“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you” BB King

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Proactively reconnect and align on priorities

• Demonstrate progress with clarity and evidence

• Rebuild relationships through collaboration and su …

Introduction

As global teams return from seasonal holidays, newly hired graduates have a unique opportunity to make a positive and lasting impression. This moment is not just about resuming work, but about demonstrating initiative, alignment, and collaboration. By thoughtfully welcoming colleagues back, clearly sharing progress, and strengthening relationships across regions, graduates can show they’ve been actively contributing to team goals and are ready to help drive projects forward with energy and purpose.

Proactively reconnect and align on priorities

New graduates should take the initiative to welcome colleagues back and quickly realign on shared goals. This shows maturity, respect, and momentum. For example, they can send a short, friendly message welcoming teammates back, summarising what progressed during the holidays, and asking to confirm current priorities. Setting up brief catch-ups across time zones also helps rebuild rhythm and trust.

How they know they’ve achieved this: Colleagues respond positively, meetings feel focused rather than repetitive, and everyone agrees on next steps without confusion or duplicated effort.

Demonstrate progress with clarity and evidence

Rather than simply saying they were “busy,” graduates should clearly show what they achieved and how it supports team objectives. This could include sharing a concise update document, project dashboard, or demo that highlights completed tasks, risks addressed, and upcoming milestones. For example, a graduate might present a one-page summary outlining deliverables completed, lessons learned, and recommendations for the next phase.

How they know they’ve achieved this: Colleagues quickly understand the project status, ask informed questions, and build on the work instead of redoing it. Leaders express confidence in the graduate’s contribution.

Rebuild relationships through collaboration and support

Strong relationships grow when new hires show they are reliable, helpful, and globally minded. Graduates can ask returning colleagues where support is needed, volunteer for follow-ups, or offer to document decisions for shared access across regions. Being culturally aware and flexible with time zones further strengthens trust.

How they know they’ve achieved this: Teammates begin proactively involving them in discussions, seeking their input, and treating them as a dependable partner rather than “just the new graduate.”