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Keywords: new hires, diversity, workplace diversity, career advice, Marcia Brown, Rutgers University, Andre Lee, INROADS, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Top 50

You've done it. You've cleared the interview hurdles and you've landed your first job. Congratulations! Now comes the hard part: surviving your first job, especially if you are from a traditionally underrepresented group. But don't fret; there are some great places to work out there.

The proven national diversity leaders are on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity^® list. They average 42 percent new hires who are people of color, compared with a national work force that is 26 percent people of color (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Here are five tips to help you make the best of your first job.

Do Your Job

As basic as it may sound, it's very important to be sure you are doing your job and doing it well. You are always, as a member of a traditionally underrepresented group, being watched, warns Marcia Brown, vice provost of student affairs and community outreach at Rutgers University - Newark.

"One of the first things I learned in my first job was that my performance was being observed," Brown says. "In my first job, I was the first woman to perform this coordinator function, and one of the things I recognized early on was that I was under scrutiny--how I carried myself and how I watched to understand what my boss's expectations of me are … [it was critical] because women didn't get a lot of mentoring and still don't."

Doing your job effectively also means understanding how your job affects the overall output of the company. "It's important to understand what you do not only affects you, but [it] affects others, and that's a big adjustment," Brown says.

Respectfully Challenge Authority

When joining a new organization, there are certain aspects of the corporate culture you just have to accept, but there is a way to respectfully challenge the flexible aspects of the company.

"Sometimes, you have to curb your enthusiasm and thought, but remember, you are probably not the first person who has thought about what you are bringing up. But it's important to be strategic and practical," Brown says. "If you can't be tactical, and [if] you think there's something that can be done differently and better, think about the best way to get that in," she says.

Still, Brown warns that an "in-your-face" disposition can be a turnoff to colleagues and management. If you are a person of color, a person with a disability or an LGBT person, this process is more complicated. You want to be an advocate for change, but you really don't want to be the barrier breaker, especially at an entry-level job.

Dress Appropriately

"The first thing people notice about an individual is his dress," says André Lee, director of recruitment for INROADS, a nonprofit organization that trains and develops talented students from traditionally underrepresented groups for professional careers in business. "I always advise people to wear business-professional attire."

Find a Mentor

Choosing a mentor is rarely easy, even if your company has a formal mentoring program. Research is vital to making sure you choose a mentor who is a good fit.

"When trying to find a mentor, you need to assess whether or not your needs align with your potential mentor's abilities," says Kim Ward Gaffney, national director of coaching for PricewaterhouseCoopers, No. 4 on the DiversityInc Top 50.

And don't get hung up on race or gender, Ward Gaffney warns. "As the work force grows increasingly diverse, it's important to learn to work with people different from you," she says. "If you feel that someone's race, age or gender is going to keep you from being transparent and being able to have a candid, authentic relationship, then perhaps you're not ready at that moment in your career to seek beyond your comfort zone."  

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