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Starting a new job – or getting a new boss – is never easy.
If you are too relaxed, you may not be appreciated, but if you try too hard, they may think you are a sycophant.
LinkedIn career expert Charlotte Davies has revealed her tips for getting along with your new boss.
She told MailOnline: ‘Starting a new job can be stressful and it’s natural to want to make a positive impact from day one.
‘Making a good impression from the start will determine how you are perceived by both your manager and your colleagues.
Starting a new job – or getting a new boss – is never easy. If you’re too relaxed, you might not be appreciated, but if you try too hard, you might be thought of as a sycophant (Archive image)
LinkedIn career expert Charlotte Davies (pictured) has revealed her tips for getting along with your new boss
‘Come prepared and be prepared to ask intelligent, well-informed questions. Showing a willingness to listen, observe and learn, and also demonstrating your enthusiasm to get involved, will not go unnoticed.
‘No one expects you to know everything in the first few weeks of a new job, so embrace the challenges and take plenty of notes.’
Here are her top tips for making a good first impression in a new role, as well as one mistake to avoid…
Take the initiative
This is essential to make a good impression. It allows your team to see you as someone with a proactive and enthusiastic attitude and demonstrates your commitment to contributing positively in your new role.
Get to know your team by introducing them and see if they need support.
For example, see how you can independently get up to speed on an ongoing project or read up on a key client so you’re informed when it’s time to onboard.
This will demonstrate to your manager that there is no need to wait for instructions before taking action.
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Take advantage of every opportunity to network with key people by being present and participating in company meetings and social events.
It may seem easier to build connections and support networks at a small company, however, don’t be afraid to make yourself more visible in a larger organization by sending follow-up notes to people you meet to stay on their radar.
LinkedIn careers expert Charlotte Davies said people should take every opportunity to network with key people by being present and participating in company meetings and social events (stock image)
While it can be daunting to try to reach out to new connections initially, LinkedIn Premium features like InMail allow you to message someone outside of your network to ensure you build lasting relationships.
Set your manager’s expectations
Finding out in advance what your manager expects of you in your new role is key to making a good impression – leaving this too late can result in a disconnect when your probationary period ends.
Be sure to schedule a one-on-one meeting to discuss your responsibilities, your short- and long-term goals, and how your success will be measured.
Figuring out what your top priorities should be over the next three months will help you set realistic and achievable goals.
Having clear goals and focus will help you achieve results faster, which won’t go unnoticed by your new manager.
To help professionals better align with their managers’ expectations in a new role, LinkedIn is offering its Premium subscribers unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning courses like “How to Set Goals When Everything Feels Like a Priority.”
Request feedback
Asking for regular feedback during the first few months of your new role is essential to demonstrate that you are eager and willing to learn.
Don’t be afraid to ask your manager to meet periodically to discuss progress and actions that can be taken to improve performance.
It is important to come to these sessions prepared with questions and an open mind to ensure you are ready to receive constructive criticism and act on it.
Listen and learn
Spend the first few weeks in your new position learning the company culture and demonstrating that you’re willing to learn from your new colleagues.
While it’s great to share your ideas and be visible, demonstrating active listening and absorption during the first few days on the job can create a lasting positive impression.
The quickest way to get to know your new workplace is to ask questions so your colleagues know you’re eager to learn from them and value their ideas.
One thing to avoid…
While it’s natural to want to show enthusiasm and hit the ground running in a new role, taking on too much work from the start before settling in can do more harm than good.
If a colleague asks you for help with something, you should say yes, as long as you have the bandwidth to help them and finish your own work.
The risk of feeling overwhelmed means you may start rushing to complete the workload you’ve accumulated, which could affect the quality of work and impact how your new colleagues view your competence, trustworthiness and credibility.
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