A Guide to Starting a New Job

Introduction
Let’s get started with all the things you should do on your first day.

Introduction

It’s challenging to start a new job. Whether you’re fresh out of college or have worked for 20 years, starting a new job can feel like stepping onto another planet. You must acquire the language, adhere to the dress code, and recognize the acceptable actions to flourish socially and professionally. Without assistance, that’s a lot to do.

Comprehensive onboarding is critical when it comes to feeling at ease in a new workplace. In fact, BCG discovered that onboarding had the second most important business impact of the 21 human resource programs it studied. This is unsurprising, but firms frequently fail to assist new workers in acclimating to their new work surroundings. Orientation programs for new employees are typically too brief. They should ideally entail more than just a one-time meeting.

While it is the company’s responsibility to assist you in learning about the office culture, you are responsible for a large part of your success at a new job. Before we dive into the points you need to take off while starting a new job, let’s talk about the first few weeks of your job.

First Impressions last a long time

First impressions are fleeting, yet they can last a lifetime. But how crucial are initial impressions to your career’s long-term success? Let’s look at what the study says about your first few months at a new workplace.

1. The majority of executives give new employees fewer than three months to demonstrate their worth. According to a 2016 Robert Half report, 63 percent of CFOs offer new employees fewer than three months to prove their worth, and 9% give them less than a month.

2. Within the first month, 91 percent of employees would consider leaving their jobs. A 2018 Robert Half research of 9,000 job seekers in 11 countries found this to be just one of the findings. The survey revealed that poor management, a discrepancy between how a job was promoted and how it plays out in real life, failure to fit in with the corporate culture, and a terrible onboarding experience are all causes that can send a new worker packing. So, how you begin a job has a significant impact on how things go in the long run.

3. According to science, first impressions linger for a long time. Even if you later portray yourself in ways that contradict a person’s first impression of you, according to the University of Western Ontario study, that first impression tends to linger—especially in the same environment they originally met you.

Let’s get started with all the things you should do on your first day.

1. It’s all about research: So you’ve accepted the job offer and now have some time before your start date. If the hiring manager didn’t offer you a first-day checklist, contact out a few days ahead of time and ask if there’s anything else you should bring or prepare, advises Jon Hill, chairman, and CEO of recruiting agency The Energists. Experts advise conducting as much research as possible about the organization before your first day, including looking at social media posts to get a sense of the workplace culture and proper dress. “Getting a copy of the employee handbook before your first day might also help you evaluate it and anticipate any queries you may have.”

2. Contact your supervisor: Your boss is rooting for your success. It’s evident as they helped pick you out of a pool of applicants. To check-in with them before the first day, drop them an email. “Ask about how people in the office dress for work (even if you work from home! ); If there is anything specific you should know on your first day; If you need to bring or prepare anything special with you that day; and what might be expected of you in your first week,” advises Christa Juenger, VP of Strategy and Coaching Services at Intoo, USA. “Showing a desire to be proactive and prepared will make a wonderful first impression and show your employer that you want to get off to the best possible start and be effective right away.”

3. Double-check your schedule: Don’t take it for granted that you know what time to arrive or at what time your lunch break is. Even if it’s stated in the job description, a vital element may be overlooked. That’s what occurred to Jack Zmudzinski, a Senior Associate at Future Processing, a software development firm. “I once started a job and reported to work at 9 a.m. on the first day. “When I arrived, the entire team was already there, conversing over breakfast,” Zmudzinski says. “No one had thought to inform me this was the norm, and I felt uneasy as a result.” 

To avoid a mishap like this, inquire ahead of time about timetables and habits. When do you think you’ll be arriving? What is the usual time for everyone to leave? When and for how long do you take a lunch break?

4. Everything should be tested out beforehand: Test your commute if you’ll be working on-site. Test your internet connection, computer, software, and any other equipment you’ll need for the job if you’ll be working from home. Knowing that everything is in order can help you relax in preparation for the big day.

After establishing yourself at the workplace on the first day, let’s move on to the remaining first week. 

Week one’s success is all about striking a balance. You want to make a good first impression, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get everything right the first time. The idea is to become acquainted with your new workplace and determine your place within it. So what should you do during your first week at a new job?

In the first week, you should:

1. Introduce yourself properly and to everyone: Part of our fear in new settings stems from a lack of confidence in our ability to present ourselves. However, in the early days of a new job, you want to show your enthusiasm. So, when the time is appropriate, offer a fast, energizing introduction to the folks you don’t know. You can ask your manager to introduce you to important people. Remember to be prepared with your introduction lines beforehand. Also, do your best to remember names and small details about the people you meet.

2. According to research, ask a lot of questions and make sure they are well-timed: New employees perform better when they ask more questions. You can easily catch up by asking your leaders and peers for new information.

3. Make an effort to make a friend: Invite a new colleague to lunch or coffee after you’ve made some introductions and gotten a sense of who you’ll be working with. It may be the person next to you or another newcomer who arrived simultaneously as you. As you get to know your new workplace, building a trusting relationship will help you feel more at ease. In fact, studies have shown that having social contacts at work can boost productivity.

4. Make sure to add value: Your position was most likely available, and you were hired because there was much work to be done. Your major priority in the first week should be to sponge up material, but you should also challenge yourself to offer value in any manner you can, no matter how tiny.

The first week mostly goes into introductions and getting up to speed about what is to be done. Besides, the first week is critical to establishing good first impressions; the first month is equally important for establishing your workplace.

