4 things to consider when starting a new job

Starting a new job may be daunting and you need to feel as confident about it as possible. Creating a positive and strong first impression will help you move forward effectively in the early stages of your new job.  Your first few months will give you the opportunity to impress your line manager and build new relationships with fellow employees.

The first 30 days are extremely important, here are 4 tips on how to settle into the organisation when starting a new job.

1. Create a positive first impression

It’s worth considering whether you are starting your new role remotely or in person. If remotely, then making sure you are set up to talk and work virtually – preparing will ensure a positive impression will be made. If in person, or in a hybrid role, you  may want to try and organise meetings when you are in the office to meet in person. Learn names, make an effort to remember your colleagues' names. Addressing them by their names demonstrates your interest in building relationships. As you start to work more closely with them look for things you may have in common to build a rapport.

In advance of your start date, research your new co-workers and stakeholders on LinkedIn to understand more about them and their role in the business.

2. Actively listen and ask questions

Ask thoughtful questions and don't hesitate to ask questions about your role, responsibilities, and the company's culture. Thoughtful questions demonstrate your interest in understanding your new environment. Seek clarification, if you're unsure about a task or instruction, it's better to seek clarification instead of making assumptions. This shows your dedication to getting things right. However, only ask questions you don’t already know the answer to. Refer back to your interview notes or job description as the information may already be available to you. Be open to feedback: Be receptive to constructive feedback. It's a sign of humility and a willingness to learn and improve.

3. Establish quick wins

It can be useful to set yourself some targets that you can hit easily and to quickly be able to demonstrate where you add value. Adding value quickly will help you to develop your reputation, build confidence and credibility. Choose your quick wins wisely: ensure they are relevant to what you were hired to do and are linked to the overall objectives of the business.

Starting a new job is an opportunity for you to establish rapport with your new manager so ensure that you communicate regularly and set up times to review your progress. Identify any developmental areas you may have; these could include skills, competencies, personal values, work life balance, networking or managing emotions. Keep a record of the areas you plan to work on and set yourself objectives that you can review on a quarterly basis. Your objectives must relate in some way to the objectives of the role and the organisation.

4. Set goals

When your role becomes more demanding, e.g. increase in workload and meeting tighter deadlines, it can be very easy to forget what you want to gain and achieve from your job. Goal setting will motivate you to keep on track and achieve your longer- and shorter-term objectives. Review your goals regularly and check they reflect what you want and are in line with your values. By setting clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. It also allows you to stay focused on a track that may seem like a long road at the start; setting goals gives you long term vision and short-term motivation.

Final Considerations

Most importantly manage your own expectations. The first 30 days is all about learning so try not to focus too much on where you can add immediate value or any changes or improvements you feel you can make. The achievements you make in the first year will assist you in creating a positive impression for your future with the company.  Use this time to get to learn more about the new company, systems and processes. Meeting key stakeholder and establishing good relationships will support you and you integrate into your new role and start to progress in the following months ahead.