Settling in at Your New Job
Walking through the office doors for your first day at a new job can be daunting. It’s unfamiliar territory and you have to find time for both mastering a new role, making friends, and aligning yourself with a fresh company culture. Most of us have been guilty of wishing those first few months away and wanting to skip to the part where you’re not the new person anymore, but it doesn’t have to be that way. This article will help you stay positive and settle in well at your new job.
Keep that Applicant Attitude
As well as looking for certain skills from an employee, every interviewer has certain personality traits they’re looking for as well. Your personality can have a big impact on your success performing different roles, and yours will have been a factor as to why you got the job. To hit the ground running in your new role, you need to make sure the personality that won over the employer isn’t left behind in the interview room. Whether it comes down to being chatty, personable or having a great attitude, you should aim to deliver exactly the same on every day of your new job.
Be Approachable and Friendly
This one applies to every day you work in any job, but making sure you’re as approachable and friendly as possible will go a long way when trying to settle in and find success in a new position. A study has shown that a lot of anxiety surrounding starting a new job comes from lacking the confidence to introduce ourselves. You might not want to draw too much attention to yourself but being enthusiastic and introducing yourself to people when taking time away from your desk will reflect positively on your personality and help you make new friends.
If you’re having trouble with this, a good tip would be to let your manager or closer members of your team know and they can help by introducing you to new people. Once you’ve passed introductions, finding common ground with your colleagues and getting involved in office banter can be a great way to help you feel like one of the team.
Put Yourself Forward
It doesn’t matter whether it’s chipping in giving people a helping hand or throwing yourself into company socials, being keen and getting involved will help you settle in faster. Let your enthusiasm shine through and you’ll soon become an invaluable member of the team. Your colleagues will appreciate your help and if you feel like you’re contributing, it will help you stay positive throughout the learning process.
It can be very easy to get to know those close to you at work and not branch out any further. Putting your name forward for social activities will allow you to expand your social group and become a more recognised part of the company.
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Ask Questions
Never shy away from asking questions if you’re unsure of anything. Don’t feel like asking questions is a sign that you don’t know what you’re doing; it shows a keenness to learn and is always a better option than guessing and getting it wrong.
It doesn’t just have to be about the work you’re doing either, ask about company culture and wider teams to further your knowledge of who you’re working for. Making notes of this could work in your favour in the future too, should you need to draw any of this information down the line. The more familiar your new company becomes the less time it will take you to settle in.
Find Your Routine
Whether you’ve made an immediate switch from another job or had some time off, starting a new job is going to mean getting used to a new routine. A good way to both be successful and settle in at your new place is establishing a regular routine. This will help you stay organised but also mean you’ll quickly get used to your new working day.
Demonstrating organisation skills and good time management makes the foundations of any successful job. Showcasing these while you’re learning skills more specific to your job title can be a good way to make an early impression.
Stay Positive and Set Realistic Targets
It’s very easy when starting a new job to set yourself unrealistic targets without realising it. We all want to excel at everything we do, but you need to walk before you can run. Setting yourself realistic targets will give you something to work towards and help keep you motivated.
Staying positive when starting a new job can sometimes be tricky. That feeling like you’re playing catch up with your colleagues around you may be disheartening, so it’s important not to ahead of yourself. A positive attitude will always go down well with your boss and your peers.
Look After Yourself
We hope following these simple tips will help you settle in quickly when first starting at your new job. One final thing to remember is you can be under a lot of pressure and stress starting a new position, so make sure you take care of your well-being.
Balancing a new job, meeting new colleagues and settling in a new workplace can be mentally and physically taxing. Our advice would be don’t let it take over your life. Make sure you take time outside of work for personal activities and relaxing.
Keeping fit and healthy both physically and mentally will give you a clear mindset when you’re at work which will give you the boost you need to be successful.
Have you got any tips for settling into a new job that worked for you? Let us know on Twitter @viking_chat.
