44 | The Lion King
Career
Making the first
few weeks count
By Jessica Obot
T
he first few weeks in an organization
can be a bit strenuous as a new
employee. There are often doubts
- what if you cannot find common
grounds with colleagues? What should
be done in order not to spoil the impres-
sion on the first working day? How do
you create a positive image and build
a good relationship with co-workers?,
But do not worry; it is not as difficult as
you think. Big life changes are never
easy and making a few mistakes comes
with the territory!
This article will help shed light on how to
handle the first few weeks on a new job.
Visualize a great day.
Think
ahead of time, what do you see hap-
pening? Do you think your “first day”
is going to be a great day? Your mind
is a great tool, so try to think of all you
be-
lieve is good and
positive in you.
Tell yourself
that you
will be a happy and great person to
work with for everyone.
Arrive on time
or a little early on
the first day: Most people might not
think that this is necessary but imagine
getting to work on your first day at
10am when work resumes at 7:30am?
What do you think the general opinion
will be?
It is your fist day, so, wake up early, get
ready, ensure you get to work before
the resumption time and stay a little
later each day so that you have more
time to become familiar with your new
workplace.
Ensure there is no pending
paper work:
Ensure all outstanding
paperwork are duly signed and turned
in promptly.
Know the expectations:
It is a
new job so the expectations are
different. There are so many
ways to find out what the
expectations are without
appearing clueless. Get a
clear understanding
of how things are
done, the process
flow, your deliver-
ables, which in-
cluding your Key
Performance
Indica-
tor’s and familiarize yourself with them.
Keep an open mind.
Do not
be quick to jump to a conclusion on
whether the job was the right deci-
sion or not. It may not be all that you
expected at the initial stage (at least
for some) or may even be more than
you expected (for some), but there are
often undiscovered silver linings, if you
look for them. Do not forget “The grass
is not so green on the other side.” So,
keep an open mind and enjoy each
day.
Plan how to make an im-
pact:
Having established what your
job is about, what is expected of you,
and how to actually go about it, the
next thing you need to determine is
how to make a real impact. Take your
time and understand exactly what
you are to do. Do not rush it, but also
be sure you remind people that you
are not just a “Newbie” and that their
original reason for hiring you were valid,
because you are actually capable of
producing results.
Be in a positive mood:
Do not
be upset if you notice that the attitude
of colleagues are not changing; it is
not surprising because there has always
been the uncertain and wary opinion
about the “Newbie”, which eventually
may change for the worse or better.
Remember, do not let this affect you!
Be friendly, keep a positive mood and
you will be fine.
Accept advice:
It is common to
receive advice from those who have
been in the organization for a longer
period. Listen to their advice carefully;
some of them will come in handy in do-
ing your work. Never take such advice
as criticism or doubt in your compe-
tence. Thank them for their advice.“Fil-
ter”, that is, take the advice you know
will help you on the job and drop the
ones that might hinder the job.
Respect the rules of the
company:
As the saying goes “First
impressions always last longer” The
professional image of a new employee
is formed after a very short period of
time and is rather difficult to change.
Therefore, you should not neglect such
important things like punctuality or
compliance to the dress code. Com-
ply with all internal regulations of the
company and your first few weeks will
definitely count.
