If you’re starting a new job, you are going to want to watch this video to the end because we are going to be covering the four tips that you need to be successful when starting a new job.
#1: You want to meet as many people in the company as possible
So tip number one when it comes to starting a new job successfully is that you want to meet absolutely everyone. It can be quite intimidating if you’re starting a new role, especially at a big company. There’s a lot of people to meet, a lot of different teams, a lot of different departments. But don’t shy away from that. Don’t hide in your little corner. You want to make sure that from the get-go, you are making connections and meeting as many people as possible in the first few months.
When you’re fresh in a role, people will give you the benefit of the doubt to give you their time to help you learn more about the company, learn more about their role, and find out ways that you can connect and add value between your different teams.
Take advantage of that opportunity because that door won’t be open forever. Likewise, you might actually find when you’re new in the business that even as senior leaders will be more open to meeting you, learning more about you and your professional history than they would be six, 12 months down the track. So when you’re new in the role, seriously, take advantage of being able to set up 30 minutes with as many people as possible to learn more about them personally and professionally.
Because having that foundation, having that base that will set you up for long-term success in terms of building and fostering those relationships throughout the business and for all the projects that you then go on to do.
#2: Learn as much as you can about the business and how it works
Tip number two for being successful when you are starting a new role is all about learning about the business.
So you never want to step into a role and be Mr. Know-it-all think you know how everything works and how everything is going to go. You want to take the time to be humble when you started a new role to learn every facet about the business, even departments that might not necessarily have a clear connection to you and what you do.
Ask questions, meet people, spread your wings because doing this will allow you to build your professional development, build your IP in the business. But again, when you’re in your role, it’s all about building foundations and no one’s going to expect you to have all the answers in the first two, three months of starting a role. But six months, 12 months, two years into your role, they’re going to have very different expectations about what you should be delivering in your role and for the company.
So you want to make sure in those early days you take every opportunity to learn about the company from anyone who is willing to speak to you.
#3: Align with your manager and team on key projects and priorities
Alright, tip number three for being successful. When you start a new role, it’s all about setting priorities and knowing exactly what your priorities are. So when you’re in new role, you want to spend the time with your line manager or your director, whoever you report to find out what are the key things that you should be working on, what are the big rocks, what are the key priorities to make sure that you don’t get thrown off course and distracted by other requests that might come through.
Because when you’re new in role, you want to say yes to people. You want to add as much value as you can, as fast as you can, but that can also throw you off track. So you want to be really clear from the get go. Yes, you need to meet people. Yes, you need to learn, yes, you want to add
Value, but what are the key things that you need to hit? What are the clear defined priorities that you need to master when it comes to your KPIs and being as successful as you can, having an impact in your particular role?
#4: Set clear with expectations with your manager
And then tip number four for being successful, starting a new job is all about getting clear on the expectations with your line manager. Now, this can be getting clear on your key priorities and projects, but can also be understanding the expectations from a working hours perspective.
Hybrid working arrangements when people take lunch, when you should be having meetings, when people go on holiday, what are the blackout periods for the year that people can’t go on leave. You want to understand what are these key expectations for your role as you functioning throughout the year, and set those expectations early because if there are things that are really important to you, whether it’s workplace flexibility, whether that is starting earlier and finishing later, whether that is starting later, but finishing later, whether that’s starting earlier, finishing earlier or hybrid working arrangements, get clear with your line manager what those expectations are for you and for the business.
Because if you can adjust that as early as possible, that’s going to set you in better stead long-term as well. Hope those tips helped. If you’re starting a new role, I’ll wish you the best of luck.
Will Vaughan is the Founder & CEO of Your Career Mastery. He’s dedicated to helping young professionals discover and land the job of their dreams using a mix of proven strategies, tips, tools, and mindsets. He currently works as a Content & SEO manager for a 100 million dollar tech company in Melbourne, Australia.