HOW TO SETTLE QUICKLY ON A NEW JOB
Yoruba people of South-Western Nigeria use to say what literally translates as, “you can only find job for someone, you can’t help him to do the job“. That is the absolute truth.
Whether through merit or “long leg”, getting a job is one thing, carrying out the job is another thing. Everyone gets excited on being given a new job, (except if it’s a demotion or a promotion that takes you away from a “cake”), but as the resumption day gets closer, the heart beats on how to carry out the job without getting thrown out, or failing on the job. This is more so where one is a first-time employee (entry level) or being assigned a new role entirely different from where one has experience. Make no mistake, this is not limited to lower level recruits alone, even highly experienced hires, as high as CEOs, get nervous on how to discharge their new responsibilities. A simple misstep can unmake anyone.
Here are the things everyone should do to overcome this fear.
1. Believe in yourself: Have at the back of your mind that people doing these jobs do not have two heads. They are human like you. If they can, why not you.
2. Think of old school mate or friend you think you’re smarter than who has done similar job satisfactorily: Think of an old friend or school mate that you think you were as good as but is fortunate to have gotten job or promotion before you, and did not fail on the job. This will give you confidence that if that friend can get work in X company and not sacked, you too can.
3. Go extra mile: Mental preparation, as the two points above recommend, is not sufficient. You have to go extra mile. You have to up your game as well. What extra skills do you think you will need to learn to make that you perform better in that job? Does the job involve having good writing or speaking skills? What is your strength in oral or written communication? If the job involves public speaking, you need to start learning the art; if it involves business writing, you need to start learning the art. Do you need to brush your knowledge of that industry? Go to the internet and read as many materials as possible to develop yourself. Going extra mile may also involve you coming on weekends to get the job done. All these you should do without anyone’s prompting.
4. Go informal: If it is entry level job, or some other lower level jobs, one quick way to settle quickly is to make friends with old employees in the company quickly. Have lunch together, ask questions informally on what operates in the company, and with respect to the job. If the person that held your new role is still in that company, make friend with him. Informality gives you more confidence. Sometimes this may even involve speaking the person over the phone even if he had left the company.
5. Don’t be overwhelmed: Look, it is only very few people that find new job very rosy from the word go. There will be knotty issues that will make you doubt whether you will be able to survive on this job. Maybe the previous holder of that role had left some mess in the job, and you have to clean it. Maybe that role was newly created and no historical record to help you. Maybe no one is ready to provide you with briefing or information to help you on the job. You are also likely going to make a couple of embarrassing errors that can dampen your confidence and batter your morale. Sometimes, you feel like running away. All these things are normal. All those high flyers also had such moments, so don’t think it is one witch from your village that is after you! Don’t be overwhelmed; think of it as something you will look back after 1 year and laugh off. Be calm. Never be overwhelmed.
