Jul
9
Good employers will have an induction plan in place for all new employees which will include basic things like pointing out the bathrooms and fire exits ( both crucial) to introducing you to your team to sharing history of the organisation to training in IT processes etc etc etc. This plan may take a week or more to work through. In the meantime a new employee has to work out what to focus on first , remember as much as possible about what they learn and take steps to start to fit in.
It is easy to forget that - as a new employee - you share the responsibility of making sure you make the connections and try to get up and running in your role as soon as you can.
I hope Peggy over at Career Encouragement Blog doesn’t mind me working with her advice in this !
Taking Peggy’s headings
1 Accept that it will be hard - even the most outgoing and gregarious of folks will find it tricky to fit in at the start. The others have a shared history, know how things work ( technically and politically!) and will have both working and social relationships. The newbie has to work out where they might fit. At the very least you should expect your co-workers to support you until you can fly solo - but you have to consider how much support do you need and are they willing to give. From my experience as a tax adviser the worst possible time to bring in a new employee was at tax deadline dates when everyone was running round like headless chickens. Even someone with years of relevant technical experience needs to be shown how to log on, use the printer, report to the manager etc…and quite frankly that made new additions to the team just another headache. The trick was to try to explain that and for the new employee to work out how they can make things easier.
2 Plan to stay - really. I know that sometimes people take a job to tide them over until something better comes along. But if you have done that for goodness sake don’t let your new colleagues find out. It is not hard to imagine how they might react to you and your view of their work and employer! I agree with Peggy - give yourself at least 6 months. And as soon as you plan to stay you can concentrate on your longer term plan which will include..
3 Plan to develop work relationships - so assuming that you survive the first few days/weeks ( and there are a lot of people out there who throw in the towel before that) use what you have learned during that time to start to build relationships that will be mutually beneficial. This need not be limited to immediate co-workers. Sometimes a chat with someone from another department at the coffee machine can give an opportunity to look for a way to build a link to getting a chance to be involved in wider projects.
4 Plan to move up - I agree in principle with Peggy’s suggestion that a promotion in one job will help with your job search for the next one. I would add here , plan to grow your job. Make it bigger - more important. Often promotions are not available because the “business case” cannot be made ( it will take you into a new salary banding for example) but a bigger job still gives you growth potential and although the financial prospects might not be immediately obvious a future employer will recognise your commitment which is a really attractive trait in an employee! It is also important to…
5 Plan to move on - too many people get stuck. That is not good for either you or your employer. There is no harm in thinking about your next step and keeping an eye on the job ads. Then you can decide when the time is right for you and your employer to part company on good terms.
Hope that helps!
Hi Jackie, wonderful advice. My daughter is looking for her first full time job now, and I will pass this on to her.
Hi Brad
I wish her all the best. It will be an exciting time for her. Glad to be of help