I have been at my new job for a month today and after nine years at my old job it has been a different experience being part of a new team. Here are six things I learned this month that I figured were worth passing on.
Transition From “You” To “We” Quickly.
Early on in a conversation I asked someone “Why do you do it that way?” he politely corrected me to “Why do we do it that way”. Once you get your security card and email account you need to transition from a them to an us mentality.
Listen More Than You Talk.
If you know me you know how hard this is for me. A good friend told me a great analyst strives for an hour meeting to be 55 minutes of the customer describing their problem and 5 minutes of you asking important questions.
Find A Mentor.
If you are going to be successful you have to find someone to take you under their wing early and help you navigate your new environment. I have found a couple people at my new company I already feel comfortable asking for advice.
Ask dumb questions.
Don’t spend an hour trying to figure out how the copier works. Swallow your pride and ask someone how it works. Trust me.
Learn The Language.
My new job is TLA (Three Letter Acronym) heavy. The first week while I was in meetings I was just scribbling down every TLA I heard and at the end of the week I had 45 of them that were specific to my new job that I had never heard. Understanding them and being able to use them really helped me feel like I belong.
Admit You Don’t Know Everything.
My new job uses new technology and has different regulatory requirements from my old job and I am not up to speed on all of it yet. I have found an honest “I don’t know but I will try to find out” is all that needs to be said.
At the end of my first month my new job has a great culture and I am really enjoying my time in my first “start up” type company. Also I am now really good at Madden.
