You gave interviews, got the offer, negotiated the salary and finally landed a job. That’s awesome! This job could give you a kick start in your career. But whether you’re a fresh graduate or an experienced professional, starting a new job is scary. You’re supposed to follow the company’s culture, dress code, and professional etiquette. However, it’s the company’s responsibility to help you feel comfortable in the new workplace but a lot of your success also depends on your ability to navigate the norms of your workplace.

The first day at the office is important as it can establish your reputation in front of the boss and colleagues. Building a good reputation matters most, so here are a few tips shared by our community members to get the most out of your new job.

Top Tips for Starting a New Job

1. Read your job description, ask questions about it and make sure you are clear on your role in your team/department. The first few days are for you to understand the team dynamics. 
2. Observe your colleagues, leads, and surroundings for the first few weeks. Observe them and take the proper time to respond. Don’t jump to conclusions very soon. 
3. Whatever you do, do it to the BEST of your ability. 
4. Wear whatever you want just keeping in mind a sense of decorum, that’s all.
5. Mind your own business and focus on your work.
6. Go slow and don’t kill yourself with overwork. Because work never gets less, it keeps on growing so if you often work overtime, you will have a bad burnout.
7. Learn from your surroundings. Learn as much as you can about the domain. Be open to learning and getting to know the place.
8. Be proactive – step up and be a fierce ownership demonstrator. Take ownership from start to end.
9. Keep your mouth closed, eyes and ears open. Speak only for good and participate in meaningful conversations.
10. Don’t call anyone sir or ma’am, call people by their first name.
11. Don’t gossip, even if you hear things, just nod and smile. Keep yourself away from negativity and gossip. 
12. Don’t bad mouth your colleagues to anyone, even if they are doing it, they will go around and say that you were badmouthing them since you’re new. Never discuss your family problems, avoid office politics and most importantly never bitch about anyone to anyone.
13. If you are hired in a male dominant working environment; do not equate humility with accepting EVERY task around you. Both things are polar opposites!
14. Newly hired girls are the easiest targets for lazy peeps to delegate their own minute to huge tasks because they usually accept it out of courtesy, jump over and offer to handle it, or don’t know how to refuse in a subtle manner. Remember, favor only works occasionally and not daily.
15. Try to take things in black and white especially if your work is dependent on someone.
16. Don’t take your problems to lead, always try to go to them with your problem and possible efforts which you did to overcome that problem/issue. Taking your issues every time without any effort to resolve them, make them feel that you lack initiative. 
17. Enjoy the liberty of being able to make mistakes, you’re a newbie, and mistakes are the best way to learn.
18. Run for excellence, not appreciation and soon you’ll find yourself at far better place others wish for.
19. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask as many questions as you can early on after a while you will be expected to know stuff and won’t be able to ask many. Remember, no question is ever wrong nor embarrassing. Ask as much as you can. It will teach you plus help you to understand the culture and work environment around.
20. UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE. It’s important that you know what, why and how your boss reacts to. Just understand the person. That’s it.
21. Don’t get dominated by anyone except leads/managers. Many colleagues will try to run you over. Don’t let them.
22. Take on projects that highlight you in front of top management, CEO and senior management. Being MOC (Management of Change) at company events once or twice helps with that.
23. Never stay over time unless it’s absolutely necessary due to some highly prioritized tasks. Staying late is a habit majorly practiced by male colleagues who BRAG about staying late at the office as ‘dedication and performance measure’ and mock female colleagues (especially newbies) when they leave at standard office timing. They will state it as ‘culture of the department/company’ or ‘absolute requirement’. 99% of such people habitually arrive late, start working late, take longer breaks than the allocated time, sing songs of overtime in-front of seniors as productive performance. Such fellas stay late to avoid evening traffic rush hours, to avoid load shedding at home, to pass fasting hours during Ramzan & sometimes to avoid family back home.
24. Make a habit of arriving by the given time, leaving exactly at the standard time & submitting your task within standard hours, so even seniors can’t drag you unnecessarily and know your work punctuality from the early days.
25. Never take your official task to home or commit working on it at home or respond to official calls or emails during weekend hours. People expect you as 24/7 available when you make such commitments regularly & misuse one’s commitment.
26. Also; maintain a good professional relationship with people from different departments as well. Don’t pay heed to a controlling boss over this matter who tries to limit your communication & advice you otherwise. A turtle shell behavior can cost a lot like a ‘poor networking’ problem later in the career.
27. Never say, you don’t know how to do something. Always say yeah I learn to do it.
28. Be yourself and get to know your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Start planning around those and how you’ll deliver.
29. Absorb, enjoy and don’t overexert yourself with being too conscious of what others are thinking.
30. Observation will and should be your key teacher. Try not to be overly friendly nor within yourself.
31. Your mental peace and health is always the first priority. Don’t sacrifice them at any cost.
32. It’s not the last place if you can adjust that’s awesome, if not then getaway.

You can start off your new job with these tips, which are contributed by the members of the #WomenInTechPK community. If you want to share any tips, please write down in the comments and we’ll add it in the post. Also, do let us know how much this post helps with your new job. 

Additionally, WomenInTechPK provides women access to home-based and onsite work opportunities and assisting them in navigating the professional world by giving them an open and safe discussion forum.

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