4 New Job Tips 2015

I hope your 2015 is starting off with a bang with plenty of excitement on the job search front.  If not, then keep trying and remember to keep the faith.  Persistence is the key.  Don't give up.  If on the other hand, you have recently found a new job, then these 4 quick tips are for you.  Here are the 4 tips for starting a new job (with a new company) in 2015.


Tip 1:  Be Nice to Everyone

Since you're the new guy or gal, it is critical that you be nice to EVERYONE.  Everybody is trying to size you up, so for now, just show them your nice side.  Be friendly, courteous, happy, easy-going, etc., etc.  Make sure you smile and laugh at their jokes, even if they're not very funny.  You are not trying to be phony or to make best friends, but you are trying to keep your job and therefore, you need people to like and trust you.  So that is your main goal.  Stay focused!


Tip 2:  Do Not Gossip

Some people love to talk about others and will try to give you the "inside scoop" about your co-workers and your new work environment.  Though it is tempting to make preconceived opinions about others, try to keep an open mind and open heart to everyone.  Give them a clean slate, as you are hoping they would give you.  Also, the person that is bad mouthing a co-worker may have a hidden agenda or holds some grudge or animosity to that other person.  All those feelings are things that happened before your time and therefore should be of no concern to you.  Do not participate negative conversations about co-workers.  Keep your hand clean.


Tip 3:  Go to Lunch with New Co-Workers

Even if you're more the solitude type, make sure you go to lunch with your new co-workers the first day and week of your start date.  You don't have to go to lunch with them everyday, but be open and willing to make an adjustment to accommodate going out for lunch or even sit with them in the cafeteria, especially the first week or month.  Now, be strategic here, because you don't want to fall in a routine of eating lunch with people that you would rather not be around on a personal level.  Some tricks of the trade to mix things up is to bring your own lunch some days; plan to run errands on other days; and say you have to go to your car to make a personal call if all else fails.  These all can help to keep the right balance between bonding and networking with co-workers, but also to keep an arms length distance from them as well.


Tip 4:  Leave the Past in the Past

This is a big one, because it is easy and tempting to talk about the past, especially your work related past.  However, just like with job interviews, avoid bringing up negative issues from past relationships and experiences.  The key is to have your new manager and co-workers to give you a clean slate to build on and not judging you from a past that they were not a part of. Therefore, talking negatively about past jobs and past con-workers will almost always look negatively on yourself.


I hope these 4 quick tips will help you in your new job this year.  Stay focused and be blessed.



P. Alexander

New Year, New Job 2015!

Hello,

I wish you all success in 2015!  I hope your job search this year is more fruitful and that you're able to find the job that you desire.  Keep the faith.  Be persistent and you will find a job.

If you are unemployed, then keep your head up and get busy on your search.  Work at it daily, but don't let the search consume you.  Find time to do other low-cost things, like going for a walk, talking to friends, meeting for lunch or coffee and catching a matinee movie.  All these things help.  I know.

If you have a job, but need a better job, then work the job search before or after your workday or on weekends if free.  The urgency may be high, especially if your manager don't like you, so don't delay.  Don't wait until you're laid-off or fired!  It's easier to find a job when you already have a job.

Finally, if you need or want to change careers, then consider taking classes and short-courses. Yes, today you can learn things on your own through websites and YouTube, but there is still significant value in taking an organized course, that is sponsored by a corporation, college or university.  Try to get your existing company to pay the tuition, but be willing to pay it yourself or consider a short-loan if they don't want to pay.  I have paid for some classes out of my own money.  The investment was worth it in the long-haul.

Take care, stay focused and best wishes for 2015!