Starting A New Job

Wall Street Journal – Counter Offer Advice

You want to start a new job well. Experience tells us that the first 12 weeks of starting a new job are critical to your career! However starting a new job well can be a very difficult experience.

Here is some advice on how to proceed:

  1. Smile – show that you are happy and enthusiastic about being there and working with the people in the company
  2. Be Enthusiastic – show desire and eagerness to get involved
  3. Conduct - Be polite and friendly to everyone and be conservative in humour and mannerisms
  4. Be Prepared - Bring all necessary documentation that may be required and in general show people that you are prepared. Study the company annual reports, press releases, and website to get a thorough background on the new company. Study your job description and employment policies and understand your role in detail.
  5. Establish Productive working relationships - You need to spend time with your colleagues and make conversation with the people you work with and get to know them in order to build up relationships and build up trust. Don’t try and force the relationship building process on day one – it takes time. Listen more than you talk.
  6. Learn & Use Your Colleagues Names - If you know your co-workers names it is easier to address them and when you address them by name they will be more enthusiastic about working with you.
  7. Dress Appropriately - Make a good first impression
  8. Meetings – be on time for meetings and actively participate in these meetings
  9. Deliver - Do what is required of you and do it well. Make the difference that you were employed to make. Identify the critical challenges and create a plan to address these challenges. Aim to make a difference in your first 60 days.
  10. Make your Commitments - Make sure you deliver on every commitment that you make.
  11. Learn their way first – before trying to change everything at once. Try and not talk too often about your former employer
  12. Priorities & Expectations– Understand the company’s and your superiors priorities and his expectations of you?
  13. Culture – Understand the culture and the unwritten values and rules of your new workplace by talking to different people.
  14. Key Players - Understand who are the key players in your department and in the company. Develop relationships with them where possible
  15. Confidence – Remember what you have accomplished and use the confidence you get from this and take it into your new position.
  16. Don’t get involved in gossip!

Good Luck!

More Career Advice

Starting A New Job
Career Management
Behavioural Profile (DISC)
Resignation Advice
Counter Offer Advice