Becoming Competent Fitting in and Developing Opportunities
When you start a new job you are the new kid on the block, a Johnny-come-lately. The feeling of being an outsider can cramp your style when you are already overwhelmed by the new location and the amount of information you need to absorb in a very short time. Be prepared for what lies ahead by reviewing these tips for getting ahead from the first moment you walk through the door as a new employee.
Aim for a smooth transition plus improvement
If you are replacing an existing employee who is moving on or retiring, your first objective is to create a seamless handover of responsibilities. Where your role is a newly-created one you must still make your boss certain that the decision to recruit you was a good move. In both cases you will need to hit the ground running, and make the most of any transition period where your predecessor is still around to show you the ropes. Not until the person you have replaced has disappeared from the scene, and everyone is comfortable with the way you are handing the job, can you put your own stamp on the role by finding a better way to do it.
Ask questions
It’s virtually impossible to ask too many questions when you are a new employee. Naturally there will be the obvious questions about the technicalities of your job, with answers supplied by the person you are replacing or your immediate superior. In addition to this you need to familiarize yourself as quickly as possible with all aspects of the business, not just your own immediate responsibilities. Find out who is who in the company, especially the senior managers who may have a say on how your career progresses. Long-term employees need to be identified as well, since they are obviously doing something right and could be useful as mentors. Learn everything you can about the company’s operations, such as the products or services it supplies and its major customers, even if you are not in sales or marketing. The sooner you know these things, the sooner you will be able to hold your own in business meetings or discussions.
Ask for help, and training if necessary
It could be that you oversold yourself during your interview, or genuinely overestimated your ability to step up to the plate. Alternatively, the sheer size and difficulty of the task could have been misrepresented to you when you were recruited. In any case, there are bound to be some things that are challenging or puzzling in your first few months as a new employee. If you keep your problems a secret from your boss things are only going to get worse, so instead of floundering, explain the situation as soon as possible and ask for assistance or training to bring you up to speed. Now is the time to ask for help, rather than when you have been struggling for two years and possibly created a situation that will be more difficult to rectify. Your need for help soon after you arrive will be seen as the pardonable problems of a new employee; wait too long, and it will just look like incompetence.
Review and document what you’ve learned
One of the greatest difficulties for a new employee can be the lack of a proper job description or procedures manual. If this is the case, ask your predecessor to make some notes for you during the handover period, or request a detailed job description from your supervisor. Use this as a basis for your own notes as your learn the ropes. By the time you have reached the level of full competence you will have a useful document to refer to as a reminder, and a valuable tool to pass on when you are promoted.
Ask for feedback from your supervisor
After a few weeks it is reasonable to ask your boss for an assessment of how you are doing. If your supervisor is happy you can rest secure in the knowledge that you have met everyone's expectations. On the other hand, if there are problems with your performance you need to know as soon as possible so that you can make changes or improvements. This meeting with your manager also provides an opportunity for you to offer any suggestions you may have about changes in processes or new ideas, but be wary of being too critical about the way things are done while you are still a relative newcomer.
Fit in and socialize
Dress fairly conservatively on your first day, and then adapt your style according to what you see around you. It is not advisable for a new employee to stand out as a result of eccentric or inappropriate clothing, and overdressing – such as a suit when everyone else is much more casual – can be as ill-advised as being careless and slapdash about your appearance. Aim for the middle ground, at least until you are part of the furniture. Try to memorize your colleagues’ names as quickly as you can, and mention your own name each time you speak to someone for the first few days so that you are remembered as well. If you are invited to join a group for lunch or a drink after work, try hard to be available: you are being welcomed into the fold
Volunteer and look for opportunities
Once you are settled in and comfortable in your new role, don’t stand still or you may be overlooked when promotion opportunities come along. Demonstrate your ambition by asking for new responsibilities if you think you have the time and ability to cover them. Just because you may not have been with the company as long as some other employees is not a reason to be passed over if you have the necessary qualities to advance your career sooner rather than later. At the same time, try to tread the line between taking the opportunities that present themselves, and pushing yourself forward at the expense of other colleagues who may resent it and look for a chance to make life difficult for you.
Being a new employee can be a testing time, and the way you perform and interact in the first weeks and months can have a major impact on your future with the company. Make it as painless as possible for yourself, your employer and your colleagues by aiming for an efficient changeover where you ask the right questions and seek help if you need it. Record what you learn for future reference, profit from a candid assessment of your progress, make efforts to blend in with the team, and then look around for ways to get noticed for the next promotion.
