Succeeding in your New Job: The first week, month & 90 days

Remember the time when you started at a new school? You didn’t know anybody – neither the teachers, nor the students, and get the feeling of how you’re supposed to get through the phase? Well, the same thing happens while starting a new job.

New jobs come with a lot of variables. You will meet a lot of new people, have a lot of new responsibilities, and you might also be expected to fill the shoes of the person you replaced. And sometimes, after securing a new job, you might want to take it easy. After all, creating a standout resume, interviews and assessments can take their toll. But, the first month is usually like a practical assessment for you. So, it’s best to buckle up, and establish your presence in the workplace. And here are some tips on how to do so for the first 90 days.

The First Week

Let’s start with the first week. The first week is always about creating a balance between making good impressions while not going overboard with it. At the same time, you’ll want to learn as much as you can about the workplace and adapt to it. So, here’s what you want to do the first week:

1. Get to know people:

First and foremost, you need to get to know the ones you’re going to be working with closely. To do that, you have to put yourself out there, meaning you have to introduce yourself to others. Of course, there will be anxiety, which comes naturally by being new in a workplace, but you have to kind of put it out there that you’re a part of the team now. So, introduce yourself to anyone you meet for the first time. But do so in a way that defines your role in the organization more than yourself. That will come later. For now, you’ll want to make sure that others know you and your role.

But introducing yourself is only half the story. Another equally important part is getting to know others. Pay attention to other people and your surroundings. You don’t want to disturb or disrupt someone while introducing yourself. Those don’t make for a good impression. Also, it goes without saying that you have to do your best to remember names as well – however you can. Of course, if you can’t, do not fret. Just be honest and tell them if you forget their names. After a few such (possibly awkward) interactions, you’ll have the names etched in your mind.

2.  Ask Questions:

This goes without saying – if you want to know something, just ask! Even researches have shown that asking questions boost employee performance. And this is no surprise because, asking questions will eliminate doubts and clarify your next move. But there are some things to consider while asking questions as well.

First, you need to assess what you already know. Don’t expect someone to clear up everything – you also need to do a bit of homework. After that, think about what you actually need to know – is it permission you’re looking for? Or advice? Or just general information? No matter what, being specific helps you get the right answers quicker.

If there are more than one question, set a priority for the information you need. You can’t have it all at once. Maybe having a permission for something comes first. Or maybe you need to know the deadline to some assigned task. Along with that, you also should find the right person to ask questions to. Permissions may require managerial level, whereas deadlines can be reminded by a team member.

But of course, there’s a right time to ask questions. You need to figure that out, depending on the situation. If the priority of the question is super high, do it right away. If it is more of a general info you need, you can, instead, email the concerned person for that. Or if it is something you need guidance, set up a meeting to ask your questions.

3.  Make Friends:

Getting to know people is not the same as making friends. After you’ve become familiar with everyone – your team, departments, etc., make friends with the closest of your colleagues. Maybe inviting them to lunch or coffee can accelerate that. Of course, it will happen over time, but getting a start on it is always a good idea. Because having social ties at work can be helpful and make you more comfortable as well.

Now, it might be not be very practical to make friends on the first week. But the point is, you should get started as soon as possible.

4.  Learn your way around:

Another important step is to be able to navigate around the workplace easily. Locate the restrooms, the water-machines, elevators, pantries, etc. And most importantly, locate your work-mates’ tables (or cubicles), so that you know exactly where to go if you need some kind of help. It’s even more important if it’s a big office!

But it’s not always about inside the workplace. You also need to get familiar with your commutes to work. Experiment with different routes to work and figure out the quickest one – maybe one that has the least traffic congestion or an alternative for the monsoon days.

5.  Adding value:

This goes without saying, because, people are hired for a reason. So, to add value to your work, the first week should be about taking as much information as you can process, and coming up with ways to make things better. Think of what you’d like to do or how you’d like to approach some issue. Then, communicate.

