Starting a New Job? Making the Most of Your Orientation Period

As a new employee, you’re probably excited for the opportunity to show your skills and value as a professional. As tempting as it can be to independently tackle as much as you can in a new position to showcase your fit, getting ahead of yourself with excitement can sometimes backfire. When starting a new job, the first few days are extremely important because they set the tone for what kind of employee you’ll become with time and experience.

Especially if you are working on short-term assignments and switch jobs often as a result, it’s important to develop a strategy for tackling the first couple of days within a role. So how do you set yourself up for success? Here are a few simple steps to start with:

Be a sponge

While it may seem slightly counterintuitive to sit back on your first day, this can help you focus on absorbing all of the information that you can. Setting yourself up for success seems like it would entail engaging in your job requirements at full force; however, in your first few days, it’s actually best to take notes and listen rather than try to jump in.

There is always a learning curve to every job and every business does things a little differently from the other. Before your first day, designate a notebook for all of the new information being given to you within your orientation period and take notes throughout the first few weeks. Even if you’re scribbling down information at lightning speed, you’ll be able to review your materials later and digest the information at your own pace.

Ask questions of the right person

While some companies may set you up with a supervisor or someone to whom you can go for information, some do not. Be sure to locate the person who can answer your questions to the best of their abilities, and if they can’t, they probably will be able to point you in the direction of someone who can.

Asking questions is the best way to learn about your new workplace, colleagues, and responsibilities. It’s normal to feel a bit nervous when asking questions, but this is just part of starting a new job, and your supervisor will observe you taking an interest in succeeding.

Understand exactly what your role entails 

One of the most difficult parts of starting a new job is feeling out your unique place within the business. The first step is to understand your supervisor’s expectations of you and your produced work. Once you know where you need to be, then you can work towards getting there. Looking to senior members of the team can serve as a reference point—for a start, observe what others are doing and how they handle their workload and interact with colleagues.

For those engaged in short-term roles, one of the most difficult aspects is that they may be required to hit the ground running. It can be tempting to try and leap into a mountain of work to demonstrate a “can-do” attitude, but exhibiting focus and the willingness to learn can prove to be even more useful in the long run. Sometimes, temp jobs can turn into permanent positions—and your ability to absorb information may set you apart from others in the running for that position.