I can honestly say that lately, people are concerned about getting a job because the market is very competitive with supply continuing to outweigh demand. The article I read was a great reminder that there is still much work ahead after you land the job and if you don’t have a plan you could quickly end up back in the Indianapolis job search mode.
There are some crucial things that people need to do when starting a job. First and foremost a large part of the responsibility of making sure that things work out when starting a new job rests on the individual. Do not depend on the company to make this happen without your active participation and assistance. I always tell people that despite increasing hiring trends, no job is truly permanent and making a good first impression is so important to having a successful career at a company. You will be evaluated closely in the first 90 days of your employment by your peers as well as your supervisor and giving it your all right out of the gate will help set the tone of how your employment will go and if there will continue to be a place for you within the organization. Some things to keep in mind:
- Make an effort to show up for work earlier than the recommended start time and do not walk out the door everyday at 5:00. Of course you will have days when things require you to slip out early, but it is important early on that you observe what other people are doing within the organization. Remember you are new.
- Observe the corporate culture and get to know your peers and who you are working with or engaging with regularly. Start building relationships with the people that you work with and learn from them so you can quickly become a positive contributor to the team.
- Take notes and ask questions of both peers and supervisors to show that you are actively engaged and interested in learning how the company approaches business decisions and what the company stands for.
- Make sure that you meet with your supervisor regularly in the early stages and always ask if you are meeting expectations. Ask the question, "What am I doing well, what do I need to continue to work on?". Then listen closely and apply accordingly.
- Ask for additional responsibilities when appropriate. This demonstrates engagement as well as competency to handle the task at hand and then some.
- Volunteer to take the workload off of someones desk if you have the time. Close observation of what is going on around you will quickly show you where and how you can make the biggest impact. As a new member of a team, making your teammates’ job easier is a great way to start contributing right away.
Of course, there are many more things that one needs to do when starting a new position but I just wanted to highlight a few things that I think are easy to do initially and important to show that you want to be successful in your new position. Hopefully you and your new employer have done enough homework upfront to ensure that you are walking into an environment and a job that is right for you, but just remember that your preparation and effort that goes into getting that job does not end at the door. Getting the job is merely the first step. This is advice we, at That’s Good HR give to our candidates as well as to our own internal hires. There is some good information out there on the internet with guidance on this topic. One good article I read can be found here. We would be happy to talk to you more about how to make your next job opportunity in Indianapolis a successful one!
