Career Journal: Impressing at a New Job

Starting at a new workplace can be stressful for anyone, whether you have years of experience or are just beginning your career. The first few weeks are also the most crucial to leaving a good impression on your managers and peers.

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The first weeks at a new workplace are crucial to making a good impression on colleagues.

Some companies have policies to ease you into the new job, such as a buddy system where they assign someone to show you around for the first few days, or mentoring programs which assign you to senior personnel to help guide you. But these methods might not always be enough.

Here are a few expert tips on how to navigate the first 30 days on your new job:

1. Be the Early Bird

This sounds pretty banal but you’d be surprised how often people fail to heed this standard advice.

Reaching the office early for the first few weeks gives you more time to complete all the extra formalities required by the human resources and payroll departments. It will give you more time to explore and absorb your new surroundings.

“Arriving early also gives you time to network” with your new colleagues, says Sandeep Kohli, national director of human resources, Ernst & Young.

And of course it helps impress the new boss by showing your eagerness to work.

2. Ask Questions

If you need help with something, don’t hesitate to ask people around you.

“Ask questions regarding the organization (and) your work,” says Sheeba Satish, human resources manager for Fundsupermart.com, a mutual fund distribution company and a unit of iFAST Financial India Pvt. Ltd.

It shows your managers that you are interested in learning about your new job and company. More importantly, the answers will help you adapt to your new surroundings quickly. But, don’t forget social and professional etiquette.

“Don’t ask personal questions in the initial days. Try to limit yourself to general or work-related questions,” says Satyanarayana Vinjamoori, head of human resources, ADP Pvt. Ltd., an outsourcing firm.

3. Watch Your Body Language

Your actions can give away a lot more than you think. Slouching, frowning, folding your hands, rocking back-and-forth in your chair or shaking your leg constantly, are some gestures that might give the impression that you are nervous, not confident or are too casual about your job.

“Your body language signals whether you are approachable or not,” says Ms. Satish.  “One should smile always, and not be tense or nervous.”

4. Be a Listener

In the initial days, listen more and talk less. “When you talk more, you might unintentionally speak out of turn which might be perceived in a wrong way,” says Mr. Kohli. Listening and observing can help you learn more about your peers and managers and their way of doing things. You might even overhear some office gossip, but try not to get sucked into office politics.

5. Arrive Ready to Learn

Change is always difficult, but if you’re joining a new organization, come prepared to soak up a new culture, different ways of doing things and take on new responsibilities.

“Try not to say things like ‘In my old job I used to do this’,” says Hephzibah Pathak, president of advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather in Mumbai. That could make you seem too aggressive or even annoying.

6. Don’t Rush to Shake Things Up

If you are joining as a manager, don’t be in a hurry to make your mark.

“We normally see people come in and make a quick assessment of what is happening, and start making changes quickly,” says Fundsupermart.com’s Ms. Satish.

That’s not a good idea because it can cause friction with your new team and lead to resistance. Instead, take your time passing judgment and consider introducing your way of doing things slowly while you communicate with your team as often as possible.

7. Adapt to Your New Company’s Values

“One should understand the mission of the company, its core values, and align one’s goals and aspirations respectively,” says Mr. Vinjamoori at ADP. This is especially true for people at mid- to senior-level positions, who might be too entrenched in their previous company’s cultures.

It might help to devote some time to go through the “About Us” section on the company’s Web site. This will make it “easy for you to get assimilated and ask intelligent questions when your boss shares this information with you,” says Ernst & Young’s Mr. Kohli.

8. Join the Club

Many companies organize events or games for their employees to encourage informal interaction. That’s your opportunity to get out there and blend in with the crowd. So if there’s a quiz or a football game being held by your new company, consider participating.

“This gives you a chance to connect to the larger organization and network (with people) not just in your line of business but across the organization,” says Shaily Gupta, head human resources, Edelweiss Capital, a financial services firm.

9. Network, Network, Network

Don’t wait for company events to make friends and meet peers. Introduce yourself over a cup of tea or lunch in the cafeteria or even around the water-cooler. Exchange greetings and ask for advice. People will be flattered that you have reached out.

“It is not only the intellectual capital but also the emotional quotient with peers that propels a person to greater heights,” says Ms. Gupta at Edelweiss.

When possible, also reach out to people outside your department. Down the road, they could be your eyes and ears to what’s happening in other parts of the company, and who knows, you might want to work in a different department at some point. Also, don’t forget to build good relationships with senior people around you.

10. Manage Your Manager

Let’s face it, getting off on the right note with your boss can help make or break your job. Try to develop a strong professional bond as early as possible.

“Get clarity regarding your role and the expectations from you,” says Mr. Kohli. Discuss the “dos and don’ts” of your job, which could include basic things like what time you are expected at work, and how often you have to update your manager on your progress.

Apply these principles and within no time you would have made a place for yourself in the organization.