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Congratulations! You have been for that nerve racking interview, you have now bravely handed in your notice and may be feeling excited and nervous all at once about starting your new job...
While you are working your notice keep in touch with New Frontiers or your new company. This will help to provide a feeling of reality as the average one months notice is a long time and it can all get to feel like a dream.
When the day finally arrives, this checklist might help
- Make sure you have had a good nights sleep.
- Dress for work in smart clothes. The dress code may be smart casual but it will help you feel more confident.
- Ensure you arrive early if you are required to start at 9am. Start as you mean to go on. Arriving early will also help you to get used to your new environment and may provide some early informal chats with other members of staff.
First days
First days are always the worst. Everything is new - new ways of doing things, new people, new technology. Allow yourself time to settle in and try not to keep comparing.
One candidate starting a new job made the following comments:
" I have learnt that no question is a daft question if you do not know the answer. I feel that as long as you are flexible and adaptable to new ideas everything will work well. Remember that every company is different".
Be Patient - Some companies are expanding and taking on staff so fast that there is an air of organised chaos. If you have joined a busy company you will need to use all of your initiative to settle in. You may have to find out where things are by yourself. You may be 'thrown in at the deep end'. Take this as a compliment and an opportunity to prove yourself. If your company felt you could not cope, they would not have placed you in that position.
Your new employer will also feel concerned for your well-being. Two of our clients have made the following statements that you may find reassuring.
"People should remember that everyone was new once. At your last job you were an expert and you will soon feel the same way again in your new position. Always ask any questions, however silly you may think they are".
" When new folks join our team, it is important that they allow themselves time to adjust to their new role. Remember that the person who is training you in your new job would not have been able to do your old job, it's just a learning curve, but you will soon feel comfortable in your new role".
Formal inductions
Some companies have a structured induction process which usually requires you to take in a lot of information over a short period of time. Hang on in there. Remember when you first learnt how to drive or ride a bike. If you feel you are falling behind talk it over with the trainer. They would rather see a conscientious, enthusiastic new recruit succeed, even if it takes a bit more time!
No formal induction
If you are required to start later than 9 am for induction purposes, you will join a busy office with lots going on. Try not to feel too 'lost'. If you are required to wait for your Trainer/Manager, if you are feeling like a 'spare part', try to observe, listen and learn from what is happening around you.
New large/small company
If you are joining a large company from a small one and vice-versa, you must give yourself time to adjust to the culture differences. Welcome this change positively and adapt a very flexible attitude.
If it all goes wrong
If after a couple of weeks, you find that you are really not enjoying your new work consider the following check-list:-
- Have your expectations of the job been too high and you are feeling disappointment through the build up of what you imagined your new, wonderful job to be?
- Are your expectations realistic?
- Do you feel competent in the tasks demanded of you? Do you need more training?
- If the travelling has turned out to be worse than you expected, have you explored all of the available routes?
- If people are not friendly - are you trying too hard/too little?
Whatever your anxieties are, your new company want you to be settled just as fast as you want to be settled. So talk it over with your new Manager or just give it some more time.
Progressing your career - 'Reap what you sow!'
Well now you're settled and doing well and really enjoying the challenges and prospects ahead with your new company. If you're ambitious and want to succeed:
Always try and be self critical - in a constructive way. Think about how you can do your job better, more efficiently, more productively, more enjoyably.
Always accept any chances to improve your skills base - take up any inhouse/external course on offer. n Adopt a positive attitude and you will always find a solution or an opportunity in every difficult situation (if you look hard enough). Attitudes are contagious. Is your attitude worth catching?
Read self improvement books - 'Awaken the Giant within' by Antony Robbins and the ''Seven habits of highly effective people' by Steven Covey are both highly recommended for thought provoking, motivating and stimulating self development.
Take responsibility - regardless of the level of your position. If you adopt a mature, problem solving approach and take responsibility for all your actions whether they are right or wrong, you will earn the respect and trust of your colleagues and superiors.
Contribute ideas, be positive, conscientious and loyal and companies will invest in you, listen to you and eventually promote you into key appointments.
Good luck and keep in touch!
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