5 Ways to Impress During Your First Week At a New Job
Not only did you craft a brilliant and mistake-free cover letter and design a totally original resume, but you also dressed perfectly for your interviews and aced them, accepted the offer and FINALLY landed the job. Congrats! Now the fun part begins: rolling up your sleeves and doing the actual work. To maintain the incredible impression you’ve given your new teammates so far, we reached out to Lisa Lewis, the founder of So Much More Coaching, to get an idea of what you can do to show you’re a total rockstar during your first week of work. Read on for her top five tips and be ready to impress your boss and coworkers during your first week in the office.
1. Learn as much as you can. Lisa says, “I can guarantee you that your first days at work are going to be full of learning — a ‘drinking from a fire hose’ spigot of non-stop information.” Since we know that’s too true, walk in prepared to absorb and retain as much info as you possibly can. Lisa explains, “Rapid learning is the key to making an impact and a great impression in a new job, so learn your learning style. Don’t know how you process information best? Find an online quiz that gives you a result of either auditory, visual or kinesthetic.” Use your results to knock it out of the park!
2. Figure out where you can make an impact ASAP. The more thought you put into how you can contribute to the company’s goals, the better. Lisa notes, “You’ll spend lots of time learning the ins-and-outs of your tasks during the first week, but if you don’t connect them to the benefit of the organization, you’ll hamper your ability to grow and be promoted quickly.” She also told us that, while your ideas about your potential impact in your new role are hypothetical, you’ll be smart to use your first few weeks on the job to vet and confirm your assumptions. You might discover other ways to contribute to the company’s success as well.
3. Introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Don’t worry about whether you’re meeting in the kitchen, by the water cooler or in the elevator — Lisa says, “Just smiling or saying ‘Hi there, I’m new’ can be more than enough to get fellow employees to introduce themselves, share tips about the company and help you establish connections beyond your immediate team.” Not only does being friendly help create a great first impression, but meeting people will make you feel more comfortable around the office too.
4. Ask for help. Pick a teammate or two who are also fairly new, and ask them for their advice or perspective on how to tackle a specific topic or learning curve. Lisa says, “Showing that you trust and value their opinion is a good way to begin establishing a friendly rapport.” It will also help show that you’re interested in and dedicated to your new job.
5. Get out of the office. Just because you’re new doesn’t mean you should feel like you’re chained to your desk. Lisa says, “Suggest lunch out, make it a point to go to team happy hour or an after-work volleyball game with a few colleagues. Stepping outside of your formalized work environment will show your new colleagues the other awesome sides of your personality AND it will help you get to know them too.”
Did you just start a new job? What helped you get up to speed? Tell us all about it on Twitter @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)