6 Ways to Make a Great First Impression in Your New Job

If you’re still hot on the job trail, there’s every chance your hard work will eventually find you a new employer. So, a little forward thinking now can put you in prime position to shine when that new position comes your way.

Starting a new job is always a mix of excitement and anxiety, and the first few months can be a blur of new faces, spaces and procedures. If you have some well-thought-out tactics at your disposal, you can not only survive but thrive in that hard-won role.

What can you do to get to grips with your new workplace in the quickest, most efficient way?

Tips for the first 90 days

Rule 1: Don’t panic

Whatever else you do on that first day or during that first week, take a deep breath before you do it.

New-job nerves are perfectly normal. Accept that you are nervous and make an extra effort to be calm, logical and thoughtful before embarking on tasks.

Rule 2: Ask questions

If you don’t know something, ask someone who does – your supervisor, manager or colleagues.

Don’t worry about being a nuisance. Taking a small amount of someone’s time now is far better than taking lots of time later to undo your mistake.

Rule 3: Have faith in yourself

If you stuff something up, simply apologise and ask how the task should have been done so you can complete it properly.

Learning involves trial and error – with emphasis on the ‘error’. The real test of your character – and this will be noted by your managers – is how calmly and efficiently you rectify any mistakes, ask how to prevent them happening again, and then move on.

Rule 4: Keep a can-do attitude

Work hard and smart. Managers are quick to detect signs of laziness or arrogance, so be diligent, keep distractions to a minimum and maintain a positive attitude at all times.

Get to know all the company procedures before suggesting any changes. That way you can give considered opinions which take account of every aspect of the task or system.

Rule 5: Make friends, not enemies

Be friendly to everyone you meet. Good working relationships will make or break your new job, so it’s well worth the effort.

Get to know the important people in the organisation. Admin and IT staff are just as significant as senior bosses, often more so as they head off many daily crises and usually know what’s what within the company.

Rule 6: Keep an open mind

The start of any job is the best time to soak up everything you can about your new work environment and position.

Concentrate on listening rather than talking, be humble and learn as much as you can from those around you. Once you’ve got to grips with your new role, you can start forming more critical opinions about it.

And if you need help breaking into the job market, please contact one of our specialist IT and Digital consultants.