BoJo: Our Advice for Day One in a New Job
by Warren Madlin, Director MadlinHanna Consulting
You have been looking forward to this job your entire life. It is your ambition realised. You have gone through a campaign where your life has been picked apart and every element of your history examined. Added to that, it is a job many describe as a poisoned chalice at this particular point. So how on earth do you get through your first day?
First Impressions Count
For goodness sake be on time. You will be meeting many of your colleagues for the first time and your interviewers have likely talked you up to the rest of the company. Get the basis right from the off and you start on the right footing. Socially, even if you are introvert, (not everyone enjoys group lunches and team nights out), try to make an effort at the beginning, it’s fine to keep yourself to yourself, but give your colleagues an opportunity to learn that that is what you prefer!
Get In That Deep End
Chuck yourself into everything with 100% effort, be the first to volunteer, push yourself outside of your comfort zone and go beyond the JD. The more you know about what others in the company do, the better. If you happen not to have a team of advisors waiting for you, nothing shows enthusiasm for a role like persistently asking questions. I agree with those who hold the view that you should show initiative and figure things out for yourself as a first resort, but you’re new, there’s a lot you don’t know, and the sooner you do know, the quicker you can be successful in the role.
Be Ill
DO NOT WORRY WHEN YOU GET ILL. New jobs come with new environments, new stresses and new things to learn. We often over-work and under-sleep in the early days. You will get buggy whilst adapting to a new office space and it’s totally fine, don’t try and work through it, rest it off at home and come back fresh to continue learning.
Fundamentally, you must give yourself time. New jobs are daunting and different, don’t worry if things are a bit uncomfortable at the beginning, even some of the best workplaces require some settling in time.
MadlinHanna Consulting is a recruitment consultancy specialising in corporate affairs, covering public affairs, corporate communications and financial PR. Contact us on 020 8088 4102 for more information or a confidential conversation.