Settling in at Your New Job

A job change is an exciting and stressful event. New tasks, new surroundings, new coworkers, and a new boss all at once, as well as a potential delay in income can make for a rough time. Follow these guidelines to help you to settle in - and excel - in record time.

1) Take an Interest - Your coworkers already know each other, and as the "new guy," you're as unfamiliar to them as they are to you. Make a point of finding out a little bit about them - do they have kids? What are their hobbies and interests? Do you share any of them? Folks love talking about themselves, and by asking questions and taking an interest right from the start, you create a great first impression as an interested, social person who cares about the people that you work with.

2) Ask for Help - No one can learn and remember everything on their first day. Don't be afraid to approach veterans at work and ask for some guidance and advice. Be polite, and express your appreciation. This creates an opportunity for interaction while helping you to learn from knowledgeable folks in your workplace. Don't be afraid to step outside of your peer-group of department in search of knowledge. Cross-department relationships will serve you well.

3) Go Beyond - It's a great idea to take an interest in tasks that fall outside of your specific job as soon as you can handle it. Multiple skill-sets make you a much more valuable employee, and help you to do your own job better at the same time. Looking to the future, these skills can also improve your chances for advancement.

4) Offer Assistance - No matter where you work, someone could use a hand. During lulls in your training, instead of re-reading the same materials over again, why not see if you can lend a hand somewhere. Even if you just stuff envelopes for an afternoon, you're helping out the folks that you work with, which is always appreciated, and will make them much more likely to help you out in the future.

It doesn't matter if you're shuffling papers, installing software, or laying brick - settling in at a new job is an adjustment. Using these guidelines, though, you can quickly rise from "the new guy" to absolutely indispensable.