A new job can be an exciting and daunting thing, especially if it’s in a position to which you’ve always aspired. Getting off to a good start generally means making a positive impression on those around you, familiarising yourself with the technical details of the work itself, and avoiding ruffling feathers.
Be aware of the most annoying habits
According to research commissioned by instantprint, a Rotherham-based printing company that creates flyers, leaflets, and posters, almost eight million workers in the UK have had to work alongside a person who annoyed them every day. If you’re that annoying person, then you might find your progress impeded.
The most often-cited annoying habits are poor personal hygiene, smelly food, frequent smoking breaks, whistling, and lateness. All of these are to be avoided, but lateness is particularly egregious. We’ll get back to it later.
Make an effort with your new colleagues
Being technically accomplished isn’t enough to get you ahead in the world of work. You’ll also need social skills to be able to interact with those around you and to form part of an effective team. If this doesn’t come naturally to you, then this might require a bit of bravery – but it’ll be worth it in the long-term.
If you’ve put in the groundwork, and your colleagues have categorised you as a reasonable person with whom they can solve a problem in a collaborative, informal way, then you’ll make things that much easier when challenges arise in the future.
Be professional
Some modern workplaces are more relaxed than others. You might find yourself meeting on sofas rather than in conference rooms. But that doesn’t mean that you need to behave as though you’re in the pub. Moderate your language, treat everyone courteously, and behave like the sort of person who’s indispensable to the company.
Have good time management
A lack of punctuality can create knock-on effects for everyone in the business. But time management goes beyond turning up on time. It’ll mean prioritising your workload independently and managing the time you have available. Developing this skill will protect you from getting snowed under when the work begins to pile up.
Mind your own business
Any given office will be fraught with cliques and complicated politics that stretches back for years. The more involved you are in this sort of thing, the more likely it is to distract you, limit your productivity, and ultimately make you enemies that you don’t need.
If you notice that a colleague is doing their job in a way that you can’t see the sense of, then just keep doing you and leave them to it, unless you’re responsible for them. The exception here occurs when you see something unethical, immoral, or illegal going on.
