Ten Ways To Be Impressive In Your New Job–Or Your Current One
Ten Ways to Be Impressive In a New Job
or New Assignment.
1. Plan your farewell party before your first day at work. When you leave, what do you want them to say about you? What do you want in your letter of reference? Work like that, live like that, and relate to others like that, from day one.
2. Make each day a new job interview. You probably answered some questions about the kind of employee you would be and how you would look and act at work. Make those answers come true. Assume that you are being evaluated by others each day, because you are.
3. Remember that nothing is as bad or as good as it seems in the first few days. Do not become so discouraged or so impressed in your first few days that you make the assumption it will always be the way it seems. Focus on the work and on effective interactions with coworkers, supervisors and others and look to the future. Give it time to develop.
4. Balance confidence with humility. This is a difficult balance to find, but it is a good one. Walk and talk confidently, but do not assume you have paid dues enough to criticize, act overly impressed with yourself, or behave as though you do not need help at all. Confident humility is a very impressive trait.
5. Look and act a bit above the level you are working. You have probably heard the advice about dressing for the position you want to have. That is not entirely practical or appropriate. However, it is true that the best way to look and act all the time–and certainly as a new employee–is a tad bit better than required for your job. Dress as nicely as you can, rather than dressing down to the lowest level you can get by with. Talk as if the CEO or boss was present, rather than talking as though you are with peers who completely understand you and agree with you. Act as though you are a career person, rather than only having a job, even if you only have a short-term job.
6. If you are outgoing, back off a bit. If you are quiet, reach out a bit. Do not overwhelm people with your friendliness and cheerfulness, but also do not seem disinterested, hostile or excessively shy. Get to know people in a moderate way at first.
7. Act normal. That sounds like strange advice, doesn’t it? But, the reason many new employee are shut out or not considered a good choice for the job is that they display every quirk and eccentricity in the first few days or weeks. Many of those should never be displayed! There is never a time when it is good to talk to yourself, heavy sigh repeatedly, wear lots of fragrance, have some strange and quirky habit or mannerism, talk in strange accents and tone for the fun of it, talk about your politics or religion, or talk obsessively about anything. Just act normal, ordinary, routine, and easy to work around. You do not have to impress everyone with your uniqueness all the time.
8. Use your performance evaluation form as a map for excellence. ASAP look at the form that will be used to rate you, if there is one. Write down the areas in which you will be rated. Then, make sure you are purposely working to provide your supervisor with examples of how you fit those areas. If there is not form, talk to your supervisor about his or her views of excellent performance and behavior. Demonstrating that you fulfill the qualities and traits of excellence in your specific work is the way to be a star!
9. Build and maintain a good relationship with your supervisor. It is good to have positive relationships with coworkers, but do not do that at the expense of a good relationship with your supervisor. Your supervisor is the one who completes your evaluation, makes recommendations about you and your work and can make work life easier or not. Be courteous, appropriately friendly and be sure to ask for advice, assistance or direction. You may not have what you consider to be a great supervisor, but the advice still applies.
10. Keep a journal on your home computer or in a hard copy book at home. Just a few words now and then can help you stay on target with your work goals. Your journal is a good place to write your first impressions, concerns and triumphs, and other interesting information. You will also enjoy it tremendously in the future!
Key point: You can apply these concepts no matter how long you have been in your job. Every day can be the first day and your best day.
If you have a new job or new assignment within your organization, best wishes with it! You may need more than ten steps to be completely successful, but these will certainly get you started.
