Member Article

How to shine in a new job

New research from Standard Life shows that over half (54%) of UK workers wish they could change career and this figure rises to 72% for those aged between 25 and 34.

But having secured the dream job, how does one make a success of it? Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect and the first impressions that people give to their colleagues and manager are often linked to their future success.

So how can people get off to a flying start in a new job? Here are my top ten tips:

1. Take the initiative from day one – rather than waiting for other people to set up introductory meetings introduce yourself to your colleagues. You will settle in far more quickly and make a great impression by being proactive and showing your enthusiasm for the company and its people.

2. Fact find – use your initial meetings to find out everything you can about the role and the company. Work out the remit of your role, your responsibilities and objectives. Getting a clear understanding of what is expected of you from the word go will ensure you can achieve your objectives without stepping on anyone’s toes.

3. Learn from your team – meet with your team early on. Remember they know more about the company, its culture and process than you do so you can learn from them. Use the meeting to get to know them and also to find out what issues or challenges they face; involve them in coming up with workable solutions – this approach will be key to your success.

4. Set clear goals and objectives – for you and your team. Communicate your goals and what you want to achieve and ensure you get their ‘buy in’ early on.

5. Don’t be afraid to make changes – you have been hired for your skills and experience so be confident. Make changes if you need to but make sure you carry them out quickly and then refocus your staff on the future of the business.

6. Communicate carefully – particularly via email. If you have something negative to say to someone then always do it in person – there is nothing worse than a group ‘telling off’ to make someone feel awful and make you unpopular. On the contrary, if one of your team has performed particularly well, then praise them and let everyone know!

7. Give credit where credit is due – don’t be tempted to score a quick win by taking credit for work that isn’t strictly your own, there is nothing more likely to inspire mistrust.

8. Avoid the office gossips – don’t get drawn into any unnecessary politics and remember to be professional at all times.

9. Be respectful – to everyone in the office whatever their level in the organisation. Get to know people as individuals and remember everyone is a human being.

10. Be positive – show that you have a positive attitude and that you are someone who is enthusiastic about work and happy to be there. Positivity is infectious, it rubs off. Happy people illicit positive responses from other people. Lastly, remember to smile – it doesn’t cost anything…

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Marielena Sabatier .