Thursday, January 26, 2017

Advice for Someone Starting a New Job

There's lots of good advice on the web for someone starting a new job. In today's post, I thought I'd provide some of this useful information to those of you who are in that situation. Because there's so much of it, I just pulled the material below from the first site I found Googling "advice for someone starting a new job". Feel free to do the search yourself and tap into other sites' wisdom as well. 

From https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/first-days-working (by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.):
You know the importance of a first impression. As a jobseeker, a first impression was very valuable; now that you’ve accepted a job offer, first impressions are again of critical importance. 
First impressions about people often turn into long-term perceptions and opinions. This works well for people who make positive first impressions but can be a negative for people who make negative first impressions. 
“I think the early days are when your boss and colleagues form the most lasting impressions about you,” said Ann Marie Russell, a program coordinator with AmeriCorps. “This is when they make assessments about your ‘typical’ behavior, and what ‘type’ of person you are.”
(The authors then go on to list 21 tips. I've selected a handful only, to give you a sense of the sage wisdom included in the list.) 
1. Have a Positive Attitude 
Nothing works better to improve people’s first impression of you more than having a positive attitude. Let your enthusiasm for being part of the team and the organization show through to everyone you interact with. Leave your personal problems at home and concentrate on radiating your excitement for this new opportunity. 
5. Ask Questions/Ask for Help  
No one expects you to know everything when you first start a new job so feel free to ask questions or ask for help when you need it. Remember that it’s better to ask for clarification before you’ve spent time completing a task the wrong way. It can be easy to let pride get in the way when you first start a job but pretending you know things you don’t isn’t the wise path. Listen to your coworker, ask questions and communicate openly with your supervisors about any concerns that arise. No one expects you to know it all in the first weeks and months of a new job. 
8. Learn Everything You Can About Your New Employer 
In theory, you should have already done your homework during the interviewing process, but there is always a lot more to learn once you’re on the inside. Get an employee handbook and study it. In addition, gather all those reports and company literature and read as much as you can to become an expert on your organization. 
11. Avoid Office Politics and Gossip 
The workplace can be full of rumors and gossip. Your mission should be to stay above the fray. Take care not to associate the office gossips and don’t get involved in any office trash talk or politics, especially in the beginning. Repeating gossip will do nothing to help you make a good first impression at a new job. 
12. Keep Personal Business on Company Time to a Minimum 
Studies show that just about everyone conducts some amount of personal business on company time — checking email, making dinner reservations, buying stuff online. Your goal is to keep your personal business to a minimum and stay focused on work.  
14. Listen More than Talk 
Listening more than you talk can be one of the hardest skills to learn, especially for extroverts. However, you don’t want to get the reputation as the office know-it-all — or worse, someone who always has to have the limelight. If you have a legitimate contribution, make it, but if not, do more listening and absorbing during those first days on the job. 
17. Find a Mentor 
You don’t need to jump on this task your first day, but as you get introduced to senior staff, begin thinking about developing a mentoring relationship with a senior person in the organization. Mentoring has numerous benefits, from a simple sounding board to someone who helps direct and advance your career within the organization.
(and...) Final Thoughts on Your First Days on the Job 
Being the newest member of the organization — the rookie — is both challenging and exciting. You’ll be faced with both difficulties and opportunities, and your goal should be to make the most of all situations. Don’t worry if you don’t make a perfect first impression in those early days on the job — few of us ever do. Remember to relax, keep your mind open, get to know your team members, and do your work. These things should help you go far in making a positive and lasting impression at your new job. 

No comments:

Post a Comment