9 Lessons from my first 90 days at LinkedIn as the most junior person in the Zoom

How to cope, learn and thrive in a new job…in the midst of a global pandemic

11 min readNov 17, 2020

Four months after graduating from university in my childhood bedroom, I’m now working at one of the world’s leading tech firms…from my new bedroom. I initially approached this graduate role with an unnerving combination of enthusiasm and self-doubt.

Was I worthy of landing this competitive position, or was it all just a fluke?
Would I be able to build genuine relationships with my colleagues in a remote WFH situation?
As a non-technical graduate, would I be able to adopt a completely new skillset and train my brain to work with numbers and data instead of words?

Suddenly I’m three months in and feeling slightly more confident in my ability to create value and deliver impact. I see a lot of content out there about how to land a job, but I rarely see any content about how to cope, learn, and thrive after you’ve got the job. So here I am, sharing some of my key learnings in the hope that they’ll make your journey a little easier.

#1 Be solution-oriented, but not output-obsessed — here’s the difference

Solutions and outputs are two very different things.

Being solution-oriented means you see an opportunity to solve every problem and seek out ways to optimise work so the same challenges don’t crop up in the future. Being output-obsessed means your number one priority is to create tangible deliverables. Coming straight from a university where I had to produce two 2,000-word essays every week, I was a bit of an output-junkie who was pumped up to deliver value from day 1.

In reality, this mentality is neither realistic nor productive.

It’s much better to invest time in developing a solution-oriented mindset than it is to get a small quick win early on.

Take advantage of the rich period of learning you have when you’re new. Ask questions. Build relationships. Make mistakes. By focusing on learning, you’ll build a reputation as a reliable, trusted business partner who will go on to overdeliver.

So what does this look like in practice? Well, one of the things I’ve struggled most with has been not knowing when I should spend time trying to solve a problem myself versus when I should request the help of my colleagues. In 2020, you can’t just tap your manager on the shoulder to ask why your code’s not running.

Here’s an easy 4-step solution:

Step #1: Set a deadline for finding the answer.

Step #2: If you reach the deadline and haven’t got a solution, ask someone on your level for help.

Step #3: No joy? Set a slightly longer deadline and then ask someone a level above you.

Step #4: Still unresolved? Go to your manager with: a clear outline of the problem, the steps you’ve taken to try to solve it already and your attempted solution.

This way, you’re making your manager’s life way easier, whilst presenting yourself as a solution-oriented initiative-taker.

#2 Layer your learnings

No question is stupid if you don’t already know the answer.

I’ve recently realised that the truth behind the cliche “There are no stupid questions”, is actually quite profound. What people really mean when they say this is that each individual’s knowledge, experience, and creativity are combined in a completely unique way.

Source: LinkedIn

Therefore, what may seem entirely obvious to you could be totally foreign to someone else.

Remember: you will never be judged badly for taking the initiative to fill in a gap in your knowledge.

As important as asking questions is layering your learnings. What does this mean? Essentially, it’s all about connecting the dots between each new learning you have, and gradually layering more and more knowledge onto those initial foundations. This is literally how our brains work. All the neurons in our brains are connected by tiny chemical messengers called synapses. Every time we learn something new and it leads to a successful outcome (e.g. your code running correctly or getting a maths problem right), these connections are reinforced. As we accumulate more information, these new connections strengthen the existing network.

By layering your learnings, you’re literally changing the structure of your brain.

Not only that, but you’ll start to question why things are done a certain way and begin offering alternative ideas and solutions. Pretty soon, you’ll become an indispensable asset to your company.

#3 Leverage your newness

Time flies by, particularly when every day presents new learnings and new challenges. So leverage the precious few weeks and months when you’re the new kid on the block to tap into everyone’s knowledge and build relationships. It’s way harder to build authentic relationships in a remote environment, so set aside 30 minutes every few days to speak to someone new.

Listen to their story. Learn about their role. Look for how you can add value to them.

And most importantly — check back in every couple of months. Having friends and allies across your organisation — be they mentors or managers — can be extremely powerful later down the line.

#4 Be proactive, not reactive when it comes to communication

Whilst ‘over-communication’ generally has negative connotations, it’s probably one of the most critical components for success in 2020.

Whether it’s relationship building with your key stakeholders, anticipating your manager’s needs, or building a project because you see an opportunity, being proactive rather than reactive will stand you in really good stead.

Yet…it’s one of the hardest things to manage in a remote environment.

One strategy I’ve started implementing is to create shared 1-pagers for everything. If you have a shared document that you update on a daily basis and share it with the key stakeholders for each of your projects, they’ll never need to waste time wondering what developments have been made. Instead, they know exactly where to go to understand your progress and can request clarifications based on that shared knowledge ‘brain’.

By consistently over-communicating, you will be in a much better position to manage expectations and strategically over-deliver.

#5 Become obsessed with feedback

I never really understand why people advise you not to take feedback personally. The whole point of feedback is that it’s…personal. That means we don’t have to pretend it always feels good to receive feedback. Equally, it’s important to recognise that negative feedback is not a reflection of the purity of your soul.

60% of Gen Z’ers want multiple check-ins with their managers weekly, if not daily. Becoming obsessed with feedback will be one of your biggest assets as you start a new job, but learning to adopt the mentality that feedback = growth is a steep learning curve.

