Starting A New Job - What To Do In Your First Week | Early Career Advice

Real talk. Let's talk about starting a new job! In your first week after starting a new job, you're meeting new people, learning new things, and trying to make a great first impression all in that same week. That's A LOT to juggle when you're first starting out.

My name is Jackie and here at Uvaro, we want to help you build a fulfilling career in tech from hired to retired. Here are four tips to help you when you're starting a new job to really make the most of your first week at a new company. Let's get started.

Learn The Roles And Responsibilities

Our first tip when starting a new job is to understand your job's roles and responsibilities. So you've landed yourself a new gig. One of the best ways to ease your nerves is to understand all of your responsibilities in your new position.

Once you have a great understanding of what's expected of you, you'll be able to hit the ground running and start feeling a lot more confident in that new role. So take the time to learn and understand your job responsibilities and duties to make sure that you're doing everything correctly, and to also make sure that you're completing them.

In a recent study, Microsoft analyzed the early behaviors of 3000 new hires. In this study, Microsoft found that when new employees met with their managers one on one in that first week, they benefited in three different ways.

Number one, they had a larger internal network, which boosted feelings of belonging and increased their chances of staying longer at the company.

Two, they had way better meetings because they had that practice. Three, they spent way more time collaborating with their team than those who did not have that one-on-one meeting with their manager in the first week.

Learn about the company's history, culture, and values

Our second tip when starting a new job is to learn about the company's history, culture, and values. One of the best ways to settle into a new surrounding is to learn more about it. Knowing this info will help you understand how your company operates on a day-to-day basis and its mission.

So you can ask your colleagues about the company's origin or take a look at your company's website and social media channels for more info. It's also critical to ask for a company handbook or an employee handbook to help you understand your role in the company. If you're really keen to know the company inside and out, why not arrange a meeting with the HR department or with other leaders in your company?

They'll be able to tell you all about the company's culture, values, and history and how that shapes their day-to-day operations. By doing so, you'll be able to find out what makes the company unique and what really drives the company, which ultimately will help you do your job more effectively in the future.

Get to know your co-workers (so important when working remote)

Our third tip when starting a new job is to get to know your coworkers. It's important to take the time to get to know the people you're working with. After all, you'll be spending a lot more time with them in the coming months and possibly years.

Here are a few ways we suggest you can get to know your new colleagues. Make an effort to remember their names (yes it starts here). And even though it's tough, chatting for a couple of minutes before a meeting starts can go a very long way. You can also make an effort to book time with different people, including people in different departments. This is a great way to get to know people in a casual setting, whether it is lunch or a quick meeting, and can really help broaden your network.

Some other ways to connect with your coworkers could be by, of course, connecting with them on LinkedIn, asking about their previous jobs and their career journeys, finding out what they do outside of work, and if you have any common interests.

It's always a great time discussing your favorite TV shows, movies, books, et cetera. By taking the time to get to know your new colleagues, you'll make the transition into your job much easier and a lot more enjoyable.

Familiarize yourself with the company's policies and procedures

Our fourth tip when starting a new job is to familiarize yourself with your company's policies and procedures. Familiarizing yourself with your company's policies and procedures is essential to making a great first impression and setting yourself up for success.

Here are our tips to help you get started. As said before, reading through an employee handbook or any other relevant materials can be very useful. This will give you a great overview of your company's rules and expectations.

You can also talk to your supervisor and ask questions if you're unsure about anything. We actually encourage you to ask more questions than not. It's better to get clarification on something you're not sure about right away than to let it linger on.

In that first week, it's also important to make sure you're up to date and prepared for any documents required for your position. One of the objectives of your first week at a new company is to get all of the boring paperwork done. So just make sure that you get it done. Don't hesitate to consult HR if you have any questions or are unsure about anything.

Overall, your first week is to help you get organized and ready to work. Asking questions and making sure that you have everything in line is critical in your first week.

In the end, every company and every onboarding is different, so just be ready to adapt and try new things. It's also important to remember to not be so hard on yourself during that first week. No matter the company or the role, you'll be adapting like crazy and learning a ton of new things.

So you might as well sit back, relax and enjoy the ride while you can!