ALT-1 Tips for getting Ahead in a new Job
A new job can be daunting and there are challenges to be found when entering an entirely new work environment. Hiding away from the world will not help your situation at all. Instead, you need to be able to face the world and hold your head up high when you're walking through the corridors of the workplace. It may take some time to truly settle in to a new job and feel comfortable with the people and surroundings but this time will pass much quicker if you make the effort to get involved.
Interact with colleagues
If you have an overwhelming fear that your colleagues are immensely busy and will not have time to talk even if you attempt to, start off small. A smile by the water machine will be a pleasant greeting and also provide your colleagues with the knowledge that you are friendly and sociable. Even if a conversation doesn't develop straight away, small gestures such as this will certainly help as you establish yourself in a new job. This will be the perfect starting point that will lead to getting ahead in your new job.
Be a willing volunteer
New company project? More paperwork to file? Opportunity to work with a supervisor? Go sign up! It may seem like you're doing a lot of extra work for no apparent gain but you can be sure that somebody in the management chain will have their attention drawn to your excellent work attitude. Ambitious yet enthusiastic personalities will succeed in a new job and progressing through the ranks will be much more straightforward if you are genuine and sincere about your intention of seeking a way to keep progressing in your job. A lot of this time might involve proving that you can understand the specific company processes and fit in.
Don't be pushed aside
As unlikely as you'll be in wanting to speak out, it will be important not to become nothing more than a shadow in a meeting. It's likely that you were hired because you impressed a series of people - the recruitment team, the managerial staff and the interview panel, to name a few - and the last thing any of them will want is for you to lose your voice when you're on the job. Speaking up when you have ideas and making sure your voice is heard will demonstrate that you are keen to be involved and you have the initiative to introduce and contribute to ideas.
Keep demands low
Whether you're starting from the bottom of the company or somewhere higher up the chain of command, you need to remember that if you've just arrived at a new job, nobody will appreciate somebody who attempts to waltz in to the company and expect tried and tested procedures to be changed overnight. Even if you have suggestions, try and keep them to yourself at least until you have a feeling for how much the company depend on these methods and systems to function. There won't be any point trying to rule over everyone and everything because you'll appear arrogant and condescending.
Being able to get ahead in a new job will depend on both knowing when to speak out but also when to keep your head down and focus on work. Few companies want someone who is afraid to suggest ideas but a lot of the time these ideas will only be welcomed if submitted at an appropriate time. Get a feeling for the way the company does business and how your job role fits into that as it will provide invaluable information about the more subtle aspects of success.
