6 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting A New
Job
The beginning of a new job is a
crucial time to not only make a good first impression, but set the tone for your career.
Starting
a new job can be a nerve-wracking experience. If you’re not careful, you could
find yourself making the kind of mistakes that will not only annoy your
co-workers, but could have you ostracized from the company before you even get
your business cards. Avoid these top new hire mistakes to ensure your new job
will have longevity.
It’s
common for new hires to want to demonstrate just how skilled they are to prove
to others that the company was right to hire them, but showcasing yourself
right out the gate can cause you to come across to co-workers as over-zealous
or arrogant.
Scott
Weiss, founder of the employee referral tracking company Referagig and president of Makena
Partners, a technology recruiting support company, says the most important
thing a new hire can do is build trust with colleagues. "Take the first
few weeks to ask a lot of questions and be curious," he says.
Take
the first few weeks to ask a lot of questions and be curious
While
in the back of your mind, you may be saying I have all these great skills,
talents, and knowledge that I bring to the table, putting them out there for
everyone to see all at once can make it difficult for you to win the trust that
you need with your colleagues.
Starting
off on the right foot at your new job begins before you even get hired.
Recruiting expert Steve Suggs says the worst mistake he sees new hires make is
embellishing on their résumé. "If you get the job, those embellishments
will eventually come back to haunt you," he says.
Stay
true to your skills and experiences both on your résumé and when chatting with
your new co-workers and managers in your early days on the job. If you don’t
know something, tell the truth and promise you’ll work hard to learn it.
Starting
a new job is akin to moving to a new community. Things are going to look
different and be done differently than in your previous work environment.
Talking excessively about how your previous company did things or how you’re
used to doing things can put people off and make them think that you won’t be
able to fit in to your new company culture.
Managers,
especially, have a tendency to want to make changes immediately, but, Weiss
advises to stand down, at least for a little while. "You want to be
sensitive to the culture that exists," he says.
Don’t
worry about annoying your managers or co-workers by peppering them with
questions. "Being curious is going to demonstrate engagement and show a
commitment to learning and wanting to do the job well, and it’s going to create
that trust that you’re after with your manager and co-workers," says
Weiss.
No
matter how good a company’s onboarding process is, Weiss says most companies
won’t give you half of the information you need to do the job. Identify who the
top performers are in your department and seek out their advice. Not
proactively checking in with your manager will simply create lingering doubts
about how engaged you really are in your new role.
Being
a "joiner" is especially important to build rapport, trust, and
camaraderie with your new co-workers. Look for opportunities to get to know
your new work community, whether grabbing a coffee in the break room or heading
to the cafeteria for lunch. But while being social is important, remember not
to go over-share everything about yourself.
"Let
them become curious about you," says Weiss. Listen to what’s going on
around you and chime in when it’s appropriate. "You’re like the new kid at
school and you want to be careful about shaping your image and cultivating your
reputation and your image, and you have to do that slowly," says Weiss.
Avoid
becoming best buds with the office Chatty Cathy. "Gossip is the death of
relationships," says Suggs. You want to avoid giving anyone any ammunition
to use against you in the early days of starting a new job. Being labelled an
office gossip will destroy your abilities to earn the trust of your new
colleagues
By Lisa
Evans
fastcompany
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