You’ve worked so hard on your job search to find a perfect fit for your career and it’s finally paid off. Now that you’re at your new job, what are you supposed to do? Depending on the nature of the job, you may be thrown right into the fire and be slammed with work right away. However, most employers will ease in a new executive and allow them to get a feel for their new position, their co-workers, and the overall culture in general.
The first month of your new job is critical for setting the standard of your work and becoming familiar with systems and processes you can’t develop or learn through a LinkedIn profile. Here are some things to do during the first month of your new job.
Communicate Early
Even before your first day on the job, reach out to your new colleagues and introduce yourself. It doesn’t need to be a novel, but express your interest and excitement about working with them and for the company. It will help you start on a more personable level, and give you the opportunity to make connections early. You may even get some insightful intel, which can make your first weeks smoother.
Adjust to Company Culture
You likely did some research about the culture of your new company during the job search. However, there’s nothing like getting first-hand knowledge and experience to learn how people operate on a daily basis. You should have a basic knowledge of the company’s culture before you even begin your first day, but taking further steps to ensure you fit in as much as possible will benefit you as well.
Make Internal Connections
Connect with anyone you can within the office during your first month. You may have seen some of your coworkers’ LinkedIn profiles. Now is the time to connect 1-to-1. Since you may be working remotely, send a short email or LI message introducing yourself, expressing interest in learning about them, and any tips they may have about the onboarding process. If you are on-site, stop by and have a short conversation whenever you have a chance. You can suggest grabbing a coffee to learn about their journey. This goes for anyone outside of your department as well. Connect with them on a work level and a personal level as appropriate, so they will get a sense of who you are, and you will establish your
reputation along the way.
Establish Your Brand
During the interview process, you communicated your brand and value proposition. Now it is time to solidify this in your employer’s mind. You need to hit the ground running in establishing your credibility and show that what you said is true. You will be assessed by everyone from the start, so go above and beyond the job duties given to you during the first month. Building this credibility right away will help set the standard and give others the impression they can rely on you to get the job done.
Don’t Be Overly Ambitious
It’s normal to want to impress, and often times, an outsider can see systems or processes that just aren’t working. Remember, you are the newbie, and usually, people aren’t appreciative of someone from the outside making suggestions right away. Take your time to establish yourself before suggesting changes. Don’t be too ambitious, since you don’t want to show up anyone during your first month. This also goes for questioning internal policies and procedures as well. It is important to understand every company operates differently and some of these things need to be accepted without rocking the boat.
Communicate Clearly and Often
Whether you are working remotely or on-site, communication is critical. You will want to establish clear expectations between you and your supervisor in terms of duties, deadlines, meetings, etc. Make sure during this time you are also communicating your needs to be a successful employee, and not just in terms of office needs or software. Be transparent about your need for feedback, weekly check-ins, or other interactions you may need to perform at your peak.
The first month on the job is stressful as you are on a steep learning curve. Communication is key for any job, but is critical when starting at a new company. Learning the ropes from new employees and understanding company culture will help you make the adjustment quicker, and allow you to focus your energy on what you were hired to do. This will give you the greatest chance for communicating your brand quickly and communicating that you were, indeed, the right candidate for the position.
This is part of our series of health IT career articles. If you’re looking for a job or trying to fill a position, be sure to check out Healthcare IT Central. It’s free for employers and job seekers. If you need resume help, take a look at Erin’s award winning Health IT resume services.