In the first month, you should:

1. Get to know your teammates a little better: It’s critical to keep building new relationships and letting others get to know you. You may learn a lot about the firm and group culture by being around your new team and paying attention to how everyone works and collaborates.

2. Organize yourself and form positive routines: This work is a new beginning and an excellent opportunity to break free from previous habits. Take the first few weeks to figure out how you’ll organize your calendar and to-do lists, how you’ll manage your time, and what skills or practices you’d like to improve.

3. With your management, define success: You and your manager should spend time clarifying your shared expectations in the first few weeks. This involves figuring out how you’ll collaborate, how you’ll receive the tools you’ll need to accomplish your job properly, and how your work will be evaluated.

4. Be open-minded and humble: When we are humble, we recognize that we cannot do anything independently. Take the time to appreciate those who are guiding you through the process. Take no credit for anything you haven’t completed, and listen more than you speak. Keep an open mind because you’ve never done this particular work in this precise scenario before, no matter how much experience you have.

Moving on to the first three months at the workplace. 

At some organizations, this period is considered the probation period. During this time, you can get the hang of the work, the people at your organization, the culture and decide if you fit in. Moreover, taking ownership of your new role should be the goal over the first several months. You should prepare yourself to accomplish your best work during this time.

1. Challenge yourself: We have more power than we realize in many instances. Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychology professor, put it this way:

“According to social psychologists, who we are at any one time is largely determined by the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Who, on the other hand, creates the context? The more conscious we are, the more we can shape the environments in which we find ourselves. We are more likely to be authentic when we set the context. We may see things in a fresh light and believe in the possibility of change when we practice mindfulness.” 

Set lofty objectives for yourself, work toward them by immersing yourself in environments that support them, and repeat the process, aiming higher each time. Although you may not always reach the goals you set for yourself, the act of putting out your best effort is where substantial personal and professional progress occurs.

2. Define your limits: You may have compromised on some of your limits during the first month of your new employment. Perhaps you arrived early and stayed late, or you took on additional duties to assist others. In a new situation, this is a natural reaction. We want to be accommodating for people to accept us.

However, you should begin to re-establish the boundaries that allow you to accomplish your best work in the first few months of your position. While you should continue to work as part of a team, learning to say “no” will allow you to focus on your objectives.

3. Establish a three-month evaluation period: A 90-day review for new staff is standard practice in several organizations. Even if your new workplace does not have a formalized review process in place at this time, you may choose to request an informal review from your manager.

This is a quick method to check in with one another and make sure you’re still on the same page. You can provide an update on the goals you outlined in your first month during your review. You can also anticipate. What are the milestones your boss expects you to hit in the next three months or a year?

4. Reconnect with former coworkers: It’s a terrific chance to update old coworkers and discover what’s going on with them now that you’ve settled into your new job.

Maintaining your professional network is an excellent strategy to stay informed about the job market and your field. According to our research, 65 percent of employed persons are looking for a new job within the first three months of starting new employment. This does not necessarily imply that you should abandon your new employment. Rather, it indicates that it’s time to think about the next stage in your profession.

5. Lastly, be kind to yourself: To succeed in a new career, you must believe in yourself. As you adjust, you will surely experience difficulties and make mistakes. Don’t get caught up in what you haven’t done yet. Instead, concentrate on how far you’ve gone and where your hard work will lead you next. After all, your new company chose you for this position from a pool of candidates.

Conclusion

It’s very normal to be worried before your start date. Remember that this company would not have chosen you if they didn’t believe you were the best candidate. With these pointers in hand, you may demonstrate why their judgment was correct. I would like to end this article with some tips to help you succeed at your new job.

1. Remember to keep your personal brand in mind: Every office activity is an opportunity to learn, grow, and represent yourself in a positive light, from a conversation with your manager to your first department meeting to your first business happy hour. You promote yourself and your personal brand from the moment you walk into the office, so be consistent with how you present yourself.

2. Early on, establish appropriate boundaries: When you create healthy boundaries, you’re defining what’s acceptable and unacceptable to you in terms of how late you’re willing to work, the total number of hours you’re willing to work, how you’ll handle saying “no” when necessary, and how intimate your work connections can be. It’s difficult to go back once you’ve demonstrated that you’re willing to do certain things.

3. You should mind your own business: Many employees make themselves look bad by getting involved in work concerns that aren’t their responsibility. Workplaces can be a complex web of ‘frenemies,’ cliques, and gossip, all of which the clever and sensible new hire will steer clear of.

4. Pick your conflicts at work carefully: You will almost certainly experience plenty of difficulties, anxieties, and problems in the workplace due to the many people you will engage with. It will help you keep your sanity and productivity at work if you can distinguish between difficulties that must be addressed and those that can be ignored and moved on from.

5. From the start, develop solid time management abilities at work: It is critical to put effective time management skills into practice to avoid job load piling up. Setting priorities, keeping daily lists of items to be addressed, and arranging blocks of time to address certain topics are all standard time management approaches.

6. Develop a sense of trust: When you demonstrate your worth by showing up and performing a good job, you will be granted a lot more leeway with your schedule and work in general. Keep in mind that trust must be earned.

7. Be kind and considerate: Starting a new job can be challenging and stress full. Remember to take care of yourself and be kind to yourself. If you feel good, it will be showcased in your work and also will increase your productivity. Don’t worry too much about impressing others. Be authentic, and everything should fall into place.