Congrats! You landed your dream job – and now it’s time to shine. While starting a new job is exciting, embarking into the unknown can be nerve-racking.
Set yourself up for success during the first 30 days on the job with this career advice:
Build Relationships
This goes for people beyond your team and your boss. Try to network with key individuals in other departments across the company. Companies often assign mentors to new hires, so take advantage of that connection if they do. And, if they don’t, ask for a mentor. Observe your coworkers and identify the high performers. This will help you learn what to do to be successful in your new job. Pro tip: Don’t forget about the relationships you previously built and check in with close colleagues from your last job. It doesn’t hurt to grab a coffee and keep that professional connection alive.
Have A Positive Attitude
Hopefully, you’re still smitten with your new job at the one-month mark. But, regardless, keep a positive mindset. Everyone understands there are growing pains but show off your can-do attitude. It’ll label you likable with your new teammates. Think of the first few months at your new job as an extension of the interview. After all, you are still proving yourself. You talked the talk, and now you’re walking the walk. And you wouldn’t complain about anything during the interview, right? By the way, the positive speak goes for any conversations about your last job too. Don’t bash it. Be professional.
Refine Your Organizational Methods
You probably already know how you like to work (unless this is your first professional job) so your method for maintaining a to-do list and calendar might carry over from previous experience. During the first 30 days, you may need to adjust the way you organize yourself based on how priority assignments come across your desk or how frequently team check-in meetings occur. Ask your teammates for tips on how they keep their assignments and deadlines straight.
Ask Intelligent Questions
This is a time when asking questions will show you care about succeeding at the job and you want to make a difference to the team and company. But not every question will be looked at in that light. Make sure you’re not asking the same question repeatedly or you’re not asking something for which you can easily find the answer. Don’t let being a new hire be an excuse for asking silly questions. Instead, ask meaningful questions, like the biggest obstacles facing the team and how you can best contribute to the team reaching its goal.
Define Success
According to Indeed’s “How to Succeed in Your New Job: The First Week, Month and 90 Days,” you and your manager should set time aside in the first 30 days to clarify mutual expectations. You should know how your manager will evaluate your performance and your manager should know what resources you need to do your job effectively. Try thinking of your manager as someone you need to help accomplish goals, not someone who assigns you tasks. If you can shift your mindset, you may just become your manager’s go-to employee and position yourself as next in line for a promotion.
Keep An Open Mind
The company you previously worked for probably did things differently, so it’s a whole new world. For this reason, starting a new job can be overwhelming. But, remember that you switched jobs for a reason. Unless you were brought to the company to share best practices of how you did it in your previous role, limit “My old company used to…” Your colleagues – and your boss – are not going to want to hear it. Even if you have suggestions for improvement, consider introducing them simply as ideas. Additionally, now is the time to learn about the inner-workings of company operations. Observe carefully so you pick up on any unspoken rules of the company – from ordering supplies to requesting time off.
Leave Yourself “Me” Time
This means eating well and getting enough sleep – so you can perform as expected in your new job, every day. It can be mentally taxing starting a new job so be sure you have some stress-relieving solutions on hand – whether it’s a walk in the park, meditation, gym time or happy hour with friends. Make time to reflect about your new job within the first month too. While you’re not in the midst of a workday, you may be able to better consider how you should approach certain tasks or deal with certain people.
Think of this new job as an adventure, and you’ll be summiting in no time.
