7 Ways to Set Yourself up for Success at a New Job
“I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Philippians 4:13).
A new job is an exciting next step in your career journey. Interviews are behind you; now, it is time to start a new chapter. Here are some tips for setting yourself up for success starting on day one:
1. Ask Questions
It's natural to start a new job with the desire to hit the ground running and display your mastery. Make sure that this desire doesn’t keep you from asking questions—a lot of questions. No one is expecting you to know everything about the industry, your role, cross-functional processes, acronyms, etc. Most of your colleagues are hoping you take to ask questions.
One thing I have learned in the past five months at a new job is that people appreciate when someone raises questions in meetings, because it ensures everyone is on the same page and clearly understands the task at hand. There have been countless instances when I’ve raised what I considered a “new girl question” and a seasoned employee follows up with, “I didn't know that, either.”
The answers to your questions not only benefit you but also benefit the collective team: The more clarity, the better the work. So, don’t be shy. Ask questions.
2. Learn About the Culture
Understanding both the company culture and your team's culture is essential. During the first 30 days, pay attention to how people communicate, when the people you work with arrive to work, when they leave, how flexible the hours are, how meetings are structured, how presentations are conducted, etc.
Paying close attention to the details of the working culture will help you follow and respect the organization’s norms and determine if the company is a good fit for you over the long term.
3. Commit to a Weekly One-on-one With Your Manager
During our first meeting, my manager told me, “My role as your manager is to ensure you have what you need to succeed, exceed the objective we’ve set, and reach your full potential. Your responsibility is to communicate what you need so that I can support you.”
You are your best advocate. Take the initiative, and schedule a recurring weekly meeting with your manager. Prepare for your meeting, and set clear intentions for what you wish to accomplish together. In your first 90 days, you’re building the foundation of the relationship with your manager and setting the stage for how you will work together to accomplish business goals.
In your one-on-ones, share what you’re learning, talk through projects you’ve been assigned, and address any areas of opportunity you uncover for the business. If you encounter challenges or pain points, be prepared to propose solutions, not just the problem.
4. Exercise Your Virtues
Virtues are the foundation of soft skills, and they will make you successful in your career. Soft skills—such as communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and collaboration—serve as catalysts to deliver with excellence.
Lean into virtues; don’t check them at the door. When communicating with others, always speak with charity; you are speaking with God’ son or daughter. When pursuing solutions, do so with fortitude, remaining firm in the face of difficulties; your work is part of the path to holiness. When making decisions, move forward with prudence, ensuring you are acting with proper reason; you are called to act upon truth and goodness. When collaborating with teammates, show up to the table radiating hope and seeking to inspire; hope responds to each of our aspirations to happiness.
Exercise virtue. Remember: What you do is important, but perhaps more important is how you do it.
5. Study the Organizational Chart
Don't just memorize the organizational chart; study it. Use it as a resource to understand how your role impacts your team and the broader business and with whom you should begin to partner.
6. Understand Your Performance Metrics
It may seem obvious to understand how your performance will be evaluated at day 90, yet the goals you initially set with your manager might get lost amid the hustle and bustle of onboarding, learning new skills and processes, meeting new people, integrating into a new culture, and readjusting your daily routines.
During your first 90 days, set a weekly or daily reminder of the goals and metrics your manager will evaluate. Write your three goals in your planner each week or on post-it notes in places you will regularly see them.
7. Give Yourself Grace
As part of the Catholic Women in Business community, you strive for excellence, using your gifts in business as a tool for evangelization and means to fulfill your purpose to love, know, and serve God by setting the world a blaze.
Starting a new job is challenging and can feel like drinking from a fire hose. The first few months will feel like a roller coaster of highs and lows as you’re stretched mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and maybe even physically. Don’t fall into the trap of believing any falsities the devil whispers.
Give yourself grace! A new job is a significant life transition that takes time. You were offered the job because you are the best person for it. There are no accidents with God. He is using you and your unique gifts in the workplace.
Trust in his plan.
Natasha Lovely is the CEO and Founder of Aspen & Oliva, a premier personal branding agency. Driven by an entrepreneurial and creative spirit, she purposefully integrates her expertise as a clinical therapist and storytelling marketer to guide women to architect, refine, and master an iconic personal brand that effortlessly transcends into all areas of their lives - professional and personal. Her work with individuals and Fortune 50 companies to develop talent has led to her positioning as an authority on personal branding, an expert in leadership development, and a champion of the multi-hyphenate woman. Through her passion for business, Natasha has propelled her mission to inspire women to design a life of beauty, champion all things good and true, and guide them to become thought-leaders in their fields. You can connect with Natasha through Instagram, LinkedIn, or natashalucia.com.