Here at LinkMe we've been hearing about many of your success stories and thought it timely to talk about settling into your new job effectively. Firstly congratulations - starting a new job can be a mix of excitement yet also a time of trepidation! The reasons for accepting the job may vary from career progression, increased salary, challenge, location etc but whatever the reason you will want to make a lasting first impression. Generally the first impression a person forms about you will influence the future of your relationship with that person.

Getting off to a great start

• Begin by understanding the priorities of your boss, as well as their expectations of you
• Make sure you understand the culture of the organisation, its style and its way of doing business
• Establish positive relationships with your new colleagues and develop good communication habits to maintain those relationships
• Maintain commitments and meeting deadlines and develop a reputation for producing tangible results
• Keep track of your accomplishments and contributions
• Create short term and long range goals and work towards implementing them

The first few months

Your actions in the first few months can have a disproportionate impact on your ultimate success or failure. Because in the early stages of your new job you may not be fully familiar with the company nor have developed solid internal relationships and a personal support system it can also be a period of vulnerability. Your new boss, peers and other key external stakeholders are all forming early impressions that will powerfully shape their expectations and actions, either enlarging or restricting your scope of actions. If you build momentum during the transition you can use this to propel you throughout your tenure with the organisation.

Essentials for a successful transition

Starting a new job can present a demanding set of challenges. You will be required to acquire knowledge quickly and in some cases 'hit the ground running', establish new working relationships and manage expectations. To meet these challenges it is helpful to have a framework for planning and prioritizing your actions. It is important to identify potential pitfalls and diagnose unique challenges of your new situation. To enhance your success try and adopt the following guidelines:

• Leverage your time before starting in your new job
• Organise to learn
• Secure early wins
• Lay a foundations for making improvements
• Build winning coalitions
• Create a personal vision of the future of the organisation
• Demonstrate energy, enthusiasm and commitment.

If all that sounds daunting - it doesn't have to be! Remember you got the job because you were the best person for the job; that in itself should be a confidence and ego booster for you. This is your opportunity to build upon your skills and accomplishments, develop new networks and shine as you utilise the skills and experience you have acquired to date. Oh yes and one last point - don't forget to change your LinkMe status to 'Not looking but happy to talk' as a smart 'careerist' should always be happy to talk about potential career opportunities.

Best of luck and let us know how you go!!!