Congratulations you have been for that nerve-racking interview and you have
now bravely handed in your notice and you are probably feeling excited and
nervous all at once about starting your new job.
While you are working your notice, keep in touch with Focus Insurance
Recruitment or your new company. This will help to provide a feeling of
reality, as the average one-month's notice is a long time and it can all get to
feel like a dream.
When your 'first day' finally arrives, this checklist might help: -
- Get a good night's sleep the night before.
- Choose what you're going to wear the night before and dress smart.
- Ensure that your clothes are clean and freshly ironed, your shoes are
polished and your hair is tidy. Just like at your interview, first impressions
do count; you will probably be meeting a lot of your new colleagues for the
first time, so feeling confident is very important
- Ensure you arrive a few minutes early. Start as you mean to go on. Arriving
early will also help you to get used to your new environment and may provide the
opportunity for some early informal chats with other members of staff.
First Days
The first few days are always the worst. Everything is new - new ways of
doing things, new people, new technology. Allow yourself time to settle in and
try not to keep comparing things to your old job. Remember two very important
things:
- No question is a daft question if you do not know the answer!
- Everyone was once the new person. At your last job you were an expert and
you will soon feel the same way again in your new position.
Be Patient
Some companies are expanding and taking on staff so fast that there is an air
of organised chaos. If you have joined a busy company you will need to use all
of your initiative to settle in. You may have to find out where things are by
yourself. Being 'thrown in at the deep end' should be seen as a compliment and
an opportunity to prove yourself. If your company felt you could not cope, they
would not have placed you in that position.
Adapt a very flexible attitude from day one and you are sure to do well.
Settling in
Formal Induction
Some companies have a structured induction
process that usually requires you to take in a lot of information over a short
period of time. Hang on in there. Remember when you first learned how to drive?
If you feel you're getting left behind talk it over with the Trainer. They would
rather see a conscientious, enthusiastic new recruit succeed, even if it takes
time!
Informal Induction
Some companies will train you while you're
working. This often means that you will be sitting in the middle of a busy
office with lots going on while you're learning. Try not to feel too 'lost'. If
you find that you're sometimes left sitting like a 'spare part, try to observe,
listen and learn from what is happening around you.
New Large/Small Company
If you are joining a large company from a small one or a small one from a
large one, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to adjust to the culture
differences. Welcome this change positively and be flexible in your approach.
Remember, procedures that suit large companies may not work so well in smaller
ones, and vice verse.
What If It All Goes Wrong?
If after a couple of weeks, you find that you are really not enjoying your
new job, consider the following checklist:
- Have your expectations of the job been too high and are you feeling
disappointment through the build up of what you imagined your new wonderful job
to be?
- Are you bored? Then ask for more to do!
- Do you feel incompetent in the tasks demanded of you? Do you need more
training?
- If the travelling has turned out to be worse than you expected, have you
explored all of the available routes?
- If the people do not seem friendly - are you trying too hard/too little?
Whatever your anxieties are, don't make any rash decisions and don't suffer
in silence. If you're worried or concerned about something talk, it over with
your new Manager.