Move Ahead in Your Career: 7 tips for starting a new job successfully

As a prelude to our upcoming professional event "Move Ahead in Your Career", I thought this article in EETimes maybe interesting to those people who have recently moved into a new job. Though this article focuses more on the Dos and Don'ts at a new job, our seminar will focus on the communication techniques in your current jobs that will enable you to get your point across in the best way possible. For more information on the seminar click here Here is the article... To read the original version on EETimes click here 7 tips for starting a new job successfully
Randy Block
TechCareers (08/28/2006 3:07 PM EDT)
Congratulations. You have accepted a new position. All that work in your job search has paid off handsomely. Take a breather. But not for too long as it's time to switch gears. Your next objective is to integrate yourself into the new organization. Here are seven steps to making it happen: Day One: Maintain Old Contacts Start off by saying sending out 'thank yous.' Contact all the people who helped you get the new position. Often people don't make this effort because they feel they'll be in the new job for a long time. But today, when the average American changes jobs every four years, the odds say you're going to change jobs again soon. You need to keep the network alive. Avoid "Big Projects" The First Three Months On your second day, you think: "Here comes a big project! I'll take this one on and really impress them." This is a mistake that many people make in the first three months of employment. It's critical that you acquire knowledge about the system and the people. You cannot comprehend the implications yet of certain decisions you make. Your company isn't going to expect you to know everything in the first couple of weeks. Take your time to learn how things work. Get To Know The Stakeholders These are those people who have a huge stake in your success. And they don't necessarily have a fancy title. Find out who they are. Ask for their support and offer yours to them. Start the bonding process. Identify Priorities And Challenges Most of the world's unhappiness stems from the unmet expectations. Develop a plan that demonstrates how you will address your most critical challenges and the time frames that you expect completion. Communicate this with your boss. Keep An 'Up' Attitude Do not share any concerns or misgivings about the job. Even if your boss appears to be going back on a promise, be careful. So when the boss (or anyone) asks you in the first three months, "how is it going?" the only good answer is "things are going wonderfully." You are still learning. Give Precise Meaning To Your Job When asking for information, listen carefully to the input offered by fellow employees regarding ways to add more value to your new employer. Ask the question 'how was this job done before?' This will give you insight into how you might achieve some early successes. Keep Managing Your Career It's understood that no one is going to watch out for your career but you. Setting vision and long-term goals is critical in the career management process. This certainly comes into play when projects come up. If a project fits into your long term career plans, then do it. If not, then gracefully decline (you are "too busy"). The more proactive you in taking on assignments that help you achieve your career goals, the quicker you will attain them. Final thought: Have fun!