One of the blogs I read regularly is The Art of Manliness. I forget where I first found it, but it is a great blog. Great advice for men, teen boys, and anyone else looking to become a well-rounded person. And it avoids the sexual angle that is so prevalent on so many other “lad-blogs.”
Anyway, this week, I finally got around to reading their article on your first day and week at a new job: Hit the Ground Running: How to Ace Your First Day and First Week at a New Job. Here’s a summary of the main points (and my thoughts on one of them)
1. Before your first day
Do your research
Set out what you need the night before
Brush up on your business etiquette
Dress for success
Aim to arrive ten minutes early
Carry yourself with confidence
Take the initiative in introducing yourself
Take notes
2. How to Ace the First Week
Ask lots of questions
Listen, observe, and research
Decorate your space
Set up a calendar
Create a to-do list notebook
Don’t talk about how things used to be done at your old job
Send your first Friday Update
That last one is one I really like. A Friday Update. The article says
The Friday Update is a short email that “functions to communicate your progress and the status of your current projects and tasks.” Here’s what they [Bennington and Lineberg] recommend including in the update:
Accomplishments this week
Challenges or stumbling blocks (areas where you need direction or input)
Noteworthy opportunities, suggestions, and insights
Issues that need your boss’s input or approval
Your schedule and goals for the coming week
I work on a 5 person team spread out geographically (and in different timezones). My supervisor/boss isn’t in the same country as me. I really like this idea to summarize what I did and what I plan to do. I think I’m going to start doing that.
Image from slworking2 via flickr