I want to be the "great addition to the team" they think they're getting.

Metroid Baby — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:04:40 -0800

Generally speaking, what can I do in the first day/week/month of a new job to make sure I get off on the right foot? Specifically speaking, how can I present myself as a smart interesting capable professional, and not a shy nervous slacker? I’ll be starting a new job in a few weeks. (I’d prefer not to give the details of what I’ll be doing – suffice it to say it’s a full time job in an office.) I’m excited, certainly, but I’m also a little nervous. I know how exciting shiny new jobs can sometimes turn into dull boring crappy jobs, and I want to avoid that if it’s possible. I know I can’t control whether the coffee sucks or my new boss is mean, but if there’s anything I can do that will help make a good impression – without coming across as a brownnoser - I’d like to hear it.

There are a couple things that I will probably have to overcome from the start. For starters, I’m shy and tend not to chat with coworkers particularly often. At some of my past jobs, I’ve thought, “well, I’ll make friends here eventually” and it never really happened. (My performance review at the job I’m leaving had two separate reviewers explicitly mention that I needed to socialize more.) I don’t want or need to go out drinking with work buddies every night, but on the other hand I want to appear approachable and likeable.

Additionally, given the choice, I tend to slack. Over the years I’ve gotten better about getting everything done, but I’m still as likely to be checking my personal email or drawing cartoons on my notepad as actually doing my work. I know it’s a good idea to ask for additional work if I don’t have anything on my plate, but when I have downtime the very last thing I want to do is reorganize all my file folders. This habit tends to get worse if I am bored/dissatisfied with work. It’s easier for me to control the slacking habit from the beginning than to try and reverse it when it’s in full swing, but regardless, procrastination usually wins in the end, so I’d like to head it off at the pass.

Finally – and this is probably my biggest hurdle – I am pretty scared that I’m going to blow this somehow. I’m worried I’m going to get there and be outed as a dum-dum, or that I’ll be too far behind the learning curve to be useful. My future bosses obviously think I’m smart and capable enough, but I’m having a hard time believing it myself.

I suppose that I need to convince myself I’m a fantastic addition to the company as much as or more than I need to convince my new coworkers. I’d greatly appreciate input on how to do both. I want this experience to be awesome and I want to be awesome at what I do.

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I want to be the "great addition to the team" they think they're getting.