Top 5 Things You Should Know Before Starting a New Job or Internship
Starting a new job is, in a word, terrifying. Whether it is your dream role that will be the beginning of a life-long career or just a job to pay the bills, for the time being, beginning a new job can be a humbling experience.
Being on both the managing and on onboarding side and the one hopping on board, there are a few key practices that have left the best impression and can set you up for success. These top 5 tips are common practices that top-tier “newbies” have done and managers look for when making their judgment about you.
Be as prepared as you can.
Hopefully, this first one goes without saying. If you have onboarding tasks: do them. There is nothing more frustrating or leaves a bad first impression than someone not doing the tasks they need to take care of before starting. Chances are, a manager or supervisor did not plan to go through these things and this will set them and yourself back.
The night before, you should try to get a good night’s rest, lay out your outfit, and pack your lunch; you know, all the things you would do before a very exciting field trip in grade school. Having fewer things to worry about the morning of is going to greatly contribute to your mindset. No one wants to show up to their first day of work frazzled and in a panic.
Keep your options open.
Obviously, if you have a job or internship, hopefully, you are getting something out of it. Whether that is actual compensation or academic credit of some sort (hopefully you are also getting compensation of some sort but that is a different blog post), keep your mindset open. Maybe you are going in with the mindset that this is the end-all/be-all for you and that this internship is just the first stepping stone into a long career with this company or in this industry. Or maybe you are just taking this job because you need to pay the bills.
Either way, this mindset can shift and you should be kind to yourself in that process. It is okay to go in with all the bright-eyed excitement and then decide that this is not the role for you. Making that distinction is more valuable than any job. Or vice versa, maybe this job that you only took to cash out becomes your passion. Either way, keep your options open.
Humble yourself.
No one likes that new hire or intern that must let everyone know that they know who the founder’s grandfather was because they stayed up until 3:00 am reading the company Wikipedia page. Chances are, this type of person is overcompensating and most managers and supervisors see right through that. Enthusiasm is great, but managers and supervisors care more about whether or not you cannot deliver on your tasks or are willing to learn.
Show enthusiasm.
A good attitude goes a long way. Simply smiling and saying “I’m excited to be here!” when your supervisor welcomes you to the team will start you off on the right foot. It is much easier to train someone who is happy to be there (or at least seems happy to be there) than someone who is not.
This type of attitude also makes you more open to meshing well with your team. Unless you are riding solo in your new role, you will likely have coworkers that know very little about you besides what they found on your LinkedIn or what they heard about you from your supervisor. Showing that you are willing to be a part of the team will start you off well. The alternative is that you may be on the outside looking in with your team and that is uncomfortable for all parties.
Avoid this by faking it until you make it. Even if you are not over the moon about this role, you can decide to make the best of it and hopefully, it is better than you ever dreamed.
Ask questions.
The best interns and new hires are those that ask questions. Most supervisors would much rather answer a question now rather than stay at the office fixing your mistake at 7pm on a Friday. If you are not asking questions, almost undoubtedly your supervisor is a little worried about you.
The other questions you should ask are the more interpersonal ones. It is a well-known fact that people love to talk about themselves. If you find yourself sitting with your new team or your supervisor at lunch, ask them about their career and, if the situation allows itself, ask about what they like to do for fun.
These questions tend to start off a great conversation:
How long have you been with *insert company or office name here*?
What made you want to get into this industry/this company?
Do you have any advice for me since I just started?
The only caveat to this point is that you should not ask questions just for the sake of asking questions. Starting in a new role or a new company, even a new industry, will likely leave you with some questions. Hopefully, your supervisor or team has made themselves available enough to answer them.
What most people do not realize is that most of what sets you up for success is not tangible but your mindset. Being prepared and doing your homework is great but most individuals can succeed purely from just going into a new role and willing themselves to succeed.
There are very few industries that do not involve any type of interpersonal relationships. This can be very intimidating for individuals who are more in touch with the introverted part of their personality but take this new opportunity to try something different. If you are nervous, talk to your friends and family and lean on your support network. Everyone wants to make a good first impression so set yourself up with the tools necessary to allow yourself to be the best “you” in your professional life.