You were nervous when you were invited for an interview for a position you applied for some months ago in your dream company. Eventually, you were excited when you received an email informing you that you were the best candidate for the job. Congratulations on your new job!
Is your new job making you scared because you will be working in a new environment, with new people and a new set of responsibilities? Indeed, beginning a new phase in your career can be really exciting, but joining another team can also be a little scary.
The following tips will prepare you for a smooth transition to a new employer and overcome certain uncertainties.
1. Introduce Yourself Regularly
People feel anxious when in new situations because they’re not confident about how to introduce themselves. They don’t want to call attention to themselves. But it’s better when you maintain your enthusiasm in your new job by finding the right time to introduce yourself to others.
Based on your role in the new company, you can ask your boss for a list of influential people that you should introduce yourself to. You can also ask the meeting organizer to give you some time, preferably at the end of the meeting, to introduce yourself.
Here is how you can prepare yourself for the introductions.
Prepare: You will have an easy time if you prepare ahead of time. This will enable you to introduce yourself when you meet a new face.
Pay Attention to the Surroundings: Avoid speaking loudly in communal spaces or interrupting meetings just to introduce yourself. Also, observe how people react when you introduce yourself. For instance, you can keep it short when they seem distracted or get to know them better when they’re receptive. In fact, you can use the opportunity to make someone else feel heard.
Try to Remember People’s Names: The best way to remember people’s names is by repeating it when the person says it. The second is to write it down and put a small note about the individual when you part. Of course, you will not remember all names, but you can politely ask a person to remind you of their name. They will gladly do it because they know you’re new.
2. Learn How to Navigate the New Workplace
It’s important to know essential places when working in an office. These include the restrooms, stairs, elevators, the coffee and water areas, where you can take breaks or eat lunch, or any other amenities the office offers. The company may assign you another colleague to give you a tour, or you might ask a coworker to show you.
During the first week, you can test different transportation methods and routes in order to establish the right time to leave the house to avoid getting late. Actually, getting things right early on can give you peace of mind.
3. Ask Questions
New hires learn how to do their job effectively and how their new organization works. This may cause them to feel overwhelmed by all the new things they have to learn and remember. But you will benefit a lot when you ask a lot of questions to gain clarity when you need it.
Asking questions will prevent you from using a lot of time doing something incorrectly. In fact, no one expects you to be a pro on the first day, week, or month of your new job. You’re not expected to know anything about your team or organization. You may be surprised to discover that many others have similar questions to you. So it’s better to ask questions so that you can handle things correctly in your new job.
Aside from asking questions, you should do your research. You should take time to learn about your new organization and position before giving a suggestion or commenting. Your comment might be perceived as condescending or augmentative, and you don’t understand your job because you’re not conversant with what you’re talking about. So listen when you ask questions and take the initiative to do your own research; thus, avoid asking the same question repeatedly.
4. Seek Out a Friend
After introducing yourself, you will sense who is willing to work with you. You can make the colleague that asks you out for coffee or lunch your friend. That can be the colleague sitting next to you or even make the other newcomer who started at the same time as you.
Establishing friendships can make you feel more comfortable as you learn the new workplace. Indeed social ties at the workplace are essential because they make one more productive.
5. Cultivate Good Habits
A new job gives you a fresh start. It also gives you an excellent opportunity to shed off old routines and habits. You can use your first weeks to organize your to-do lists and calendar. Further, you can list down the practices and skills you want to develop in your new position. You can also create a schedule on how to manage your time.
Be humble and open-minded when you join a new company. Take time to know people, listen more than you speak, and thank those that show you the way. In fact, don’t take credit for the work you never did. Although you have a lot of experience, you have never worked in an exact setting so learn to be open-minded.
Further, choose your workplace battles wisely. You will interact with many people in the work world. You will also face a lot of concerns, disagreements, frustrations, and more. But you need to maintain your sanity and remain productive despite these challenges. You can do that by discerning between what issues you will deal with and those that you will overlook or ignore.
6. Get to Know Other Team Members
Getting to know others and letting others know you can help you make new connections. You can learn about others by simply being around them, attentively listening, observing how they do things, and collaborating. These initiatives give you valuable insights into the company culture and way of doing things.
7. Set Boundaries
You will have a lot of things to compromise in the first month of your new job. For instance, you might have to come early, stay late, or assist other team members in completing their projects. Remember, this is a natural response to a new setting because you want to know others, and you want them to accept you.
But you would want to re-establish the boundaries after a few months of your job to help you do your best. In other words, continue being a team player but learn to say “no” so that you can effectively manage time and concentrate on your work.
8. Avoid Engaging in Personal Business during Company Time
Almost everyone checks emails, texts, shops online, makes dinner reservations or conducts other personal business during company time. But as a new hire, you should focus on your work and keep your personal business to a minimum even if others are not doing so.
You should step away from your workstation when making a personal call or taking care of other businesses. You should also do it quickly and discreetly on your own cell phone.
9. Mind Your Own Business
Many employees look bad because of getting involved in work matters that are not their concern. Generally, work environments can entangle you in a web of frenemies, gossip, and cliques. But a wise and savvy new hire should avoid it. Your work should be your business, not unless you’re a supervisor.
The only exception is when someone engages in unethical, unsafe activities, is bullying or harassing you, or negatively affects your ability to complete your job. These actions should be brought to the attention of your boss or HR.
10. Reconnect with Your Former Colleagues
Settling into your new job takes time, which might eat into the time you spend with your friends and family. After that, you update your friends and former colleagues about your new workplace and learn how they’re doing.
Maintaining your professional network is vital because it keeps you updated about the job market and your profession. Although you don’t need a new job at the moment, getting updated about what is happening in the market will help you in the future when you take another step in your career.
Takeaway
It’s both exciting and challenging when you’re a new hire of an organization. You might even get anxious about making a perfect first impression in the first few days of your work.
But you should try to relax, get to know your team members, keep an open mind and focus on your work. These few items can help you make a positive impression on your new job for years to come. All the best on your first day and all the days that follow too!
