C hapter 4 Be the Master of Your Plan t 22, I had been an overachiever all my life. So naturally, I expected to experience success beyond my wildest dreams at my first company. I was go- ing to go in there and kick the corporate world's ass. As soon as they saw what I was made of, I was sure they'd make me the company's youngest vice president. I put so much pressure on myself to know everything right away that I nearly collapsed under the weight of my own unreal- istic expectations. Your first jobs are not meant to be the be-all and end- all of career stardom. How can you master the skills it takes to get ahead without putting in any time in the trenches? That's like saying you could win an Olympic gold medal in swimming without learning to doggie paddle first. Look at your first post-college positions as tempo- rary stops on your career path instead of as permanent ones. You are getting paid to learn everything you can so that snagging the next job isn't quite as challenging. This chapter will describe how to make the most out of your first job, knowing that you probably won't stay there forever. I'll start by sharing how you can set goals A Be the Master of Your Plan C 109