Starting and Keeping Your Job

Well done. You have landed that new job you worked so hard to get. How does it feel? Exciting and scary all at the same time? That’s alright, it’s normal. Feel proud of your achievement. Celebrate!

Once you come back down to earth and reality sets in, you may wonder how you will go at starting and keeping a new job. To get off to the best start, here are some things to help you start a new job.

Learn your employer’s expectations

Learn your new employer’s expectations. You should already know some of this from the interview phase. Formal details are set out in the written job offer and a work contract when you sign on for work. These are the basics. You need to know the detail.

Most businesses have an induction day. This introduces new employees to company policies and procedures. It will also inform you about company expectations during work hours.

Smaller businesses do not have the resources to do this so you need to listen to your boss or mentor and takes notes. Make sure to ask questions if there is something you don’t understand. It shows a willingness to learn and understand to get things right.

Get the work done

The primary reason for hiring you is to get work done. So, your focus should be on working. Avoid focusing on your first paycheck or how to get a raise. These are not important right now. You are new to the job. There are more important things to learn. Think about these questions. How many of the following question can you answer after your first day on a new job:

1. What do I need to achieve every day? What are my responsibilities?
2. What policies and procedures do I need to perform my job?
3. Who is on the team? How do they fit in?
4. What deadlines or timelines do I have to work within?
5. What equipment or tools so I need to achieve successful outcomes?

It is important to ask these types of questions, especially if they are not answered during introductions on the first day. A housemaid may shadow another housemaid to learn how to do the job. A new cashier will have hands on training from another team member, for example.

See things from a different perspective

See things from a different perspective. Your boss holds you in high regard. After all, they hired you. Have confidence in yourself. If the company thought you would fail, they would not hire you in the first place. Use this to your advantage and build a rapport with your boss and new team members.

Understand workplace culture

Workplace culture refers to the attitude of staff to getting things done in the business. This includes taking breaks, dress code, and how you decorate your work space. It is important to understand how this works to help you fit in.

Here are some things to consider in any job you want to keep.

Get to work on time

You would think getting to work on time is pretty simple. Right? Not always. When your start time is 08:00 am that is what it means. Do not arrive at work at that time. Arriving at 08:00 means you are running late. Get to work 5 to 10 minutes early so you can grab a coffee and have a quick chat and be ready to start work on time.

Running late – let someone know

Let someone know if you are running late. Apart from being good manners, your boss needs to know they are one person down until you arrive. Remember, being late can happen on occasion. But, being late regularly becomes a problem and a burden on the rest of the team.

Stop complaining

Even before you start, stop complaining. Nothing will put off your new workplace more. They do not want to hear a new person whining about working conditions or the pay rate. You took the job based on these things. So, zip it. This will only annoy others or stir up issues for your boss.  Making you unpopular.

Have a Plan B

Things can always go wrong, so you need a Plan B. This is a plan of action for when anything goes wrong. Being late because the alarm stayed silent or the car breaks down too often will soon get annoying. You need a backup plan for these challenges to help get you to work on time.

Find out if someone lives close to you and swap phone numbers in case either of you needs a lift to work one day. Get an alarm clock with batteries so it still goes off if there is a power outage during the night. This is a Plan B for things that can go wrong. Can you think of any others?

Ask questions

Asking questions as a new employee is important. You are not expected to know everything. Employers get nervous when new hires do not ask questions. The only way you can find things out is to ask. You will not look stupid asking questions. As the old saying goes, “the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask”.

Good customer service

Always offer good customer service. Customers are important to any business whether they are external or internal customers. External customers in a shop are consumers, for example. Where internal customers on a construction site are other subcontractors. The best way for a business to get a bad name is through poor customer service.

Your boss will not be happy if a customer fails to return or complains because of your poor behavior.

All these are commonsense. No one wants to hire someone who starts complaining about things as soon as they start instead of learning the job. Your boss wants a harmonious workplace where the job gets done and the customers are happy.

And, remember, how you present yourself and your attitude speaks om your behalf every day. It is what influences how others perceive you. So, use these tips to become a good new