You dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s through a mountain
of application paperwork, sweated through multiple interviews, and waited
anxiously for the phone to ring. Now, all your hard work has paid off and you’ve
landed the job. Congratulations are definitely in order; you’ve made it through
the most nerve-wracking part of job search process -- but you’re not out of the
woods yet.
According to career guru Michael Watkins, author of The
First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, your first days on the
job will likely set the course and the tone of your entire tenure in your new
role. The way you relate to your co-workers and supervisors -- and how they
perceive you -- during this vitally important period of
introduction can profoundly impact your long-term career prospects.
Of course, nobody will expect you to function as well as
your more experienced counterparts during your first few days and weeks on the
job. With any position, there’s a level of competency and efficiency that can
only be achieved through the accumulation of on-the-job knowledge over time. For
the most part, hospitality industry workplaces don’t expect their new hires to
be instant pros.
Still, well before you’re handling your new job duties with
the ease of an expert, you can still wow your new bosses and colleagues by
sticking to a few easy-to-remember guidelines. Here are some simple but
effective steps that will help you establish -- and maintain -- a great first
impression from the very beginning.
- Show Up On Time…Or
Better Yet, Early! Get
things started on the right foot by arriving 10-15 minutes before your
first shift is scheduled to begin. Try to predict any problems or circumstances
that could conspire to make you late on your first day -- and deal with
them well in advance. Consult the traffic report, do a test run on the
public transportation route you plan to use, check and double-check your
childcare arrangements, pick up your dry-cleaning the day before. There’s
no surer way to make your first impression a worst impression than showing up late.
- Demonstrate Your
Willingness to Work Hard. Everyone describes themselves as hard workers during job
interviews, but now that you’ve landed the job, it’s time to put your
money where your mouth is. Show up early, stay late, contribute fully
during your entire shift, transcend the boundaries of your job description
to help out others who are overburdened, volunteer to take on extra tasks
-- do whatever you can do to prove that you’re willing to put your nose to
the grindstone and pay your dues.
- Play The Role Of An
Anthropologist. One
of the trickiest things to get right in a new role is learning about and
adapting to an unfamiliar organizational culture. In your first few days
on the job, carefully observe your coworkers to find out more about the
dress code, level of formality, team dynamics, strengths and weaknesses,
unspoken traditions, and other intangible factors that could impact your
success.
- Balance Ambition with
Genuine Warmth and Friendliness. It may be tempting to do anything it takes to stand out from
the crowd and make a good impression. But be careful not to alienate or
exclude your colleagues and co-workers in the process. Remember, solo
achievement isn’t everything -- supervisors and managers also consider
your skill as a team player when assessing your performance. Be sure to
take the time to cultivate friendly connections with your fellow employees
- Avoid Cliques, Gossip, and
Office Politics. As you begin to interact with your new
co-workers in your first days on the job, you may find yourself being
drawn into conversations that devolve quickly into rumors, scandals, and
badmouthing. Although the prospect of getting the inside scoop can be
sorely tempting, it’s best to avoid on-the-job intrigue and drama. If one
of your new co-workers bombards you with some unwelcome gossip, just nod,
respond with a noncommittal remark, and remain neutral.
The prospect of starting a new job can be stressful -- but
it’s also the beginning of an exciting new phase of your professional life.
You’ve already made it through the rigorous screening of the interview and
selection process. Just take a few deep breaths, keep these guidelines in mind,
and give it your all. Who knows just how far this opportunity may take you?