When you are starting a new job, it can be intimidating to share ideas with your team. You might worry that they will ridicule your suggestions or that you won’t fit into the company culture. These strategies can help you to secure a place on your team when starting a new job, gain self-confidence, and position yourself to move up the career ladder.
Strategies to fit in when starting a new job
1. Introduce yourself
Whenever possible, introduce yourself to those who you will be working with when starting a new job, so that they start to get more comfortable with your presence. You can include information about your past workplaces so that they begin to recognize what skills you bring to the table.
In the first meeting that you go to, ask the organizer beforehand if they can allow you a few minutes at the start of it to introduce yourself. If they cannot do so at the beginning of it, then inquire if you can take a minute or two at the end of the meeting.
Try to have a few lines ready in your mind when there is a moment for an introduction. If the person you are speaking with doesn’t seem interested, then keep the conversation short as they likely have a lot on their minds already.
2. Try to remember names
To be a part of the team also involves knowing the names of the people who you are working with, obviously. If you have to say, “Hey you,” then that can damage any bond you have started to form with your colleagues in starting a new job.
In a new job, you will likely meet a lot of people, and you might be focusing more on what you’re saying during the introduction than on their first names. But it’s important to remember them. To help you do so, try to come up with a memorable attribute about each one. For example, you might come up with a rhyme about the person, such as “Blaire has great hair.”
Also, try to say their name out loud to help you remember it. For instance, “Nice to meet you, Steve” or “Thanks, Rebecca.” When you think back to the interaction later, you are more likely to recall the name as you spoke it aloud.
Another trick to remembering names is to use songs. This memory trick is a fun one. Sing in your mind a song that contains the person’s name, such as “Gloria.” That can then help you think of their name the next time you see them in the hallway.
3. Show your value
Provide helpful project suggestions to start to contribute to the team right away when starting a new job. Why wait? If you are nervous about feeling out of place, don’t be as you were hired for your skills and experience. If you’re not sure quite where to start, ask your manager if there are particular obstacles that the organization is facing or what the most important organizational goal is right now. You obviously won’t know these things yet, as you are only just hired.
Then brainstorm how you can help the team and the business overall. If there’s an action that is within your job duties, then do it. For example, you might suggest using Word templates for business. Fill the document templates with useful information for the brand.
Then store it in the cloud for employees to access the most up-to-date version easily. Not only will you save employees valuable time creating documents from scratch, but you will also provide an intuitive system that managers can use too.
4. Ask questions
When you ask questions, you will be in a better position to know what is expected of you when starting a new job. Then you can start to provide the assistance that is needed within a team environment. When you start to ask questions during your first week on the job, you also show that you are eager to learn. Being enthusiastic will take you far in many industries, as will the courage to speak up.
You will likely find that you need immediate help with some things when starting a new job, while other activities are less pressing. The urgent things are the ones that require you to ask for help right away. For instance, the password you were given might not work on the computer; that is something that needs clearing up ASAP.
If you find that your list of questions is growing, then start to make a list of them. Then schedule a meeting with your supervisor to ask them all at one time, rather than continually interrupting their day with a single inquiry.
Take a few pieces of paper and a pen into the office with you to make notes on the answers so that you can look over the answers and learn from them. Otherwise, you risk asking the same questions in a week, which shows you weren’t paying attention the first time around.
5. Enjoy yourself at work
Absolutely! This career is one that can bring you a great deal of joy. Too many people are unhappy in their jobs. You’re starting a new job at a new workplace, and it brings new opportunities your way. Keep a positive attitude to the environment and the activities that you do at work.
Put in the effort to get to know your co-workers and greet them as you go to your desk each morning. Start the day on a high note and keep it going that way! On a related note, if you see that the coffee pot is empty, then start a new one for the office. The task usually gets forgotten during a busy day, so when you brew a fresh pot, it is sure to be something that the rest of the team appreciates that you have done.
Final words
During your first week starting a new job in the new workplace, make an effort to get to know fellow employees, as well as asking questions and becoming more comfortable with the environment. It takes time to settle into a routine, and you will get there soon.
Having a team spirit can help more people than you may realize and is sure to be a quality that your supervisor notices soon. Wishing you all the best in your new position!
