Naiman Labs Newsletter #51. First impressions last

Hi friends! I am happy to see you subscribed to my weekly newsletter.

Last week, my family visited me in Dubai, and I decided to focus on family time, so we had 1 week newsletter break.

Today, I want to talk about setting in for a new job. Imagine you have spent weeks job hunting and finally got your offer, and it’s time to start. Is the hardest part over?

Having been in HR and management consulting for years and having changed several jobs myself, I can confidently say that the first couple of weeks at your new job are critically important. They set the tone.

Recently I have joined a new company after being in job search for 2,5 months and I reminded myself about the importance of the first few weeks and the on-boarding in general.

🎯 Key objectives of the first few weeks at a new job are

1. Make a good impression

2. Settle in and get comfortable and productive in the new environment

3. Become productive quickly

   3.a. Pave the way for the future success.

Usually, the workload in the first few days is relatively light, so it is a perfect time to settle in.

This is how I approach the first weeks at the new job (I try to follow these steps myself, and I have always recommended taking these steps with the new joiners).

📖 Step 1. Learn to play by the rules.

Every company has its own rules (written and unwritten) and policies. One of your first tasks at a new job should be to get familiar with those rules.

Read what you can, prepare a set of questions you want to ask, and ask your manager, HR team, or admin team when you can. Don't treat it as a formality - it's good to know the company's leave policies, mobility approach, security policy, career development approach, and more. We often overlook this and miss some good opportunities to make our lives more comfortable.

🎯 Step 2. Plan the plan

Judging by my own experience, it is easy to get lost in your first weeks. You might not have a clear set of tasks yet, you might not be aware about the projects to work on. The best solution here is to set your first 30-60-90 days plan.

Together with your line manager, come up with the plan.

ProTip 1: Ask your manager about the top items on their agenda and discuss how you can contribute.

ProTip 2: The first weeks are primarily about learning, so it is good to discuss the key skills you both think are important for you to develop and focus on.

🪑 Step 3. Get comfortable.

Many don’t pay attention to this step, but I find it very important to prepare all the tools and processes. And the trick here is you can do for yourself as much as the company can provide for your comfort.

Here’s my checklist to start at the new workspace:

• Set the profile in corporate messengers (Slack / MS Teams / Telegram, whatever you use)

• Make a folder or a space for taking work-related notes.

  • ProTip: I check if I have some relevant resources in my notes that I can refresh to set the tone for my work.

• I get good tools I like to work with: a laptop, stand, mouse and keyboard.

  • ProTip: I also find a new notebook and a new pen very inspiring when I start a new project or a new job 🤩

By the way, a good friend of mine and a professional fitness trainer recommended a laptop stand (I have never even thought about this), and that was a real game changer. It helped me with my posture. And my neck and shoulders feel so much better now!

🤝 Step 4. Know your people

This is crucial. If I had to select one step, I would choose this one.

Your key objective in your first weeks at a new job is to know the people and ensure they know you.

This is my approach and what I recommend to new joiners to get to know people as quickly and efficiently as possible.

• Together with your manager, make a list of the most important people you need to meet within your first few days at work.

• Add more people to this list, and make sure you meet at least some people from every team in your first month. You need to get a feeling for who does what in your company.

• I also find it very useful to add a key point I would like to discuss with them so I know why I want to meet them now and can get some questions prepared

  

  my on-boarding meetings list

• I also like having some questions prepared in advance; There’s no need to have many of them, just 3-4 questions:

  • What is their role in the company

  • How you can collaborate

  • How you can help them

  • When is it crucial for you to work together

Bonus tip to help you blend in:

Don't ignore social events. Some people consider social events at work unnecessary and time-consuming without any additional value. However, creating bonds with your teammates is crucial, so don't ignore coffee invitations, invite people for a chat, and don't skip all-hands meetings, on-boarding sessions, or welcome coffee/drinks.

That’s it for today, I wish you a great week ahead and in case you start a new job any time soon, take these points to action and you won’t regret it!

Things I love this week

• I already mentioned how surprisingly helpful a laptop stand is. Thanks to my ex-colleague advice, I got this Nillkin laptop stand (great price and quality).

• I continue working on a Comprehensive Job Hunting Guide that can help you with the job search process. It is almost done, stay tuned 😉 

More content from me

👔 My LinkedIn - more insights from my professional life, news and research

📱My Instagram - videos and posts on career and productivity

✍️ My Medium - deep dive long-reads about career, work, and productivity

Want to support my project? ☕️ Buy me a coffee

🚀 Products and templates to boost your career (coming soon)