Advice to those starting new jobs

[Ultimate Anyone?]

I'm just wondering what advice you received that you've found useful with respect to switching to a new job (not a career switch, just a new company)?

I think the best advice I received was 'expect to be somewhat miserable for 6 to 9 months, until you get a feel for what is going on'. The first couple of months at the new job weren't bad (excitement about the new job, change of scenery, etc.), but lately realizing that I don't automatically know who to call, where to look, etc., that I had figured out from my first job was really getting to me for a while.

Any other nuggets of wisdom folks would like to share?

[Enough Exams Already]

Set boundaries and expectations early on, especially between you and your immediate supervisor. Find out what s/he expects of you, and let him/her know what you expect. A lot of miscommunication can be cleared up before it ever happens, and bad habits (both theirs and yours) are easiest to change before they become habits.

[Quasi]

On your first day of a new job you have to kick someone's a$$. Otherwise you'll end up someone's b!tch. Wait maybe that's the first day at a public school...anyway, probably still good advice.

[Don Quijote]

Ask your new boss three questions.

What do you expect me to deliver during the next 6 months?
How often do you want a progress update?
When there is a problem, how much do you want to know about it?

If you have things clear at the start, everything goes smoother.

Don´t ask your boss these three questions:

What can you tell me about vacation, sick days, family leave, etc.?
When is the first salary review?
How do I file expense reimbursements?

You might need to know some of those things, but go through HR so as not to give the impression that you´re a money-grubbing slacker. (Be one, fine, just don´t tell the guy who does your salary reviews!)

[Minerva]

To build on Don Quijote's good advice -

How do you want me to communicate with you? (E.g., do you want to set up routine updates and don't bother me between unless it's an emergency; do you like me to pop my head in with bits of tid at least once a day; do you want me to leave you a note/e-mail/voice-mail when I have a question/answer and you'll get back to me?)

And, like EEA said, talk about work styles and expectations - to what degree does he/she want to review your work in detail (at least at first), and what involvement does she/he expect in your communications with others, especially those in other areas (some bosses are fanatics about the way their subordinates interact with other areas, or other levels, others are completely empowering).

And mainly - even though you are not a neophyte, you are new to this area/company, so listen more than you talk and watch that the phrases "At XYZ we always...." and "Why do you do it that way...." don't come out of your mouth unsolicited for quite some time.

[Troy McClure]

On 2002-01-31 08:08, Minerva wrote:
To build on Don Quijote's good advice -
"Why do you do it that way...." don't come out of your mouth unsolicited for quite some time.


I agree with Minerva and Don (really great advice Don!) except for this quote. Part of the reason companies like to see people come in from outside is to get some new ideas. Question everything, just be careful how you come across (antagonistic, condescending, my last company did it right and you don't, etc). Question it, then, if they can't give you a good reason ("that's the way it's always been done"), softly say that you have some other ideas that might be useful.

[Minerva]

Troy - you said it better than I (I was thinking primarily of the condescending etc. aspect). To underscore Troy's "softly", I would amplify that EVEN IF you were specifically hired because of your fresh new-to-them ideas, people don't like to feel that you think that what they are doing is wrong, so be very diplomatic in ALL early suggestions and whenever possible couch them in terms of how it could be done without comparisons to how it is currently done.