Your First Boss Matters

Our bosses probably have the single largest influence on our careers, especially in the initial years. They can make or mar our initial perspectives, success, confidence and liking for the corporate world. When we start out from campus, what we aspire towards and how we approach the journey is shaped by things we internalize (to do or to avoid) from our bosses. It is much like our initiation into schooling through kindergarten. Our first few teachers
shape our outlook towards learning.

Yet our focus, in aspiring/ selecting our first employer (like our school), is about the brand or the compensation we will work for. It's important but in my experience not necessarily the defining criteria. Of course, during our first job or so it is difficult to know who our reporting manager maybe. A good proxy can be finding about the culture of the firm from our seniors and/or through our network. Answers to questions like - how are people treated in the firm, is it hierarchical or open, can people voice their perspectives, how is the focus on initial training and upskilling can be useful to unearth how the typical manager may behave.