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Making a Good First Impression in a New Job

Written by carrot-siteadmin | Nov 3, 2020 9:45:24 AM

Congratulations - you’ve recently accepted a job offer and your start date is getting closer and closer by the day. You’re excited, slightly nervous, but most importantly, you want to make a great first impression to your new employer – but how do you do this?

To help you hit the ground running and wowing your new team members, we’ve provided some useful tips to help calm your nerves and ensure you are prepared to make the best first impression in your new role.

Be Prepared

Each company will take a different approach to onboarding new employees, but you can give yourself a head start by brushing up on the key duties and responsibilities associated with your new role.

Is there an element of your new role you’re not so hot on? Then see if there’s a quick online course or a bit of reading around the area you could do in advance of starting.

Do you know who your new teammates are? LinkedIn and company ‘meet the team’ pages are a great starting point for discovering more about who you’ll be working alongside. Familiarising yourself with these people now will make it easier to know who to contact for what during your first few weeks.

And remember to have a notepad and pen to hand for your induction. Your first few weeks are sure to include a lot of information – which you won’t be expected to remember all of – but a few key notes may help to jog your memory further down the line.

Prioritise your Workload

With every new role comes new duties and responsibilities. Understandably, you’ll want to tackle these head on to try and impress your new employer – but taking on too much as once could run the risk of you prioritising the wrong tasks at hand.

Make a to-do list and identify which are the most important. Schedule each of these tasks with an allotted time allowance and you’ll prove to your new manager than you can effectively manage your time whilst showing off your great organisational skills.

Be Sociable

When looking to fill an open position, hiring managers won’t have just looked at your qualifications and experience but also whether you’d be a good fit for the company culture.

If you’re joining a sociable company it’s important you take the time to get to know those you’ll be working with and show willing to get involved with company events (even if it’s just a zoom quiz call!). Proactively engaging and spending time with your new colleagues will help you settle in much quicker while showing your new employer that you are enthusiastic about immersing yourself within the company’s culture.

Listen and Learn

The first weeks in a new role are perhaps the most important – and although we understand there might be a lot of information to take it which could feel overwhelming at times, it’s important to listen and learn as much as possible. If you’re unsure of anything though don’t be afraid to ask for help or further clarification. After all, that’s what your induction is all about!

If you have any productive suggestions or ideas for the business during these first few weeks it would be great for you to share them – but avoid coming across a bit arrogant or as if you rule the roost already, as this can have a negative impact on how your new colleagues will perceive you.

Be Positive

Starting a new job can be quite daunting and occasionally we let our nerves get the better of us. But it’s important that you remember that the hiring manager selected you because they were impressed by your skills, experience and personality. Approach your new job with a positive attitude and show that you are excited to join a new team.

There are numerous ways you can prepare yourself for your first day but following our helpful tips will give you a great start to ensure you make a good first impression.

For any assistance with your recruitment needs over the coming months – or for advice on how to make a good impression in your new job – please contact us today. We’ll be more than happy to put you in touch with one of our specialist consultants: 

enquiries@carrotpharma.co.uk / +44 (0)1625 541 030 

Or take a look at all our current jobs within pharma and the life sciences here.