Entertainment
Ways to be successful at your new job
You just got a shiny new job, at a great company. Congrats! Your first day at a new job can either be the first day of the rest of your life… or the first of a series of endless ‘Groundhog Day’experiencesYou just got a shiny new job, at a great company. Congrats! Your first day at a new job can either be the first day of the rest of your life… or the first of a series of endless ‘Groundhog Day’experiences, where every day feels the same and your new job quickly seems just like the old job. To make sure that doesn’t happen, here are a few things that you can do differently that will help you stand-out and make the most of your opportunity
Behave as if you’re still being interviewed
Once you’re hired it’s natural to feel a sense of accomplishment. It’s easy to assume you belong. After all, they hired you, right? You’re awesome! And the company is brilliant for having recognised your awesomeness. High five!
Not so fast. Think of your first 30 to 90 days as an extended interview. Show up every day thinking you need to prove you deserved to be hired. You’ll work harder, work smarter, won’t take anything for granted… and in short order you will prove you belong.
See your manager as a person you help, not a person who tells you what to do
Yes, in theory, your manager gets to tell you what to do. In practice, that’s probably not why she hired you. Here’s a better approach: Your manager has things she needs to get done. See your job as helping her get those things done. The more you help her achieve her goals and targets the more highly you will be valued.
Build relationships based on performance, not conversation
Great companies with great cultures welcome new employees to the fold. Other employees go out of their way to meet and get to know you. That’s awesome, but work still involves work, not just conversation. Be nice, be friendly, be yourself—but always remember that the best working relationships are based on respect and trust, and respect and trust are based on actions and performance, not just on words. Prove yourself. Pitch in. Help out. Follow through. Meet every commitment. Earn the respect and trust of others and you will build truly great professional relationships. And you’ll build some great friendships, too.
Go the extra mile early—and often
Early on you probably don’t have all the skills you need. You probably don’t have all the experience. You probably don’t have all the contacts and connections. But you can have the willingness to work extremely hard. Work hard and everyone around you will forgive a certain lack of skill and experience. They’ll know you’re trying—and sometimes, at least for a while, that’s all that matters.
Spot the high performers and mimic them
Every organisation is different, which means the key attributes of top performers in those organisations are different, too. Pick out the top performers and study them. Figure out what makes them tick. How they approach problems. How they make decisions. There’s no need to reinvent the high performance wheel; save that for when you are a top performer and want to go an even higher level.
Think three moves ahead
Great chess players think many moves ahead. The current move builds a base for future moves. You can do the same. Think about where a task might lead you; about how you can leverage your current responsibilities. Think about what skills you can learn, visibility you can gain, connections you can build… every task and every job can lead to a number of great possibilities.
Find a way to stand out
Work hard to be known for something specific. Be known for responding more quickly or following up first or always offering to help before you’re asked. Be the leader known for turning around struggling employees or creating the biggest pool of promotable talent or building bridges between different departments.
Create your own project
You don’t have to wait to be asked. You don’t have to wait to be assigned. Pick a side project where, if you fail, there’s no harm and no foul, and take your shot. You never know how it will turn out… and what it will do for your career.
Never forget why you were hired
Yes, you want to learn and grow. Yes, you want to build a career. Yes, you want to feel happy and fulfilled. And yes, you were hired to help advance the goals and mission of the company. It’s possible to fulfill your goals and the company’s goals. Make sure you do. That way you and the company win—and isn’t that what the employer/employee relationship should be all about?