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Top 10 Tips for Starting a New Job

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By Patty Inglish, MS



Here's how to proceed from being the "new guy" or gal to the official go-to pro in your new job!

There is a definite culture ion any work place and you have to feel your way around for the first week or so and make good impressions with good manners, a relaxed but energetic manner, and a habit of showing interest in other people without being nosy.

By all means, DO:

  • 1. Be civil and friendly to everyone and be conservative in humor and mannerisms. If you are pressed for time and frustrated, take a deep breath and smile anyway.
  • 2. Ask questions to your new coworkers. Make generic small talk with them about popular music, TV, sports etc. Don't venture into anything personal and stay away form politics, government, and religion. Refrain form telling everyone everything about yourself all at once as well.
  • 3. Ask your new coworkers to tell you the best spots for good coffee, breakfast, lunch, or gift purchasing. These questions will start communications going on a social level to help you bond. Coworkers may invite you to lunch with them, so go and have fun.
  • 4. Give colleagues time to get used to you. It may not happen on DAY ONE.
  • 5. Bring in some pantries you've home baked and leave them in the lunchroom. A cake, cupcakes, cookies are great. Here's an easy recipe: buy a yellow cake mix and add only a 12-oz. bottle of Mountain Dew, mix and put in a baking pan and bake and you will have a fruity-flavored cake. For chocolate cake, use a 12-oz. bottle of Coke or Cherry Coke! That's it - a cake mix and a bottle of soda pop. Skips the eggs, oil or anything else. These are really great! And very easy.

Here's a good cookie recipe:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Crispy_Cookies


Whatever you do, DON'T:

  • 1. Don't be intrusive. Don't interrupt conversations or stand and listen when two people are having a conversation. Coworkers won't trust you if they think you are nosy or spying for the boss.
  • 2. Don't expect to hear a bunch of strange stories and rumors about your work mates. In fact, stay away from gossip 100%. People that gossip or listen to it don't get promoted.
  • 3. Don't keep talking about your former employer. You are in a new place with new ways of doing things. If you have a good idea, approach the boss with it, but don't complain about processes. Complainers don't get promoted. Those that plan and approach the boss with creative ideas do.
  • 4. Don't insist that everyone at work get involved in your life all at once. Wait a little bit for your work mates to show interest in your hobbies and other activities.
  • 5. Don't ask coworkers to join your MySpace, FaceBook, Gossips'R'Us, BlackPlanet, or any of these things. LinkedIn is OK for a business connection network, though, but wait a while before you ask people. They need to know you and trust you first. And don't try to SELL coworkers anything.

Starting a New Job in the News

  • New jobs bill is planned as unemployment rate soarsSt. Louis Post-Dispatch1 second ago

    WASHINGTON — Troubled by the rising jobless rate, President Barack Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress are assembling a new jobs package that would devote billions of dollars to projects meant to put people back on payrolls in 2010 and keep them working.

  • Saginaw looks to land solar plant and 500 new jobsLansing State Journal2 hours ago

    SAGINAW - Saginaw officials are vying with a Texas community to land a California-based solar panel manufacturer that would create 500 new jobs within five years.

  • Public Speaking the Steve Jobs Way: Carmine Gallo's New BookPR.com1 second ago

    Give the student, entrepreneur or business professional in your life the gift of inspiration this holiday season. Currently ranked as a bestselling presentation and communications title on Amazon.com, Carmine Gallo's new book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience, contains everything the reader needs to captivate, excite and motivate an ...

  • New jobs in the future for New AlbanyWHAS TV11 Louisville9 hours ago

    New, environmentally-friendly jobs may be coming to New Albany from Earlies California start-up company Wind-stream technologies

  • Official: Two new companies, more jobs are on wayThe Champaign News-Gazette20 hours ago

    DANVILLE – Two new companies are coming to Danville, bringing 25 to 30 new jobs and investing more than $4 million in the area, according to Vermilion County's top economic development official.

Comments

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writestuff914 profile image

writestuff914  says:
2 years ago

Great advice and links. Also, that cake recipe intrigues me. Never heard of anything like it!

Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty Inglish, MS  says:
2 years ago

Hi writestuff914! A Friend from Texas told me about the cake & soda pop trick. It sure is easy qnd makes the cake moist. I'm glad you like my Hub! Thanks for reading and I look forward to yours.

elcat9091  says:
2 years ago

You mean I can't ask my co-dudes to join BlackPlanet? Holla atcha boy

Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty Inglish, MS  says:
2 years ago

Depends on the particular corporate culture.

I know many companies that have blocked BlackPlanet from their servers. One company here, if you even try to access it on a computer where it is blocked (government job), you get fired. It's a big crackdown on computer time theft. Zero tolerance, even in the private sector sometimes.

Prince Maak profile image

Prince Maak  says:
2 years ago

Useful TIPS.

mp  says:
16 months ago

"3. Don't keep talking about your own employer. You are in a new place with new ways of doing things. If you have a good idea, approach the boss with it, but don't complain about processes. Complainers don't get promoted. Those that plan and approach the boss with creative ideas do."

I think you intended to say "Don't talk about your old employer"

Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty Inglish, MS  says:
16 months ago

Exactly right. I myself right there fell into the trap of feeling a person is still at his old workplace on a new job! I have revised it, and thank you.

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