The First Month

The first week is the most difficult, but also the most exciting. And after you’ve finally settled in, the next step is to keep adding value and challenging yourself all the while.

1. Knowing the team better

It is important to keep building relations within the organization. Once you’ve got to know the surface, and made a few friends, make even more friends. Observe your colleagues attentively. You can learn how well they follow the organization’s culture to how they manage their time and how they collaborate. This will help you immensely in fully adapting to your new workplace. In addition, this will also build somewhat of an informal network other than the hierarchical one, which can make many things easier for you.

2. Organize and schedule

If your job consists of fairly routine tasks, setting up a routine to do them is a good idea. There doesn’t need to be a strict schedule or something, but having a sort of a rule-of-thumb to do your work. Maybe set a time for meetings, a time for planning and a time for sending or checking emails. Of course, as already said, it shouldn’t be a strict schedule, because being able to adapt to the workflow is also necessary. The most important thing is time management.

3. Discuss / Set / Meet goals:

A workplace is all about setting and meeting targets, for the most part. During the first few weeks, you should take time and discuss things with your team or maybe, your manager. Get a clear idea on their expectations vs your expectations. Understand how you can work together; allocate resources and how your performance will be assessed. How important are deadlines? Who are the most important clients? What type of jobs has the utmost priority? What type of assistance can you ask from the manager? What can you expect of your co-workers?

After that, assess yourself to see if you can meet all the expectations. They might prove too heavy for you. If so, clarify it, but also take steps to be more efficient. You might have to learn to compromise some things, but that can help you later on. Set goals that are beneficial both to you and the organization, and work towards meeting them.

4.  Open your mind

This is not really philosophical, it’s actually important. Have an open mind to new ideas from your colleagues. Don’t hesitate to ask for help just because you’re new. Don’t take credit for someone else’s work, and listen more. Take criticisms in a constructive way, but also don’t get pushed around.

First 90 days

After your first month is over, you will ease into your role easier. Now you have a clear idea of the organizations expectations, your roles, your comfort zones, etc. So, now, it’s up to you to give in your best effort.

1.  Set boundaries

This is a crucial step. Since you spent the first month figuring out your goals and trying to meet them, maybe you worked late, or even at home to meet deadlines. Maybe you also faced a fair amount of stress. But since you have to ease into your role, you need to set boundaries. Doing your best doesn’t mean working yourself to the point of a breakdown.

So, what you want to do is revise your ways of working – the hours you put in, the extra things you do for others, etc. Establish some boundaries in the team. Because while team and work friendships are important, learn to say no, too. You have to prioritize your tasks to others’ most of the time. Set boundaries, not because you only want to finish your work and leave, but do so because it’ll help you manage your time and your mental health as well.

2. Challenge yourself

Now that you have some boundaries in place – of the things you will and won’t do, you should go beyond your comfort zone, or try to. Maybe after you get a clear view on things, you’ll have a good time working and balancing your schedules. But working is also about developing yourself, so, once you’re able to reach your present goals, set slightly more difficult ones – ones that can be challenging. Strive to go higher each time while doing so. Take new duties and responsibilities if you can. This will not only help the organization, but also contribute to your personal development. And if you can fulfill your challenges, it’s you who’ll feel good and know your self-worth. Not to mention you’ll catch the organization’s attention.

3. Review yourself

Most organizations have a specific time frame to assess their employees. But a self-review is also a good way to go before you’re formally assessed by your workplace. It can help you figure out the areas you need to improve in, while also eliminating the nervousness that comes before official assessments. Recall the works you’ve done, how many deadlines you couldn’t meet, how many you did successfully, how many extra projects you were able to take, what are your next milestones, etc.

And if you don’t think you can do that yourself, doing so with a colleague is also a good idea. It will give you a clear idea of how your pace in the organization is fairing.

After the successful completion of 3 months, it’s up to you to keep up and adhere the organizational values.