Seven Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a New Job

Seven Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a New Job Editors Note:   Today Im happy to have Terry Ford as our guest writer today. Terry Ford is a freelancer with over ten years of experience, she writes for Grammarly. Every time you begin a new job, it will take some getting used to. No one expects to show up on the first day like a pro. New work environments come with so much to learn about, from the new responsibilities, to the new coworkers, to the new systems and policies, even the new geographical location and nearby places to grab lunch. The first impressions you make are vital to your future. They will determine the character of your relationships with your coworkers and managers. You want to make friends, and you certainly don’t want your boss to second guess his hiring of you. Be careful to get off to a good start, and avoid making any of these mistakes when starting a new job. 1.   Showing Up Late This is a no-brainer. Don’t be late on your first day, or ever. You really should show up at least fifteen minutes earlier than the time you’re supposed to clock in. On your first day, a half hour early is even better. 2.   Not Following the Dress Code Be careful that you don’t over- or under-dress for your new job. Follow the dress code precisely. You don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb because of your look.   As the new guy or girl, you’ll be getting looked at and judged enough already. 3.   Not Discussing Your Expectations with Your Boss At the start of your job, if you haven’t already, you should have a conversation with your boss about expectations. You want to be clear on exactly what is expected of you. You also want to let your boss know what your expectations are, and be sure to tell him about your career goals. If your boss isn’t aware of your goals, he can’t help you reach them. 4.   Being a Know-It-All What you did at your old job doesn’t matter as much as you think it does in your new setting. Don’t act like you know everything. Don’t boast about your expertise; demonstrate your skills and knowledge over time by working hard. 5.   Gossiping Whatever you do, don’t get sucked into office gossip. You are new to the environment, so you have no place to judge anyone else or get involved with office politics. You don’t want to take sides or say anything that could alienate anyone else before you’ve gotten a chance to know them. Politely decline to engage in gossip. 6.   Not Asking Questions You are new, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, and ask as many as you need to do your job successfully. Don’t try to figure out everything on your own. People will expect you to ask questions because you’re new, so don’t worry that it will make you look bad. It could only make you look silly if you spend a half hour trying to locate a file or the cafeteria. 7.   Blowing Off Orientation If you have to attend training or orientation, make sure you pay attention and participate, no matter how silly it is. The managers at training can report to your boss if you are slacking off, or they can let him know they were impressed with your engagement What Mistakes Do You Recommend Avoiding? Have you seen some mistakes in your office that killed the job?   Share in the comments below. Crafted by the web publishing team at Grammarly grammar checker, the best online resource to validate the accuracy of your written work. image courtesy of slworking2