Let’s break it down.

Step #1: Transform defensiveness into reflection

As soon as your heart starts pounding and the urge to blurt “But it wasn’t my fault! I did my best!” kicks in — stop. Stay silent for 3–4 seconds. This will give you the space to digest what’s been said, assume positive intent, and avoid a knee-jerk reaction.

Step #2: React constructively and record consistently

80% of Gen Z’ers view feedback as a tool to grow. Embrace that mentality. Ask follow-up questions. Leverage the opportunity to learn. I’ve built a simple database on Notion to help me record the feedback I’m given. That way, I can group any feedback I receive with related learnings and easily measure my progress.

Step #3: Actively seek out feedback and implement learnings

Research shows that 87% of millennials have a desire to learn and grow professionally, but only 15% actively ask for feedback. What a missed opportunity. Your teams and managers are invested in your growth and want to see you succeed. Don’t miss this golden chance to get feedback from people who are way more experienced than you. Speaking of which…

#6 Systematise your ways of working

I’m a self-professed productivity nerd. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the memo that being a productivity nerd doesn’t mean I am hyper-productive 24/7.

Here are some tips for those of you who actually want to elevate their productivity and not just mess around with coloured Sharpies and spreadsheets (it’s joyous though, I promise).

1. Carve out one hour every Friday afternoon to reflect on the wins, weaknesses and learnings from the past week.

A few weeks after starting at LinkedIn, I felt totally overwhelmed by everything. The weeks seemed to be whizzing by, but I didn’t seem to be advancing at all. In reality, I just wasn’t giving myself the time to see my progress. When you’re caught up in the daily grind of a new job, it’s easy to forget all the learnings that you’re subconsciously internalising. By scheduling time to acknowledge them, you’re more likely to remember them and can more easily track your progress.

2. Schedule empty meetings.

Working alone in your room all week, day in and day out can be really emotionally and mentally taxing. A few days ago a friend of mine dropped me a message and asked if I wanted to schedule an ‘empty meeting’. For those uninitiated in this practice, it just means you jump on a call with a friend or colleague and work silently together. It might sound weird, but it’s a great way to stay accountable to someone. Plus, it’s a nice alternative to that sorely-missed water-cooler conversation. Focusmate is a great tool to try this out.

3. Every morning, take 10 minutes to plan out every hour of your day.

Setting ambitious goals then feeling unproductive when you don’t fulfil them is something I’ve really struggled with. Time-boxing with a schedule maker is the best way to solve this. Break down your projects into manageable chunks and slot these tasks into your calendar whenever you don’t have meetings. Be strict on your hard stops and factor in buffer time at the end of the day, because — if you’re anything like me — it always takes way longer to complete a task than you anticipate.

#7 Don’t undermine yourself

Two out of three women experience imposter syndrome in the workplace. One of the most common ways I see my own imposter syndrome manifest is by prefacing questions with an apology or a “This is a basic question but…”. In her book The Power of an Apology, psychotherapist Beverly Engel warns us that by over-apologising, we cause the listener to believe we lack confidence and self-esteem. So how do we overcome this?

Baby steps. Whenever you feel like you can’t do something, or you’re not worthy of a task (or in more extreme cases, your job), add ‘yet’ to the end of your thought.

“I can’t solve this problem…yet.”

This is a great way to remind yourself that whilst you may not be where you want to be yet, you have room to grow.

This psychological trick shifts your perspective from agonising over your insecurities to feeling excited about your potential for growth.

#8 Get off the screen before you hit a wall

The other day, I was sat at my desk for three hours trying to solve a problem. When I felt like I’d hit a brick wall, I went for a 15-minute run, came back to my desk…and solved the problem in 20 minutes. Going for a brisk walk or run for just 10 minutes can increase endorphins and optimise your mental focus, all whilst improving your mood and leaving you energised for the rest of your day.

Schedule these 10-minute screen breaks into your day as if they’re meetings with your manager.

Devoting yourself to the maintenance of your mental and physical well-being as much as you devote yourself to your work is, in my eyes, the key to success in 2020.

#9 No-one really knows what they’re doing (ah the joys of 2020)

The thing about 2020 is that everything is new for everyone.

I’ve felt useless many times throughout the past three months and SQL has definitely left me wallowing in tears of self-pity on more than one occasion. There’s a reason for this — research has shown that we are hardwired with a negativity bias. That’s why bad first impressions can be difficult to overcome and why insults are easier to recall than praise. It’s also the reason we often feel we’re doing worse than we actually are at work.

The key to overcoming this is to train yourself to feel at ease with curiosity, rather than uncomfortable in the unknown.

Easier said than done right? As someone who tends to hold myself to extremely high standards, struggling with the demands of a completely new country, job and skillset (in the midst of a global pandemic) has been really tough. When I disclosed how I was feeling to my manager, he gave me some great advice.

“Whenever you feel like you’re not providing value to the team, situate yourself in the context of your past wins.”

Doing this simple visualisation exercise really helps to build your confidence and remind you why you were hired in the first place.

Because trust me, there was a reason.

Cherish your wins. Calm your worries. Cut yourself some slack.