How to Make an Impact in Your First 30 Days in A New Role
How to Make an Impact in Your First 30 Days in A New Role
Congratulations! The interviews are over and you've earned the offer letter you wanted from the company of your dreams. The chances are, after a little time away from the 9-to-5, you're eager to jump back into action.
Unfortunately, the hard work of launching the next step in your career doesn't stop when you receive your offer letter. What you do (or don't do) during the first few weeks can make or break your chances of long-term growth.
The first 30 days in your new role can be both stressful and exciting. It's when you get to put your skills to the test, get to know the rest of the team, or discover the strategies that will help you to deliver results in the months to come. If you want to knock that first month out of the park, then you need a plan.
1. Know What's Expected of You
While it's natural to feel nervous when you're getting used to a new company, remember that everyone in your team started out where you are today. Show them that you're eager to find your fit by arriving on time (or early), adopting a professional attitude and making sure you're ready for the weeks ahead.
A good way to make sure that you're prepared for anything is to learn what your manager expects from you from day one. That doesn't just mean double-checking the responsibilities on your job description. It means starting conversations about things like:
- The techniques you'll need to work on: Is there a new financial software you'll have to learn about before you can excel in your accounting role? (Is this still relevant?)
- Whether results are more important than process: As long as you deliver the right outcomes, are you free to experiment with methods?
- Who you need to go to for clarity: If you need help, should you speak to the manager or another member of the team?
2. Ask Plenty of Questions
There's a learning curve for any new role, yet many hires feel that they need to know everything about the company on the first day. Rather than trying to hide your confusion and get by without asking questions, develop your knowledge by speaking to your peers about anything you don't understand.
Asking questions not only helps you to learn how to perform better in your job but it also demonstrates your intellectual curiosity. If you're worried about interrupting people too often with your queries, you can always write things down as they pop into your head and set up periodic meetings where you can work through your questions one-by-one.
Don't be afraid to ask your team for help as well as your managers. They can often help with questions about software they use, processes or company culture.
3. Prioritise the Most Important Areas for Growth
Most companies start their new employees off with some quick onboarding training or even an FAQ document they can turn to when they're feeling uncertain. However, even if you finished your induction training with flying colours, you may still find that there are things you need to work on before you can excel in your role.
There's nothing wrong with taking a position that you need to grow into. The key is making sure that during those first 30 days you figure out which skills or behaviours you need to work on first. For instance, is it more important to learn about the clients you'll be supporting as a Insolvency Administrator, or do you need to work on your knowledge of internal politics? Should you be mastering the company’s internal processes or learning more about your company's client base?
If you don't know which things are the most important, then ask!
4. Get to Know the Company Culture
The relationships you build with your colleagues can make or break your career. During the first thirty days in your role, you'll need to start carving a place for yourself in the existing company culture and finding out where you fit into your team.
For some, it's easy to embrace a new culture. For others, it takes persistence and focus. Either way, make sure that you start small and work your way up. Start by making a note of all the differences between how you used to work with people in your old company, and how you're expected to perform now. For instance, how do micro interactions take place within your team? Do you need to:
- Send emails or use collaboration tools
- Schedule formal meetings or informal discussions
- Attend every meeting or only the ones that appeal to you?
- Socialise during lunch and meet other staff members for coffee?
The quicker you become a core component of the team, the more indispensable you'll be.
5. Look for "Quick Win" Opportunities
Finally, during the first month in your new company, you'll be the "new kid on the block". As such, it will be up to you to learn as much as you can about the group and focus on delivering value back to your team as quickly as possible. Remember, you need to prove that your hiring manager made the right decision when they chose you.
Look for a quick and easy way to prove yourself. For instance, can you jump in on an ongoing project and offer your assistance after hours? Can you turn up early to learn more about the processes you'll be using each day so that you can be more efficient during your actual hours?
While it's important to find ways to impress, don't overwhelm yourself. No-one expects you to be employee of the month within your first 30 days. Know your limits and offer your skills accordingly.
About First 2 Recruit Ltd
First 2 Recruit Ltd, is an owner managed recruitment consultancy providing a full recruitment service including; permanent and FTC positions in Accountancy Practice and Insolvency across the UK.
If you like this blog, why not check out more by visiting our Blog page on our website, we cover every recruitment topic and also have free reports and whitepapers that you might find useful. Visit www.first2recruit.co.uk
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