6 Ideas for Successfully Starting Your New Job

The first day at your new job! It always turns out to be both thrilling and stressful at the same time. Your goal is to learn the ropes as fast as possible so that you can get out of the uncomfortable phase of not knowing how to do what you’re supposed to be doing, how to find what you’re looking for, and who all your coworkers are. It can be a very daunting task to assimilate with the new culture you’ll now be spending every day in, so here are a few tips for making your early days both pleasant and productive.

  1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Wandering around because you’re too uncomfortable to request assistance isn’t going to benefit anyone. Nobody expects you to instantly know where, who, and what everything is, and your coworkers will be more than happy to pass their knowledge along to you.
  2. Intentionally absorb what you’ve learned. Whether it’s taking copious notes, using a voice recording device, or repeating what you’ve just seen or heard, you need to be actively engaged during your training period so that you retain the information. Your managers and coworkers are sharing their valuable time with you in order to help you onboard, so it’s important to respect their time and efforts. After all, it’s your responsibility to become familiar with the details of your job and the company, so be proactive about getting it under your belt as quickly as you can.
  3. Stay organized. With all these new things coming at you, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed from the beginning. Maintaining a good organization system for information, supplies, files, etc. is critical to staying in control of everything you’re juggling. I recommend using as many cheat sheets and standard operating procedure manuals as you need for quick reference.
  4. Prioritize your task and project list. Although there are an infinite number of assignments you could probably work on, select a couple that you can accomplish in the short term and focus on them. Not only will it boost your confidence, but it will also make you much more effective than trying to juggle an impossible to-do list.
  5. Take note of processes and regulations that don’t make sense to you. Find an appropriate time to ask your manager about them, making sure to do so in a very respectful way. Perhaps you just needed a little further explanation to understand the valid reasoning behind them. However, departments have a habit of operating according to obsolete procedures simply because that’s what they’ve always done. A fresh perspective, presented in an appropriate manner, can be very helpful for spotting these hindrances and encouraging much-needed updates.
  6. Be excited and enthusiastic about what you’re learning. Not only are those attitudes contagious, but they are also encouraging and rewarding for everyone around you. It will confirm to them how valuable you are as a team member and why you were hired in the first place.

Although your early days and months at your new job can be challenging, they are also a great time to start fresh and establish good procedures and habits to set yourself up for success in the long run. I hope these tips will empower you to overcome any anxiety about your new position and feel successful from the start.

 

Any further ideas for a great onboarding experience? Feel free to post a comment below!