New Year, New Job? 5 Tips for Settling in with Ease

settling into a new jobYou nailed the big interview, and landed the job of your dreams.  Now that the position is yours, you can finally relax, right?  Not so fast.  You should definitely give yourself credit for landing the position, because otherwise you wouldn’t have the opportunity to show off your skills.  But you still have to prove yourself through the work you do.  It takes time to settle into a new job, and you can never know everything to expect from just the interview.

In the first couple of months at a new job, you want to make sure you are on point and giving the best possible representation of yourself.  You may have fears about the job being different from what you thought, or not fitting in with the company.  Or maybe you have anxiety that you overestimated your own ability to perform at the job you are starting.  While it’s normal to be a little nervous about the unknown, here are some tips to make settling into your new job a little bit easier:

1)  Take some time to address other life stressors beforehand

If you are going directly from one job to another, take a few days or weeks in between the end of your old job and start of your new one if possible.  In this time you can mentally prepare yourself, and take care of anything you need to in your outside life, such as doctor’s appointments, fixing car issues or organizing your living space.  This will reduce stress, and give you more time and energy to focus on your new job.

2)  Be outgoing

Now is not the time to be shy.  When you are settling into your new job, take the initiative to introduce yourself to as many people that you work with as possible, instead of waiting for them to come to you.  Show interest in their positions and the company, and ask questions.  Offer to help wherever you can.  Over time, you will gain more respect and trust from your co-workers, which will make you feel more comfortable in your new job.

3)  Establish a routine

In the first couple of weeks at your new job, try to find a routine that allows you to perform your new tasks the most efficiently.  This will give you a sense of normalcy and purpose, which will make the process of settling into the new job much easier.

4)  Set goals

When settling into your new job, you may have anxiety about the amount of projects and tasks you need to adjust to.  But keep in mind that you can only do one thing at a time, and everything will get completed more efficiently if you go at a slow, steady pace instead of rushing through everything in a frazzled manner.  Set some small goals for your first couple of weeks on the job so that you can get a better sense of accomplishment.  It will help to get some insight from your superiors on what the most important things are for you to learn.

5)  Learn about and adapt to company culture

Certain company policies can be found in an employee handbook, but there is not guide to what a company’s unique culture is like.  In the first couple of months at your new job, pay close attention to your coworkers’ styles of working and general practices within the company.  You will get a feel for the company’s culture over time, and adapt to it in your own habits.  For example, maybe you are used to a more structured environment, and at the working style at the new job you are settling into seems to be more unstructured and results-oriented.   Being able to adapt to a new environment in this way is an excellent skill that will help you throughout your career.

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Jessica Cody

Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.

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