5 tips that helped me as a new employee at my workplace

Woot! Woot! You got the job!

After 2-3 interviews and painstaking preparation, you’ve landed the job that you wanted. 

But now you have a dilemma. How do you excel at the job? How do you balance work and life? Or, more importantly, how will you remember everyone’s names?

These 5 tips helped me get through my first few days, weeks, and months at my new job.

To feel more confident and settled in your new job environment, figure out where things are and what there is to do.

Tips

• Try to figure out where things are in the office, such as different departments, executive offices, and, most importantly, the printer!

• Take walks on your lunch break and investigate the area. Find out where the best coffee shops are, or even where your bank is if you need to do a lunch break transaction.

• Also, explore nearby restaurants to discover your favorite lunch spots!

Anecdote

I remember my first day at work. I was completely lost, but I found the cutest cafe around the corner with very friendly staff.

Another way to settle into your new role is to learn about your new colleagues.

Tips

• Introduce yourself frequently to people you meet at the office.

• Before a meeting starts, ask the host if you can introduce yourself.

• Try to learn people's names. 

• Find out personal details about your new coworkers. This can help you remember their name, and you can continue the conversation later.

• If you're an introvert, make the first move. Try not to get stuck in your head and quickly introduce yourself.

• All these introductions will hopefully lead to some new friendships.

Anecdote

In the first few weeks at my new job, I was nervous about going into the staff room. But I needed water, and it was the closest spot to grab an emergency coffee. So I made a commitment to myself to speak to anyone who walked in there. And you know what? I made some new friends using small talk, and the staff room is quite an inviting place.

If you want to start off on the right foot, figure out how you'll keep track of your tasks.

How will you remember your work responsibilities? Do you remember that job description?

Tips

• Use a digital task management tool like Trello or Asana.

• Keep a physical planner or notebook dedicated to work tasks.

• Set reminders on your phone or computer for important deadlines.

• Review your job description regularly to stay on track with your responsibilities.

Anecdote

Okay, I love me some organization! I started off with paper and pen because, why not? Then I moved to creating to-do lists using virtual sticky notes. After that, I evolved to putting all my tasks on my Outlook calendar. Now, I've found my organizational rhythm!

We are never a blank slate. We have skills from our previous voluntary and paid experiences that we can use at this new job.

Even the chores you had to do at home might be a transferrable skill for your new job!

Tips

• If you just came out of school, you know how to research and have time management skills.

• Played a sport? You have teamwork skills.

• Part of student council? You have leadership and active listening skills.

Anecdote

I was part of the student council back in college, and the public speaking and relationship-building skills I picked up have really come in handy during my presentations and when working with other departments.

Make sure you have regular contact with your manager.

When you meet with your manager you can figure out what success looks like for them and ensure your work aligns with it.

Set yourself 30-60-90 day goals such as:

• Meeting everyone in your department.

• Meeting stakeholders or people from other departments.

• Exploring opportunities to collaborate with co-workers and other departments.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Anecdote

One of my 30-day goals was to find a nearby library! I know, pretty random, but I have an hour break, and I thought I could use the time to find some new reads.

These 5 steps helped me feel more confident and competent in my new role. Setting 90-day goals kept me on track, and to be honest, I felt really accomplished when I saw that I had achieved these smaller goals.