Important things to do when you start a new job
When you have successfully got the job and the final days before you start in the new place are upon you. There are some things you need to have in mind for your first few weeks to 3 months there.
You know how the 3-month rule in relationships? Yeah, I think it’s handy to apply that in any relationship, not just romantic. So, in the first 3-months you assess and conduct the following to see if there is longevity in the job. Whether there is or not determines whatever your attitude to the job is.
What a boss!
Also, I have started new jobs several times, so these tips are from my own observations
1. Establish your reputation
Regardless of whether the job is temporary or your lifelong dream. You need to establish a reputation quickly. These people will be analysing you as much as you are them. And since they have been in the place longer than you, and you are the fresh shiny toy, and you will be watched more than usual, until they get comfortable with you around.
So, make sure to give yourself a good footing. You can be known as ‘keen’ (which is still good despite the negative connotations), confident, a fast learner, dedicated etc. You don’t have to be all, just pick a good trope. My go to is confident. I am very confident to ask questions about the job, and it’s been well received when I ask questions early on. It shows I am trying to engage with the work, and gives them some sense of comfort that I can be reliable to focus on the work.
Keen is fine – other colleagues might think it’s weird, but most people just put it down to excitement and enthusiasm for a job, which is not a negative.
Fast learner – not all of us can, but some people are quick to pick up things. That’s great, because the team feels comfortable that you are grasping the work and can deliver with minimal resource use on their part. (more efficient for the business).
Dedicated – I don’t mean skip your lunch breaks, but these are people who seem to have a deeper interest in the subject matter than the other colleagues. Again, they can perceive it as weird, but you’re new of course they will think that.
2. Understand the management style
Whilst you are establishing your reputation, you need to assess the manager for yourself. You probably asked the question during the interview, to get an idea of how they manage, but much like how you probably decorated your answers, they would have to. Or worse, they have no idea how their management style truly is in reality, compared to what they think they are doing.
So, you need to critically analyse what that manager’s style is, AND if you’re ok with it. There are people out there who are willing to tolerate managers they aren’t compatible with, for whatever reasons they need to. No judgement to them, but I haven’t found a justified reason to stay with a manager who doesn’t mesh with me.
However, you don’t jump ship if you realise there is a compatibility issue. So, here is how you figure out your compatibility:
I. First you identify what it is you don’t feel compatible with. Maybe they want daily updates of work in progress. Maybe they really want to friends with their employees, or they are very chaotic/structured for your liking.
II. Once you have identified that issue(s), you have to do some of the work for them (because you have to appreciate they are being adults for the first time too, and so probably haven’t had the chance to navigate an employee like you). You figure out some solutions. When you do this, make sure they are not insane changes they can’t make. As middle managers, they have to appease the people above them and the ones below them (which isn’t always possible). So, make sure you are open to compromise.
III. Lastly, bring it up in a calm none-blaming manner. Make sure to describe how you have perceived their style and how it makes you feel. Ask them if they can see/understand your perspective. And hopefully if they are an understanding person, you can hold a discussion, and come up with some solutions and actions to go forward, together. But this can only happen if you have taken the time to understand their management style, and every manager works differently.
3. Understand who in the team is worthy
I don’t mean worthy of any accolades, but you need to know if you can trust these people who you share a manager with. You can land in teams where your view of the dynamic and management does not agree, and the last thing you want to do is share your thoughts, thinking everyone is on the same page, and it turns out you’re not.
First thing is to NOT share your thoughts or personal life so quickly. Again, you don’t know who these people are, and what they might do with your opinions. So, take it easy. Give minimal details about your personal life. See what kind of information they share with you about others, unprompted (you didn’t ask questions to get those answers). At some point the conversation turns to talking about management. Really listen to how they talk about them. They might seem comfortable defending them, and depending on your perspective on management, that will determine how much you trust them with your thoughts.
Some people are happy to share a lot about their lives, but that doesn’t mean they are worthy, it just means they feel comfortable to share a lot about their life. The key is finding people in the team you can truly feel comfortable to talk to and share your opinions with. In some cases, that’s not always possible. You find yourself in a team of people you can’t talk to at all. That’s ok, it’s an unsettling situation, but it’s not the end of the world. It just means you need to find the people you confide in, within your normal social circles, rather than work colleagues in your team.
Figuring this out can easily take months, especially since no one wants to speak their truth to a new person, but the news comes out soon enough.
TL;DR
- There are things you need to do once you start a new job, to determine the longevity in the role
- Establish your reputation
- Understand the management style
- Understand who in the team is trustworthy
- It takes a few months to get this info, plus you will be settling into the work as well. The key thing to remember is “Any experience is still experience”.
