. And they all begin with Analysis. I decided I could skip this step on one of my first projects and learned the hard way that following the process is important.  

Be Creative in How You Get Creative.

Working for a big corporation, it is often the case that you don’t have free reign as an ID to design anything your heart desires. In my first month, I have learned that there are many ways to get creative without straying from the corporate “look” or being unprofessional. For some real examples, check out the accompanying vlog post.

Build Relationships Early.

As an ID, you are one of the people in the company that has meetings and relationships with people in many different roles across the company. And you will need those people at one point or another! The stakeholders and subject matter experts may not be someone you interact with on a daily basis, but you want them to have a good experience every time they have an encounter with you. Be prepared for every meeting, be friendly, and be efficient!

Ask Lots of Questions.

You are not expected to know everything. So ask about the things that you don’t know. I keep trying to downgrade my ineptitude with some of the topics in my position. I don’t know everything. But honestly, every time I mention it, everyone around me empathizes and says that they also don’t know everything and it took them years to even gain the knowledge they currently have. Give yourself some grace and just make sure you ask lots of questions to fill in the gaps.

To find out more about how we learned these lessons, check out the videos linked in the interactive image.

 By: Kristi Oliva and Veronica Reed