5 Tips to Adjust to Your New Job

Starting in a new job can be a little scary whether you ooze confidence or you’re a little shy. You could be in a graduate programme at the bottom of the rung or be a sought after CEO who’s at the top of the food chain. Wherever you are on the employment ladder starting in a new company has its ups/downs and even surprises.
I wanted to write about this because I recently started in a new company so there were a few things I had to adjust to and I collated them into 5 tips that I’d like to pass on.

1. First Day
You may be asked to come in a little later on your first day so they can all be there awaiting your arrival. Make sure you map out your route to the office the night before so that if you happen to miss the bus, like I did, you won’t end up having to run 20 minutes to work and arrive barely able to breathe, red-faced and not as composed as you’d wanted to be.

2. Company Size
It can be a little daunting if you move from a small –> larger company but even more so if you move from a big –> small one. I moved to a smaller one so I needed to keep an open mind about the differences and kept reminding myself of the benefits.  So sit back and take in the environment; how people act differently (e.g. Corporate vs. Googlesque), who the go-to people are and the company procedures. Process how you act in bigger or smaller companies as they will have differences  you may need to adapt to.

3. Making Friends
I am terrible with names so I had to practice my word association. Once you remember their names it is important to find someone as an ally who you feel comfortable asking questions of. Also, make sure not to isolate yourself and go to team lunches when invited.

4. New Systems
You’ll need to start from the very beginning when it comes to setting up your emails, passwords, using databases and doing whatever training they have lined up for you. Make sure to update your Linkedin and Twitter accounts to reflect your new position as you do not want to remain associated with your old job. The first few days can be a little overwhelming with everything you have to take in but that should only last a few days.  Initially, things can move slowly but once everything is set up and you have gained a working knowledge of the systems, you can really begin to make an impact.

5. Start the Job Proper
Once all the mundane training is out of the way you should put your head down and get stuck in. Until you do that you won’t feel like a real member of the team and more like a duck out of water. At this early stage people can panic and may feel they have made the wrong decision.  However,  I promise you once you get back into the swing of things you’ll feel like a much better version of yourself.

So remember this is a big adjustment but it’s also going to be a very exciting time