Yesterday, we wrote about those things no one tells you about starting a new job, including being borderline romantically involved with IT…After your first day or week or so at your new job, and after all the welcoming smiles, luch invites, the warm-up period is officially over. Now it’s time to get in the flow of things, and actually…work! What? Whoever invented the concept…
When it comes to starting anything, be it a new job, new exercise program, or new habit, the two most common schools of thought are, either you start strong and learn to consistently pace yourself, or start slow and go for the marathon pace.
Well, I recently started taking kickboxing classes, and as with most high-intensity sports disciplines, you’ve got to pick the right approach for you. So I decided to start strong and fight from the start. Why? Well, why not…
Why not establish a competitive advantage from the start, in sports as well as in your career. Your professional reputation is your personal brand, and to build a great one, the best, you’ve got to start at the beginning…And you’ve got to start strong, at least I believe so:
Actively start building your network! Go around and introduce yourself, and respond positively to those who come to introduce themselves. Stop by the big wigs’ offices every now and then to say hi. And don’t forget to offer your help, and ask for them to keep you in mind when interesting projects come along.
Learn, learn, learn! Put on your learning cap and get to digest as much new information as you can. New processes, new people, new titles, new systems…While everything is new and can be quite overwhelming at first, use these first few days and weeks to get acquainted to all the new stuff. Ask as many questions as you can think of, and don’t be shy! The expectation is that you will have questions, so ask away…
Polish your work! Some may think that errors are more acceptable in the beginning, as you’re getting accustomed to the business, company and your department. While some level of learning curve is to be expected, I also believe that as you build your brand and reputation in a new company, showing your best work at first puts you a step ahead of the competition.
As my kickboxing trainer puts it so well: Ready….Fight!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
