You’ve finally landed ‘that’ job in a company that you see yourself growing with for many years. But you’re nervous and you don’t know what to expect. You are unsure how to act in this new environment and you only have three months to make an impression and sail through the probation period.
Here are ten tips to keep in mind during the first 90 days in a new position:
- Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open. When starting in a new role, it’s tempting to demonstrate to your employers everything you know. Don’t feel pressured to perform and show off all your knowledge in the first week. This is the learning phase so use it to learn.
- Take note of everyone you meet and if you’re working in a big company, write down the names and positions of people you meet. Your first instincts are always the best, so once you are introduced to a new colleague – consider your initial gut feeling about that individual. Jotting down relevant information like their title and responsibilities will save you time down the track and help you transition into the role smoothly.
- Understand the hierarchy. There are several hierarchies at play within an organisation so observe the formal and informal structures. Most offices will have a resident gossip, a high-achiever and a corporate climber. Understanding the lie of the land will place you in good stead.
- Avoid controversial subject matters. Topics including sex, religion and politics are best avoided in a work setting and your new boss or colleagues don’t need to know who you voted for in the last election, even if they ask. It is better to remain diplomatic and neutral in a professional setting, particularly in the early days of joining a new team.
- Answer a question with a question. As you are ‘new’, colleagues might want to know about your personal life. Keep your answers succinct or deflect the line of questioning if you’re not comfortable talking about your personal life.
- Keep some mystery. Don’t offer up superfluous information about yourself during your first few months. By keeping your personal life private you will give your new colleagues a better chance to get to know you in a professional setting. This is the time to learn about your new colleagues, not the other way around.
- Don’t over-connect. Don’t rush to add your new colleagues on Facebook or Twitter. You will be seeing them in the office every day so to start with keep it at that.
- Set goals. Pick three things you want to achieve in this period and no more. Track your success – your wins and your losses. Keep this document updated at all times and bring it with you to your three month review. Some companies renegotiate their employee’s salary once they have passed their probation; proving your worth may increase your pay cheque.
- Keep a balance. While it is tempting to impress your boss with overtime from day one, it will become an expectation. Once you’ve settled in and want to go back to a regular working hours it might look as though you’re slacking off. Keep a sustainable work/life balance from the start.
- Keep an ace up your sleeve. If you have a skill or talent that could add value to the company, don’t release it until you find the right time and place, like when presenting to the board. You want to make the biggest impact with the right people during this time frame, and your managers will see you as the gift that keeps on giving.