This post is co-authored by Jessica Brunelle. She is currently a resident of New York City and has a passion for helping others develop their careers and providing proven actionable advice. You can read more from her on Medium.
You just got a new job. Congrats! In the middle of COVID, finding the right gig can be quite an adventure. You’re probably relieved and excited to get started. Starting a new position or joining a new company is a process all on its own. Some often refer to this process as “drinking from a fire hose.”
Starting on the path often involves a lot of learning. Not only are you trying to figure out what you’re supposed to be doing, but you’re also navigating a different workplace and deciphering how this whole puzzle works. This process will have significant implications for your level of fulfillment as well as your fiscal future.
Building a strong foundation for your time in this position (or company) starts on Day 1. With all the information that will be coming your way, having a process or template as your guide can be essential for staying on track.
Role Goals
Understanding the goals and priorities of your role is number one. Stepping foot into any working environment there are going to be many different projects you could be working on. You should be spending more time understanding what’s important to your manager and the business than testing out productivity tools.
You can perform at a high level, take on new initiatives, and execute like crazy. The truth is that if the business doesn’t value these initiatives that you noticed, it’s less likely to help you when it comes to promotion or raise time.
During your initial one on ones with your manager get clarity about the 3-5 big goals for your role for the next 12 months. This should be the North Star for your work and one on one’s moving forward.
Onboarding Remotely
The recipe for success in remote onboarding is structure, consistent check-ins and patience with yourself. It’s easy to take for granted how much you learn and absorb in a new role just by sitting next to a peer or walking to the kitchen with your boss.
Remote onboarding and working is tough and, even for company’s with the most sophisticated remote onboarding programs, it’s likely that you will learn and adapt slower than you would if you were face-to-face. Give yourself some grace and acknowledge this upfront.
WIth that in mind, approach onboarding with intentionality – check-in weekly to make sure your schedule aligns with the North Star of the role and includes a regular check-in with your manager. This consistency and structure should enable you to ask questions that will likely pile up over the week – whether that’s missing context on a project or who to go to for what, make sure you have a way to get your questions answered as you have them so you avoid feeling blocked and stuck.
Equally as important, look for ways to be social with your team and peers. Hopefully this is something the company has programs for but, if not, this could be just setting up time (with little to no agenda) with people you work with just for the purposes of getting to know them better. Finding commonality with your coworkers, even through a video screen, will make tougher days a little easier and overall make your work more meaningful.
Find Your Mentors
Although your direct manager is hopefully a coach to you and someone you can learn from, it’s just as important to find champions outside of your manager. If finding a mentor sounds intimidating, just remember to keep it simple.
As you attend meetings, work on projects and get to understand the dynamics of your new company, keep a list of people that impress you and why. It could be that you notice a person is an expert in an area you want to learn more about.
Perhaps you admire the way a person carries themselves when talking with senior leadership. It could be as simple as someone is a few steps ahead on the career path you envision for yourself.
No matter the reason, all that’s important is that you’re clear on the people that impress you and you know what you want to learn from them. When you’re in person in the office, getting time with a potential mentor can happen more organically but don’t let remote work be an excuse to put this off.
If you prioritize reaching out to that list in the first 6 months of your new role, most people, especially those that are more senior, are likely to accept – gotta welcome the newbie!
When you secure a meeting, no need to formally ask if they would be your mentor (this isn’t prom!) – respect their time, keep it as casual as you can for a video call and, if the conversation flows, ask for consistency – in this day and age, that’s a recurring meeting invite.
Building a mentor relationship doesn’t happen overnight – it takes time and trust but it’s worth it to have champions outside your direct manager, especially when it comes to career development.
Write It Down
Whether it’s your first job or your tenth job, you’re likely to have numerous observations about how things are done a certain way. You think back to a different experience and wonder if it would be easier to apply that approach to the team you’re on.
If you’re paying attention, these thoughts are likely to occur daily for the first few months of the job. Interrupting your peers every time you have one of these observations is going to exhaust everyone.
Write down these thoughts as they occur. As you progress through this initial time within your role, you might find that something that was out of place, makes sense now. You’ll also likely find that many things didn’t make sense when you wrote them down then, and they still don’t. Prioritize them in significance to your role’s goals and impact to the business.
Love Bank
Within any role you have over the course of your career, there are going to be peaks and valleys. You’ll have days where you wonder, “What the heck am I doing here?” You may be doing work that is thankless or you may feel like you’re hitting your head up against the wall. A little trick to help you during these times is called a Love Bank.
A Love Bank is an email folder that keeps all the flattering notes you receive over time from your co-workers (or even friends). When you’re having a tough day, this is a great go-to to keep your spirits up.
Going through a battle with self-confidence? Refer to your Love Bank to get a little pep in your step. It’s such a simple tactic and you might be surprised by how well it works.
Benefits
One of the biggest perks of working for someone else is the tangible benefits that come with the gig. Depending on the size and type of your company, you’re going to have different types of benefits at your disposal that add to the salary you’re already receiving. It’s up to you to use them to your advantage.
401(k)
Using tax-advantaged accounts is one of your best investment strategies. Having an employer typically gives you access to one of the most common ones, a 401(k). A general rule of thumb is to contribute at least enough to get the match from your employer. It’s literally free money. Depending on the rest of your investment strategy, you can contribute up to $19,500 in 2021.
You’ll also want to familiarize yourself with the bank your company uses along with the fees included. If you love to nerd out, you can find details in your company’s handbook. You can also leverage technology, FeeX is a great tool to inform you if the fees are excessive.
If the fees are high and there is no match, it’s likely worth moving onto a Traditional or Roth IRA.
PTO
At this point, there have been various approaches to giving employees time off. Some companies will let you carry over time from year to year allowing you to build a bank of hours, sometimes with a limit. More recently, you may have come across the recent trend of “Unlimited PTO” which is a fancy way of saying we never want to pay out PTO.
Why is it worth paying attention to? It’s that last sentence. If you leave an employer with a positive amount of PTO accumulated, you will likely get paid out your hourly rate. Even though using your PTO to have a healthy work/life balance is recommended, it’s also worth paying attention to for that day you decide to make a change.
If you do work for an employer that utilizes “Unlimited PTO”, research says you’ll use less PTO than traditional time-off programs. How’s that for “unlimited?!
Have the conversation with your manager early on to understand what’s expected so you can feel comfortable with taking those much needed breaks. If it still feels ambiguous, talk with a few peers on your team to gain a greater understanding.
EAP
Many companies will offer Employee Assistance Programs. Maybe you’ve heard of this and just thought it was for mental health counseling. However, there are many other benefits where an EAP can not only provide tangible benefits but also save your wallet in the process.
EAP has expanded into assistance with things like medical advocacy assistance, legal/financial resources, life coaching, and more. Again, refer to your company’s resources to understand what is at your disposal.
To note, any of the services that you engage with is separate from your employer giving you privacy when you encounter challenging situations.
ESPP
Is your company publicly traded? If so, there’s a good chance they have an Employee Stock Purchase Program. ESPPs provide a way for employees to buy company stock at a discounted price, typically at a 15% discount.
It’s easily one of the best financial tools to use when you have access. Many of the programs allow you to sell the stock immediately upon purchase. Your taxes will be higher when doing so, but you’re getting a risk-free return on your money which doesn’t exist in public markets. ESPPs can be a bit tricky to understand. One of the authors walks through the math here.
Take Action
Getting a new job is an exciting stage in many of our lives and having a plan will increase opportunities within your career path as well as your personal wealth. Take the time to make a plan and use these methods and tools to your advantage.
