Starting a new job is always intimidating you're in a new environment, you're meeting new people, and in almost all cases you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. It's easy to get discouraged when you're the new guy/girl but keep in mind; everyone starts somewhere and everyone has been that new guy/girl at some point in their life.
I've been there numerous times throughout my career - the awkward new girl - so I thought a blog post on this topic was very fitting. ..
Here are my top 8 tips to keep in mind when starting a new job:
1. Be Early
An old mentor of mine used to say, "If you're early you're on-time, if you're on-time you're late, and if you're late you're fired."
Time is very precious in the work place. It's never a good impression to arrive late to work, especially when you are new. To put it bluntly, it shows you don't care about your employer’s time, and that you have better things to do than show up for work at the same time as everyone else. Being late is highly offensive to other employees and employers (like your boss who has been working his/her butt off at this job for several years).
It's simple be courteous and show up early.
2. Be Friendly and Optimistic
Yes we get it, sometimes things in life come up or our new job isn't the job we've wanted our whole lives, but don't bring that sassy unimpressed attitude into your new job. ... Not everyone loves there job but you can change the atmosphere of your work place by simply being a happy go lucky person - by doing this you'll make more friends and build relationships around the workplace. Nobody wants to work with a negative Nancy and if you persist with a negative attitude and at some point your boss have to let someone go, they won't be sad to send you’re complaining tush out the door.
Let me segway a little story into this point. …
Once upon a time I got a position as a server at a notable restaurant. I was really excited to be making some sort of income. My first day of serving I was a little nervous, I made sure everything was running smoothly and I stayed happy and cheery with the customers the entire time. About half-way through my shift I realized how great I was doing! Ready to type in my next order another server came up to me and asked me how I was doing. I told her how happy and excited I was, but she didn't care. She seemed to just want to gossip about the managers and proceeded to tell me how the feeling of excitement will fade and how the job isn't what it is cut out to be. About 20 minutes later of her complaining about the position I left the staff area no longer excited and kind of annoyed.
Moral of the Story? Your attitude is contagious. Don't be a Negative Nancy.
3. Ask Questions
I know it might be scary asking your new employer questions on the first day especially when you want them to think you know what you’re doing but asking questions is imperative. This isn't school where you can guess what you’re doing and maybe have it explained to you later or get a bad mark that you'll learn from in the future. You can and WILL get fired for not doing a job right. Asking questions is the best way to learn, and the best way for an employer to know where you stand. Trust me, your employer will be thankful you asked for the help and did the job right rather than spending a week not knowing what you’re doing and wasting their time and money.
4. Remember Names
This is something a lot of people glide by. Remembering names is important to build relationships within the work place and it shows how attentive you can be. There’s nothing more embarrassing than having to call on someone or having to send someone an e-mail and then asking their name after they just introduced themselves.
5. Do Your Work On Time
This is kind of a no -brainer: DO your work. If there is an assignment you have to finish by tomorrow - finish it by tomorrow! If you have to stay late at the office - stay late at the office! Don't complain, don't make a big deal, just do it. This is your chance to show your capabilities in your work place, not to mention your boss took a chance on you. Show your skill set and appreciation by doing the work promptly.
6. Check In Before Leaving
I know we all want to race out of the office when that clock hits 5:00 p.m but this isn’t a race, your going to - one way or another - get home by the end of the day. Before leaving it is always important to ask your manager if everything has been done to their liking. Never clock out before checking in. It looks unprofessional, especially if there is a lot of work that needs to be done.
7. Stay Organized
Buy an agenda, have a notebook of all your to-dos, write on sticky notes, do something!!! It is so important to keep everything that you are doing organized so you know if deadlines are being met, meetings are arranged on time, you're doing your tasks correctly and so on. ... There's nothing worse than your boss e-mailing you about a report you forgot to write and then having to come up with an excuse for not being organized.
8. Enjoy it!
Last, but certainly not least, enjoy it! It’s a new job this should be an exciting time in your life, you get to meet people in your field and experience new things. Sure, there may be times when it gets stressful, but for now, while you are in this job it’s important to not lose sight of what the bigger picture is: you're gaining experience for the future and you’re making money doing it!
So those are my tips for starting a new job. A first impression is everything, so make sure that it is one that will be remembered, in the best way possible!