Top 5 Challenges In A New Job

Is tomorrow your first day at your new job? Congratulations! The number of years you have in your resume, the amount of pressure and responsibilities you had in your previous job or the grades you got in college won’t help you escape the first day jitters. Having to work in a new place with a whole bunch of different people is definitely going to get you nervous. But having an idea on how the new place works and the kind of challenges you might face at your new workplace will help you get rid of that anxiety and gain confidence.
Starting to work in a new job is a new chapter in your career and you will definitely experience few challenges. The most important of all the things is to understand that the first few weeks in a job are bound to be a tad different than usual. Here are the top 5 challenges that are experienced by almost everyone. This will guide you to make a good impression on the first few weeks.
Fitting in : Day 1 at your new job and all you see is a bunch of new faces around you helping you or guiding you to understand them better. Every workplace has its own culture and it would take time to understand and adapt to their new ways. Having an open attitude and maintaining work etiquettes will help you fit in quickly. Asking questions if you don’t understand anything, subtly voicing out your opinion and actively participating in the regular team huddles or any events will help you fit in with ease.
Not getting along with team members or boss could get you emotionally and physically exhausting. One of the most important things that one might forget is to observe and ask what the company is expecting from you and how good you are at it. Setting the right expectations and having to step up a bit or tone it down will make it much easier to create an impression and live upto it.
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Information overload : All the new employees do not have the opportunity to sit in a training room all day long and trying to figure out how the company works. You’ve to understand that whether you get the so called training or not, on your first day in the project with your team, you’ll hear a lot of new words, techniques and so on. To process a lot of information in the first few days can be extremely overwhelming.
What you can do to lessen the stress is to carry a notepad wherever you go, make notes of the new things you hear and the things expected of you. While the team and the employers understand that the new hires would take time to adjust, the work cannot be queued for you. So, there is a fair chance that you might feel that you are bombarded with a lot of information. Making notes of whatever you’ve understood or heard, asking a lot of questions and clarifying your doubts, will not only help you process the information but also gain trust of your manager.
Time management : This is the one challenge that you have to never underestimate or fail. Keeping up with a lot of new information and adjusting to the new workplace is all in one hand and managing the tasks and completing them before the deadline is in another. Once you’re working, you get emails, someone needs more information, a sudden meeting, someone missed a deadline and other distractions. With helping others in these tasks and also managing your own tasks and getting them done is your responsibility.
Jotting down your roles and responsibilities, making a note of your tasks will not only help you complete the tasks but will also help you stay organised and unmissed during your performance review. Applying the little techniques of time management to your work will get you to a win - win situation.
Getting along with colleagues and management : The first few weeks, as much as you are excited to impress the team, they will try to make you feel comfortable. Introducing yourself and making small talk is a starting step to get along. But, to have an everlasting bond with your colleagues, you have to continue the conversation with them. Making the first move to go out for breaks or greeting them and the most important of all, ‘smile’. One smile can make them feel welcomed.
Remembering a lot of new names and the little details they have mentioned about themselves is a huge thing. The next time you see your colleague, you would not want to ask their name again. Making sure that these tiny little mistakes do not happen and you are good to go. All these will help you get along much smoother.
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Load of work : Either you’re an intern or a full time employee, there can be two kinds of days in the start. Very little work or a lot of work from the first week. Each situation can be taken to your advantage. If you got very little work, you can R & D on the company, know the employees, ask questions and ask someone to teach you something in their available time. If you’ve got a lot of work to do, you will learn a lot new things quickly and interact with other employees comfortably. You create an impression that you made an effort and were productive from the start.
These are few of the most common challenges experienced by everyone and more or less, every challenge is linked to one another. The three main things you have to remember before your first day and every day are - productivity, performance and perception. Being aware of what these are and how you can manage will help you face and overcome these challenges with ease.
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