How to Make the Most of Your First Six Months on the Job
You’ve negotiated your pay, accepted your job offer and moved into a new apartment. You’re ready to start your first real job. Along with excitement, you’re probably feeling a bit nervous and maybe even wondering if they picked the right person for the job. Before you stress yourself out too much, remember that the company hired you for a reason. You have the qualifications and the potential to succeed in the role and hopefully grow with the company. However, it can still be helpful to have a list of things to think about your first six months on the job.
The First Month
Be friendly and have a positive attitude.
It sounds obvious, but being open to feedback and willing to take on any task with a smile is a must-have attitude for your first month on the job. This time period will include a lot of onboarding and you’ll experience a big learning curve, so it’s important to be positive even when things feel tough.
Takes notes and ask questions.
During your first month, it’s normal to have a lot of questions. Take notes while training so you’re not asking the same questions over and over, and also keep a list of running questions to ask. Check in with your supervisor about how they prefer to answer questions – they might find it helpful to meet with you periodically to answer your questions rather than answering them as they come up.
Observe the behavior of your coworkers in the office.
One of the most intimidating things of adjusting to a new job is navigating the office culture. Do people take long lunches every day, or do they eat at their desks? Do people freely talk in the office, or does most communication take place over Slack? Do people leave right at 5 p.m., or do they stay past 6? While you don’t need to do exactly what your coworkers do, it can be helpful to follow the status quo while you’re still new on the job.
Put in some extra time.
It’s not a great look to be the last one to get in and the first one to leave when you’re still new to the company. Depending on how late your boss works, it might not be realistic for you stay later than them every night, but observe how late your coworkers stay and try not to leave significantly sooner than them. As you settle in to the role, you might have more flexibility with your working hours, but play it safe to start.
Keep personal calls and social media to a minimum while working.
This doesn’t mean you can’t step out if you have to set up a doctor’s appointment or deal with a personal matter. But if possible, try to take care of personal calls before or after work, and avoid scrolling through social media. It might seem harmless to take a quick 5 minute break to check your Instagram, but your supervisor might notice if it starts to become a habit.
Be extremely detail-oriented.
It can be tough to create great work while you’re still learning the ropes, but you can take care to make sure everything you do is error-free. Whether you’re scheduling meetings, writing emails, researching, or writing code, double-check your work to create a good impression of working abilities. You don’t want the early feedback on your performance to center around constant errors and lack of attention to detail.
Connect with your coworkers.
Your first month is a great opportunity to get to know your coworkers. It’s totally natural to start a conversation with, “I’m new here. I would love to grab coffee or lunch to get to know you and find out more about how I can do my best working here!” Establishing those connections early on can not only help you build relationships with your coworkers, but provide you with valuable insight on navigating the company culture.
The First 2-6 Months
Talk to your supervisor about taking on additional projects or tasks.
It’s good to spend the first few months on the job getting comfortable with your responsibilities. But once you have a handle on things, it could be beneficial to volunteer for new initiatives or projects that come up. Keep in mind that the amount of extra work you could take on will probably depend on the kind of company you’re at. Large companies, for example, might prefer that you stick to your job responsibilities. Smaller companies or startups, however, could encourage you to branch out and work on additional projects. Before you bring up a new idea or volunteer for a project, be sure you talk to your supervisor about whether or not taking initiative is encouraged, and how much you can expect to move beyond your immediate tasks.
Get involved with employee resource groups or interest groups.
Once you’re settled in, consider joining any employee resource or interest groups your company offers. This can be a great way to connect with coworkers from different levels of seniority and can even help you find a mentor. From resource groups for women to intramural sports teams, this can help you form deeper connections than you would from just grabbing coffee.
Take advantage of any opportunities for professional development
Does your company offer skills training? Lunch-and-learns? Mentoring? Access to speakers or networking events? Taking advantage of these opportunities early-on can make you a stronger employee and increase your chances for a promotion or pay raise after your first year.
Check in with your supervisor about ways you can improve.
If your supervisor doesn’t already do this, you should request to check in every three months about what you’re doing well and what you can improve one. At the six month mark, it’s also worth asking what kinds of skills you need to acquire to progress within the company, and what is the typical timeline for promotions.
6 Months and Beyond
After the six month mark, you should feel comfortable and confident in your role. Depending on the trajectory at your company, you might be eligible for a promotion in another six months to a year, so be sure to check in with your supervisor about what that path looks like. Regardless of if you stay with the company for your next role, take this time to gain new skills and learn from people more experienced than you. Soon, you’ll be the one giving advice to entry-level employees on how to navigate their first job!
