Top 10 New Employee Survival Tips

by Steve Sosa

My name is Steve Sosa and I am very pleased to join the PLU family as the new Instructional Technologies Team Manager. Prior to PLU I worked as the Technology Resource Center Training Coordinator at Edmonds Community College and as the Senior Multimedia Specialist at Palo Alto College. Combined, I have have over twelve years of instructional technology experience and roughly six years of teaching experience.

This post is meant to share my new hire experience at PLU and generate a list of "Survival Tips" from those observations.

#1: Dress to Impress

I have to admit that fashion is not something I excel at. Beyond my own wedding, my suit doesn't usually see the light of day. I guess that's a good thing since I've held onto former positions for many years and I look forward to doing the same for this institution.

Men's fashion has drastically changed since my last shopping excursion. Now, they have these things called "Slim Fit" shirts and blazers! Wow! If you haven't tried them yet then you don't know what you've been missing! Seriously, you don't have to go apply for a new position in order to take advantage of this engineering marvel. Go check out slim fit shirts, right now!

#2: Fill Your Tank

My previous position was in Lynnwood, WA and about 1,000 miles away from PLU. I know this because my odometer doesn't lie. Actually, this is the first time I've taken notice of my odometer and it is absolutely mesmerizing to watch the miles add on...one by one, by one, by one.

Another interesting fact is that gasoline evaporates into thin air when heading South. I've never had to fill up twice in one week and I'm now thinking of getting one of those punch cards for gasoline...like from doughnut shops, where you get the 10th one free.

The reality is that I look forward to relocating much closer to PLU.

#3: Ignore GPS Estimated Time

No matter how fancy your GPS might be, no matter how many accelerometers your device has, and no matter how "up-to-the-minute" your traffic report might be, you cannot account for the person in front of you driving twenty miles per hour. Add rain to that "estimated" commute time and you can pretty much guarantee that you'll be stuck in traffic an additional thirty minutes.

My tip is to load your iDevice with as many audiobooks as it will hold. On the plus side, you'll get smarter or learn a completely new language along the way.

#4: Fall in Love with the Grounds

The PLU campus is a beautiful space. It is full of countless walking paths and large enough to get lost (trust me on this one). Make sure to carry around with you, an official campus map so that you're not getting lost...as often.

To mask how new you are, I would suggest following one of the many campus tours. You'll learn many great facts about the campus and meet cool people in the process. This is still on my to-do list.

#5: Exit Carefully

Small Confession: I almost set off the alarm today. Luckily other employees stopped me before the Fire Marshal arrived and everyone had to exit the building. I can only imagine the lifelong embarrassment that would have ensued, had I been, "that one guy who set off the alarm his first week at PLU!"

In my case I was actually engaged in conversation as I headed towards the wrong door. Had I been texting or checking email and walking at the same time (something I am sometimes guilty of), this afternoon would have played out very differently. My advice, as silly as it seems, is to always be aware of your surroundings.

#6: Enjoy Free Food

You heard me right! Free food! I can't say that I even understand the reason why I was getting free food on my third day, but I'm one happy new employee. In case you don't know, "Culinary Week" is this little miracle that happens on campus for all to enjoy.

Even if you're not receiving free food on campus, you've still got excellent options. The Commons in the University Center houses a huge assortment of dining choices. Personally, I suggest the buffalo chicken sandwich.

#7: Attend Great Events

As a part of the Instructional Technology Team, I had the pleasure of helping to set up streaming video equipment for the Beyond Burkas and Bombers special event on campus. By "helping to set up" on my first week, I really mean carrying cables and tripods. That's all my team trusted me with at this point, but I did get a great overview and insight into what it takes to help support such a great event.

I look forward to attending even more meaningful and unique events at this institution. Hopefully next time, Travis and the team will let me touch a camera. Hopefully.

#8: Get to Know Your Team

One reason why I was impressed with this institution, beyond the values that PLU clearly demonstrates on its web and social media sites, is the great team that I will be working with. In them I see highly skilled and passionate people who care just as much about teaching and learning, as I do. What such a team is capable of creating is an exciting thing to look forward to. I hope to serve them and this institution proudly.

As a new employee, getting to know your team is a tip I can't stress enough. Working in higher education, a realm in which folks don't ever seem to leave (a good thing!), the team dynamic plays an instrumental role in your success. Get to know your team both in and outside of the office in order to make work as enjoyable as it can be.

#9: Bring Home Gifts

Your loved ones at home will be just as excited for you to start your new job at PLU, as you are. Reward them as soon as possible. With that purpose in mind, you are sure to find any one of a large variety of gifts at the campus bookstore (Garfield Book Company at PLU). In my case chocolate is always the best way to win over my family's hearts and minds. Below, you'll see proof of that.

#10: Realize Your Potential 

PLU has many excellent benefits. It also clearly values and promotes lifelong learning. Personally, I plan to take advantage of reduced-tuition courses and work towards finishing my Graduate Degree.

If you haven't already, you should definitely bookmark the Human Resources Employment page to get started on your next position at PLU!

Thank you for reading this post. It has been my pleasure to have completed my very first week at PLU and I look forward to the many more weeks (and years) that follow!

Steve Sosa