Starting a new job can be exciting but it also comes with many different challenges. However, these challenges can either motivate or overwhelm you. If you’ve had an internship stint, you would have had some experience working in an office environment.
But what if you haven’t? Here are some tips for you to maintain a positive attitude in your new work environment.
1. Get to know your colleagues
It may sound trivial and straightforward but it is actually very useful to get to know as many people in the office. They will offer you insights and help if you ever need assistance in the workplace. However, learn to set boundaries as well, and maintain a professional relationship and always be mindful of your decorum.
2. When in doubt, ask
It may seem natural for some to pose questions, but there are those among us who would prefer to take things into their own hands to demonstrate that they can do something. Be genuine and ask for help if you need to, especially from among your new colleagues.
3. Have a role model
Some work environments adopt a mentoring system. This culture of mentor-mentee isn’t new but at the same time it might not be practiced in a lot of places. If it is not a norm at your office, have a chat with the human resource department or to your manager if you could have someone to mentor you. It’ll make learning the ropes in the organisation much easier.
4. Learn what everyone else is doing
You’ve just been accepted into a new job and given a set of responsibilities to handle. At this point, it’s always good to also learn what other people’s tasks are because it might be connected along the way to what your role is in the organisation. Knowing how these responsibilities connect to each other would also help to increase efficiency and effectiveness in your workplace.
5. Join social events or activities
If your office has a culture of engaging in social activities outside of work, get involved. This shows that you want to be a part of the organisation and it gives you the chance to know your colleagues outside of work. It would tell your colleagues that you are a team player.
6. Offer to help
Whether you are new to an organisation or have been a part of it for years, you are already a part of a team. To work well in this new environment, you have to be a team player. This means you should contribute to this new team by lending a hand whenever you can.
7. Be respectful (especially on social media)
This is the simplest thing to do but some might overlook it especially if you are a young graduate and just getting into the workforce and ready to take on the world. However, this sense of confidence may be misconstrued as arrogance, so always behave and communicate in a professional and respectful manner at all times. On that note, take into account how you behave on social media as well.
8. Plan out your day
You should have a clear idea of your daily responsibilities to enable you to plan accordingly. Work it out with your supervisor or even your colleagues on day-to-day tasks and formulate some kind of schedule for yourself. This way, you can allocate your time properly and perform your responsibilities efficiently.
*This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
(This article first appeared on Borneo Post)
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