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People form their first impressions of you within just 7 seconds...
First impressions are powerful, and you’ve clearly made a great impression during the interview process if you’ve secured yourself a new role. So how do you continue to impress your new employers and colleagues once you’ve set foot into the office?
According to the experts, people form their first impressions of you within just 7 seconds. We all know how to make a great first impression; dress smartly, smile at everyone you meet, be friendly etc. But whilst first impressions are important, it’s what you do after that really matters. The first impression gets you the job; the lasting impression is what gets you noticed, valued and promoted.
It’s not just about working hard either. Most of us spend the majority of our waking day with our work colleagues, so becoming a valuable team member and being someone people actually enjoy working with is important.
Introduce yourself to people directly interfacing with your job, including those you may not normally interact with. It creates a great first impression and enables you to start making connections and building relationships. You will also have a network of people you can reach out to if you ever need assistance, which is especially useful whilst you’re learning the ropes in your new role.
If you’re working remotely, email or message your new colleagues asking them to have a virtual coffee. Ask them questions about their work, and what they do, as well as their hobbies and interests. You might find someone who is passionate about the same things! It won't be long before you’re integrated with the team and no longer feel like the ‘newbie’.
Rather than creating a ‘to-do’ list every day, utilise your calendar by scheduling in daily repeating reminders for tasks. From day 1 you will have your repeated tasks already set in your diary. Put aside time in your day for administrative things like paperwork and emails, as well as check-in’s with your team. This helps you prioritise your workload, and break up your day into smaller tasks to achieve.
Within your first week proactively arrange 3 review periods after your first 30, 60, and 90 days. This demonstrates that you are dedicated to your development from day 1, and gives you an opportunity to gain feedback on areas you’re excelling in and any that you need more work on. It creates a precedent of having goals to work towards, and enables your line manager to support you in achieving them.
This builds on the first tip by allowing you to get to know your new colleagues outside of the working environment, in a more informal and personal setting. You’ll build stronger relationships, which is important because you spend most of your time during the day with your work colleagues. Aim to make at least one new friend every week and you’ll be on track to becoming a valuable team member in the organisation.
Visualisation is a great tool for self-improvement and success. Write down your goals and what you want to achieve during your first 3 months from a personal point of view. Spending just 5 -10 minutes each morning visualising what you want to achieve helps you focus and set your intentions for the day.
There is lots of research that showcases the power of visualisation, but it’s understandable to be sceptical as it isn’t something we can quantify. One key way visualisation works is by building your internal motivation to achieve your desired outcomes. As a result, you will start to more consciously take actions that will help you succeed in your new role.
Whether you are starting a new job, or looking to boost your career, implementing some of the steps above will help you succeed. Having a plan in place with clear goals and aspirations gives you something to strive towards, and regular checkpoints will help you to keep on track.
Resources
https://www.jackcanfield.com/blog/visualize-and-affirm-your-desired-outcomes-a-step-by-step-guide/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01750.x
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