Being successful at a new job is something you should allocate your time, energy, and commitment to. Yes, you have been hired, but hope you know you were hired based on how you performed at the interview.
Your performance at your interview only told your recruiter or manager that you MAY be able to do the job. It is your performance on the job that tells them you CAN do the job.
Your first 90 days on the job should be your chance to prove them right. Or wrong.
Normally, for a structured organization, there should be an onboarding process for new hires. This is where you would be told the company’s history, culture, and managers would make you feel welcomed.
If you are lucky enough to have this, all the better. But take note, you still must do a lot more, even with the onboarding process.
Remember, the onboarding process is following a particular format or template, so, it may not exactly cater to your blending in the organization.
So, what are those things that you need to do to make you successful at your new job from the first day?
That is what this article is going to tip you on.
Test and plan your commute
The worst first impression you could possibly leave is to arrive late on your new job. Truth is, anytime people appear late to anywhere, they always have an excuse handy.
So, even if you arrived late for a genuine reason, they may not exactly believe you but just let it go because you are new.
So, to avoid getting late to work, try and plan your commute a working day before your resumption date.
I said a working day because that is the best time to know how the traffic would be. In case you have not been on a job for a while, it is advisable you set an alarm to wake you lest you assume it is just one of those days.
Get the most of your first day
Are you familiar with the saying, “The first impression lasts long”?
Trust me, it is not a myth. It is as true as can be. So that you do not find yourself working hard at changing a first bad impression, you must take care to not leave one.
On your first day at work, try as much as possible to be calm and not be too excited. Excitement can make you ask the wrong or unnecessary questions that may make you appear dumb.
As much as you may want to prove yourself, do not try to prove yourself. Just be yourself.
Before now, you should have made your research about the kind of dressing allowed on the job. To be on the safer side, dress very corporate. Let them be the ones to tell you to relax your dressing especially if it is not a customer-facing company.
Just pick something professional, decent, and comfortable.
Take care to avoid new job common slipups
There are some mistakes that are commonly associated with new hires during their first 3 months on a job.
A study has shown that new hires tend to
- not ask questions or clarify expectations,
- dwell or talk too much about a previous job or company,
- take on too many tasks,
- do not bother much about corporate and organization’s culture,
- keep to themselves.
If you are reading this article, I can expect you are probably smiling knowing that you have made these mistakes before. Well, you can tell your friends, colleagues, family members, that may want to resume a new job to read this or our several other career guiding articles.
It won’t be fair to let them make the mistake as you, now that you know better. Don’t you think?
Start knowing people
Especially those you will be working closing with will make you successful at a new job. It is important that you tread carefully here. Be careful of how you communicate with them individually. People come from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
What works for Abel, might not work for Sarah. What could be offending for one might be okay with another. Strive to not have to say, “We got off on the wrong foot”, later.
In the event it happens, try to maintain a cordial conversation and rapport with such person moving forward.
Show your colleagues you respect them by listening actively to them.
Take notes the traditional way
Taking notes is a way to be successful at a new job. In this new age of technology, we are almost always on our phones.
This has caused some companies to ban bringing phones into work areas. Some, because of security reasons, others are so that you will not be distracted while at work.
To make things easier for you and to also not keep forgetting your discussions and action points, take down notes.
Now, it is important that you take notes the traditional way – with a pen and paper- and not with your phone. Even though you are taking notes on phone, you do not expect your colleagues to come and peep in to see that you are.
It is better to not leave room for doubts, that is why a physical pen and paper is advised.
Determine how you can add value
Quickly learning both your departmental goals and organizational goals will set you on the path to be successful at a new job.
If your manager could do it all, you would not have been hired at all. At least, to save the company some extra cost. Now that you have been hired, you need to proactively do what you are hired for.
And that is not enough, you must deliver in such a way that your output would align with both your departmental and company goals.
Doing your job diligently earns you the trust of your teammates and more importantly, your manager’s. You may also take on some extra tasks that you know will not affect your primary tasks.
Go the extra mile
At this stage, you are already settled at your new job. You would have learned the processes, and how things are done including which of your colleagues do what. You are well on the path to be successful at a new job.
Now, it is time to chip in your bit by looking for ways to take it to the next level. Instead of just following the status quo, you can step it up a notch by taking on a leadership role.
By taking up a leadership role, you could start making recommendations to your manager on how your think a process can be improved.
Remember, things do not get to change themselves, people suggest and make those changes. Why not strive to be a positive change maker.
In conclusion, starting a new job could be a daunting task if you do not have these simple tricks to guide you. If you can spend your time wisely to observe and learn, it would be easy for you to build relationships, drive value, step up to challenges, and put everyone in a state of awe.