First day and beyond

Like the first day at school, it can be a mix of nerves and excitement about starting a new role. While it might seem like a long way until your probation period is over, there are still ways to make sure you are embedded into your new role and pass the probation period with flying colours.

PAY ATTENTION

Try and take on board as much as you can. Listen to how your team interacts, how the company presents itself on socials and their communication as well as what you can glean from your tasks within your role. Being as informed as you can help you understand your role better and what part you have to play in the company.

QUESTION?

You might feel the need to already know how to do everything, but a lot of the time, if you don’t know, and then don’t ask you can set yourself up for more issues later when you could have just asked. Rather than spending a long time trying to figure out what to do, reach out to your manager or colleagues, take the opportunity to learn and be mentored in your first few months

SHINE YOUR LIGHT

You were hired because the company is excited about what you can bring to the role. When starting out, that can be difficult to remember and if you're naturally an introvert. That’s not to suggest you should be deliberately controversial, but being proactive and present, and asking questions can put you on the right foot and make a great impression.

ASK

Ask for regular feedback during your probation period. By doing this you can get help and tips on anything specific you need to work on, allowing you to make small adjustments when it comes to your probation review, you should have only a small number of things to consider or change. Asking for feedback shows that you are willing to learn and grow without waiting for it to come to you.

CONNECT

Cultivate relationships with your new team. Learning about them, and making the effort to get to know them will create positive connections with the people you are working with. Actively participate in meetings where you can, be involved in team-building and get to know your opportunities where you can across the business as well as in your team. Not only will it embed you into the business, but when it comes to needing to work with or find out information from other departments, you will already recognise a face you can approach.

It can seem like the advice is obvious but starting a new job can be overwhelming and that’s when seems the most obvious can be missed out. Enjoy the new experience and getting stuck into the challenge!