Starting at a new job can be tough, but there are a few things you can do to feel more at home.
Moving job at any level from entry to c-suite can be very disorientating. Entering into a completely new office, the culture, politics and even new people in your surroundings, can be quite tough to deal with. You may begin to feel like you don’t belong but some small adjustments to what you do can have a massive impact.
Be open to socialising
When you start at a new job, in the first few weeks try to be as social as possible. This is when you will receive plenty of offers to go out for lunch, drinks or perhaps even to attend client meetings. This can be a great time to get to know your colleagues and potentially find your first work friend, you’re not going to like everyone but finding that one person you like should naturally lead to finding a group of work friends.
Ask for people’s advice
Actually, asking for advice or help from your colleagues whether it be work related or just local knowledge, can actually be endearing as most people do love to give advice. Giving advice allows them to feel closer to you and also makes them want you to succeed. Every office has a go to font of knowledge! Spend some time with this person as they may know the intricacies of the office and could save you from walking into the middle of some office politics or taking on a doomed piece of work.
Volunteer yourself
Volunteering can be very rewarding, often at work people don’t volunteer to head up projects or events because they feel they don’t have the time required to organise or execute. By volunteering yourself you should get to know important people, feel more attached to the business and hopefully gain some good will.
Get up and go!
It sounds simple but actually walking around your new office on your lunch or maybe getting up and going to speak with your colleague at the end of the phone/email, will increase your knowledge of surroundings. With this new found knowledge of the office, you’ll feel more at home and know where the quiet spot is, the secret cafeteria, games room or just the fastest way to meeting room one. Not to mention the potential of whom you might meet on the way! The same can be done in the local area in which you work in.
Give it your all
It may sound obvious but the more you invest and engage with others, the more you will get out of it in the long run. People tend to hold back from committing themselves emotionally for the same reasons they might in real life relationships, fear of it ending! But to really feel any authentic connection with your colleagues you have to go all in!
What do you find helps settling in at a new workplace? Share your tips in the comments below.
