Five Things You Didn’t Know About Job Transition

Now that you have landed that new job, there is still some work to do in this job transition process so that you will enhance your performance and move towards your career goals. This can be a new organization or a new role in your current organization.

We all have a tendency to “take ourselves with us, wherever we go.” And this happens with work. It’s important to keep an open mind and to observe your new environment, in order to be able to distinguish what belongs to the organization and what belongs to you.

Some steps to take in your new job

1. Let your network know about your new job. This may sound obvious, but many forget to let anyone with whom they connected, along with their network, know about the change. This is big news! People like to help others, and they like to hear when their efforts have paid off.
2. Let any recruiters you might have been working with know about your new job transition.
3. Get to know the organization- any organization has its own informal way of doing things, what is sometimes called: “The Unwritten Rules of the Game.” Make it a point to understand how things really work; what the informal organization chart looks like. This may call for some diplomacy and tact, so ease into this task. Some people who are more visually oriented will even draw out this informal organization chart.
4. Get to know the others- and let them get to know you. Especially if your office or work area is isolated from the others, get out and talk to your fellow workers. Of course there are professional limits to this around how much time you should be spending in this. This is a good time to be an information sponge, to be a good listener, as well as an effective communicator. Remember that first impressions count, and you will be making many of them in your new role.
5. Review your long term plans- this new job is a different vantage point for you. Take the time to reconsider your personal vision, and how this job can advance you along the path to achieving your vision. And consider your new organization’s vision- how aligned are you with the organization’s vision?

Congratulations!