New job? Make your first week count!

We all know the importance of first impressions. The first few weeks of your new job can set the tone for the rest of your time there. Here are some keys to having a successful first week:

Hangout – Get to know your co-workers and the people around you. When you are new, you have a window of time when you’re deemed “the new guy.” If you’re shy or introverted, it gives you a reason to approach coworkers and learn more about them.

Hi… I’m new here. Would you mind having a coffee with me and telling me a bit about what you do?

You’ll probably get to know most of them sooner or later… You may as well take the initiative and do it quickly.

Learn names as soon as possible - The best way to do this is to keep a log of people you meet and the information you learn about them. I tend to organize it by FORM. Family. Occupation. Recreation. Message. Use Message for people you don’t interact with often. Log the main points of your conversation with them so that the next time you see them, you will be able to say, “Last time we talked about ABC… how is that going?”

Pay attention at Orientation – All of the info about security, procedures, and how to fill out your timecard can be extremely dry… But it will help you down the road. You’ll be able to figure it all out yourself as opposed to having your boss teach you the basics all over again.

Read everything – If you’re getting into a new industry, it may be hard to get your head around everything that happens. And to be successful on your projects, you need to understand the entire scope of them… the goals, the stakeholders, and the critical success factors. You can learn these by reading business plans, marketing plans, and recent industry reports.

Take any work you can get – Even if it’s bitch work. Just do it. This is especially important for our generation. So many Millennials want start with meaningful work… You’ve got to realize that your boss will give you big projects when s/he trusts you to handle them… You build that trust by doing phenomenal on the small projects… even if it means spending hours on Excel.

Good luck!

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