4 steps to feeling competent in your new role

Whether you are moving on from your current employer or have been out of work for a period of time, starting a new job can feel daunting. The first few weeks in a new role is very much a learning curve and you may experience a mixture of emotions.

Noel Burch, an employee with Gordon Training International, developed the Conscious Competence Ladder in the 1970s. This model can be applied when starting a something new, including a new job or contract. There are 4 levels you will move through until eventually feeling competent in your new role.

The 4 key levels are as follows:

1. Unconsciously incompetent – Here you start at level 1. You may not be aware of what knowledge you do not have or what you still need to learn until you start your new role.
2. Consciously incompetent – At this point you move to level 2. At this level you have the awareness that you don’t have a specific skill or knowledge in an aspect of your new role or contract. So at this point you start to develop it.
3. Consciously competent – When you move to level 3, you have the awareness of the skills and knowledge you now have and continue to deepen this understanding before moving on to level 4.
4. Unconsciously competent – Level 4 is the final level. Now you are using your newly acquired skills and knowledge without realising it.

By understanding the emotions you are likely to experience will help you to manage them effectively enabling you to remain confident during your career transition.