Starting A New Job 10 Tips

The importance of first impressions does not end once you have interviewed and been hired. That great first impression that you made at the interview needs to continue through your first few weeks and months on the job.

It is the initial starting period of the new job in which opinions are going to be formed about you and your work habits. Your boss and your coworkers will be considering your actions on the job during this time. If you are thought of as a lazy worker during your first weeks it will be hard to shake that reputation later on in your career. This holds true even if you deserve to have lost that reputation. However, if you really work hard and are successful during your first few weeks your boss and coworkers will think highly of you and it will be tough for others to pin you as a slacker. The following ten hints can help you to do your best at your new job.

1) Take Time Off Before Starting the New Job

If you do not take time off it might be difficult to lose the old habits and routines that went along with your old job. By taking time off it will be easier for you to adjust and adapt to the new routine.

This is especially true if your previous job was one that you held for an extended period of time and came to be an integral part of your life and routine. As little as a week off before starting your new job can be a refreshing time and will help you to do your best at the new position.

2) Research the Employer

Before going to the interview you probably spent some time learning about the company and the employer. While taking time off before starting the job do some more in-depth research about the employer. Having a good understanding of the job on your first day can do wonders for your overall success.

Find any materials about the company that are available. If you can find an employee handbook, use it. You want to know what the overall mission and goals of the company are and what your new position is within that overall structure. It will also help prepare you for what you can expect as an employee of the company. Use personal connections, too. Meet up with an employee that you know or that a friend knows to get their perspective on what life at the new job will be like for you.

3) Dress Professionally

Your appearance really does matter on the job. It is a reflection of how you work and your work ethic. At the beginning of the job, dress nicer than the others in the office. It is always a good idea to be the best-dressed person in the office for your first few weeks. After the initial period, though, you should be able to relax and not worry about how it will reflect on your work habits.

After spending some time researching the company, you should know their dress code. However, remember that it is always better to be dressed more professionally if you are still unsure.

4)Arrive Early, Leave Late

Though you may be more comfortable coming in once others are in the office and leaving with all of them at the end of the day, doing so can create the impression that you are not enthusiastic about your job. This can immediately set you back during your first few weeks at a new job.

Try to be a little bit early if you can, and do not be the first one to leave at the end of the day. Staying just a few minutes late will make you appear serious and ambitious. By arrive early, you will gain some leeway in the future if their ever is a real emergency and you do have to be late.

5) Get to Know Your Coworkers

The social aspect of a new job is an important part of making the first impression. You are going to spend most of your waking moments with your coworkers, and as such, getting along with them can make or break your experience at the company. Coworkers who are more established at the company may form opinions that can impact how your career progresses.

Try not to stick too much to socializing only with people from your old job. While you may feel more comfortable with them, this can create rifts between you and your new coworkers. It may make you seem like a snob or someone who is not interested in their new job. Try to ingratiate yourself into the social network at the new job as much as possible.

6)Ask for Help

It is not worth it to worry about seeming incompetent if you ask for help as you start a new job. In fact, by not asking for help you will seem more incompetent if you turn in a poorly or wrongly done project. Coworkers might also feel that you think you are better than them and think you do not need their help.

While asking for help is a good thing at first, be sure that you note down the answers you get so you do not ask the same questions repeatedly. Instead of being annoyed by constant questions, your coworkers and your boss will think of you as a dedicated and quick learner.

7) Take Initiative

When you first start a job it is likely that you will have less work to do than your coworkers as you settle in. It is up to you, then, to let your boss know as you are ready for more work. Your boss hired you because he expected you to fulfill expectations right away.

As you just start the job, be sure that every assignment you are given is done to the best of your ability. This will likely be the only time in your career you will have to dedicate so much time to every project. However, once you are close to completing a project or assignment let your supervisor know. They will be impressed at how quickly you are able to take on a full workload that is at par with the more experienced employees.

8) Make a Plan

By having a plan in mind of what your goals are during the beginning period of your job, you will have a concrete idea of what you are doing at work. Be sure that you prioritize your goals so that you are able to meet them in a way that is helpful to you. By having this list, you will be more motivated to work hard and succeed in everything you do initially.

Though it may seem a bit like brown-nosing, it might be a good idea to share these goals with your boss. He or she will see it as an example of your organization and ambition.

9)Communicate with Your Boss

Communicating with your boss is a good way to let them know that they were right in hiring you. They took a chance when they hired you, so keeping them abreast of your progress and adjustment can be a good way to make them understand that they made the right decision.

10) Maintain a Positive Outlook

If you have a negative, pessimistic energy about you as you start your job you will surely make a bad first impression. By demonstrating a positive energy and smiling at work you will be making a good first impression that will surely last. Smile when you pass people in the hallway, do not complain about assignments, and be sure that you do not take part in office gossip.