Starting a new job can be exciting!
There may be a high level of joy and anticipation, particularly if this is a dream job.
There may be a hint of sadness if you’re leaving behind an old job or close relationships with your colleagues.
Additionally, there may also be some anxiety. This is a new phase in your life and lots of things now are uncertain.
Nevertheless, while these emotions are expected, there are some critical steps you must take when starting a new job.
Particularly, within the first thirty days.
This period lays the foundation of how relationships with your colleagues, management and the company itself will unfold.
Therefore, some critical things to practice within those first thirty days are:
Making a good first impression
While many experts do agree first impressions are made during the interview, you won’t meet everyone in the organisation at that time.
Sometimes, depending on the culture of the organisation, your interview may have been conducted with just a Human Resources staff member.
Afterwards, you would have met your direct manager and other key persons within your department.
Therefore, treat your first thirty days at your new job as the time to make a good and lasting impression.
During those days, you will be put through some type of onboarding program to familiarise you with the company’s operations.
This is the point at which people will see what’s it like working with you.
More specifically, they will be looking to ascertain:
- What is your work ethic?
- Are you punctual?
- Are you helpful?
- Do you demonstrate a willingness to learn?
- How well do you accept feedback?
- Are you easy to approach and talk to?
- How well are you adapting to the company’s policies and culture?
Your manager will be observing these criteria to determine whether the right hiring decision was made.
Was your interview an accurate portrayal of your capability, or was it a performance?
As you go through the onboarding process, show up with willingness and enthusiasm.
Doing so ensures you make a good first impression and reinforce your colleagues’ confidence in your creditability.
Be patient with yourself
Good impressions and credible reputations do not get built overnight.
You are new to the organisation, and despite your willingness and enthusiasm to succeed, mistakes will occur.
Do not become discouraged when mistakes happen. Even the most qualified and seasonal professional makes mistakes.
It is part of being human and it is how learning takes place. Moreover, you cannot learn everything at once!
Therefore, listen attentively, ask questions and put your best foot forward. When mistakes do occur, do not concede defeat.
Instead of discouragement and defeat, remind yourself that you are in the learning phase (which arguably never ends) and you’re bound to rack up a few errors.
Be patient, learn from the errors you make and commit to becoming better every day.
Socialise and show personality.
The work environment is many things – a physical environment, an operational environment as well as an economic one.
However, the work environment is also social. You are working alongside people and your first thirty days should be spent getting to know those personalities.
Start with those you work closest but do not confine yourself to that department.
Branch out. Introduce yourself to people in different departments. An organisation is its people.
There is no better way to understand an organisation than getting to know the people that make up its structure and culture.
Therefore, go out to lunch with a colleague, if invited. Offer assistance. Be polite and courteous
Doing so, within your first thirty days, also identifies the people you can count on for assistance when facing different problems.
Therefore, socialising helps you to identify the various resources available to you.
Additionally, you foster solid working relationships which will always be useful towards enriching your work experience.
Establish a work rhythm with your manager.
The relationship with your direct manager is extremely important for several reasons:
- You will be working the closest and spending the most amount of time with them.
- Your output will affect one another. You will need their guidance and information to produce the results they need to add to their operations.
- They will be the one monitoring your probationary period and recommending you for full-time status or contract renewals.
- They will perform your performance appraisals.
- Your direct manager affects your career planning, promotion opportunities, compensation etc.
Given the importance of this working relationship, it is vital that you establish a clear and open line of communication with your direct manager.
Within your first thirty days, learn about them – their leadership style, management philosophy, work ethic, decision-making process as well as their expectations from you.
They will have to identify the same from you.
This allows both of you to establish a cohesive working relationship. One in which you both understand each other’s values, ethics and perspectives to be productive together.
Learn what excellence looks like.
While you cannot instantly learn everything about your job, your first thirty days should be spent, studying your role and responsibilities.
More specifically, you need to work backwards.
Ask yourself, or your manager, “What does a person in my position do to be considered excellent”?
You want to be good at your job, so you need to consider what excellence at your job entails.
Normally, your manager or Human Resources gives you a job outline. Assess what is expected of you from that outline.
Then identify ways you could exceed expectations.
For example, if you have a sales target of ten persons per month, aim to exceed that target by closing twelve sales.
Look for ways, you can save time, spend less, and generate more for your company.
This will not come immediately to you. You must learn the basics of your job first. But even while learning the basics, adopt a mindset to exceed expectations.
Aim to exceed with efficiency within your first thirty days, so you can create more value for your company and opportunities for yourself.
