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Special Reports
Recruiting And Training
Consultant: Employees Must Fit In
There are several things a new employee can do to fit in while they are
learning their new job duties and their new company's culture, says a business consultant. "First day/first
job jitters are totally normal, says Barbara Pachter. "It helps to remember that no one expects you to come
in and know everything at once. Focus on learning all you can and making a good impression."
Her suggestions:
1. Be on time. You'll look uninterested and inconsiderate of others when you show up late. You want to arrive on
time for work or to attend a meeting - and being early is even better.
2. Dress appropriately. It's not enough to look professional for the interview. You need to look like a professional,
whether in business or business casual clothing, every day. Your clothes need to fit, be clean and pressed. Look
at what successful people in your company are wearing. You can usually model yourself after them.
3. Greet people. You usually don't know a lot of people when you are first starting a job, yet that is not a reason
not to greet them. A young sales representative was horrified to learn that the man he barely acknowledged in the
elevator was the company's CEO. As you walk the hallways, stand in the lunch line, or ride the elevator, make an
effort to say "hi" or "good morning" to your co-workers. And if someone says hello to you,
you have to say hello back. It's not optional.
4. Do more than expected of you. Naturally it's important to do your job and do it well, but you also want to get
noticed. Doing more than expected of you is one way to have others see you as a competent person. One young woman
would ask her supervisor, "Is there anything I can do to help you?" She has moved quickly up the corporate
ladder.
5. Don't advertise your inexperience. You want people to view you as a capable person and reminding them of your
inexperience creates a different image. Also do not negate compliments. If someone says you did a good job, say,
"Thank you."
6. Listen to others. You can't learn what others know when you're talking. Listen more than you speak. Eventually
though, if you don't speak up, you can become invisible. Just make sure that when you do speak, you don't sound
like a know-it-all. Your questions need to be relevant and your comments worthwhile.
7. Take business social situations seriously. Activities held outside the office, such as dinners in restaurants,
holiday parties or meetings at conferences, are still business and your behavior matters. Attend, mingle and don't
get drunk. You will meet more people and learn more about your company when you do.
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