- 1 - Find a mentor! 🧙♂️
- 2 - Use online resources 👨🏻💻
- 3 - Take the initiative 🏃🏻♂️
If you constantly broaden your knowledge, it makes your thinking more flexible and creative and also makes you more attractive to a potential employer.
When you decide to change your career path and find your dream job, the most difficult situation is when on the first day you get to know your responsibilities and you realize that you have never done anything like this before. Thus everything is new: not only the work environment, colleagues, and the company itself, but also the daily tasks we are accountable for. It can undoubtedly be a stressful situation. So how to control this overflow of new information, absorb the knowledge quickly, and get rid of the fear that we will not cope with our duties?
Above all, do not get discouraged! Each of us has been in a similar situation at least once in our life. Below you will find a few proven tricks that will be useful during your first weeks of work and will make it easier for you to learn new skills and give you the courage to act:
1 - Find a mentor! 🧙♂️
Many companies assign a mentor to their new employees, the so-called buddies who, in the beginning, are there to help newcomers to find themselves in the company: they will introduce you to the team, show you your desk and explain the essence of your duties. Usually, it is a person in a similar or higher position, who has been working in the company for some time and can share some interesting information about it. This is a smart way to gain useful skills and learn about proven ways to solve problems. It is also a patent for faster assimilation of duties - an experienced colleague will answer your questions, advise and, above all, support you. If we only listen carefully to their good advice and take it, under the wings of our buddy, we should get into new responsibilities much faster, and at the same time, win the company to drink the coffee with, and maybe - who knows - a soul mate.
More experienced colleagues can also be good mentors who will skillfully guide your professional career and advise you in choosing your development path. A mentor is usually a person who has already achieved a lot in his or her field, so can be an excellent guide, teacher, and advisor. A well-chosen patron will be happy to share the knowledge with you and develop your potential. At best, if you establish a proper and long-term professional relationship, you have a chance to become your mentor’s right-hand or even a successor.
2 - Use online resources 👨🏻💻
This method has been known for years and due to the current epidemiological situation became extremely popular. The variety and level of e-learnings are really high today, and their scope is wide, so we can easily find training on basically any topic that interests us. Usually, companies offer courses for their employees that are tailored to the tasks they perform on a daily basis, to help them understand and improve their work as much as possible. Such workshops are usually free, last an hour, and can be really helpful in understanding the essence of a process or internal procedure. In the end, you usually have a short test to check that you have correctly understood and assimilated the training material. Don't worry - this is not an exam, no one will give you a grade for it - it is information visible only to you to track your progress.
Online training platforms that allow you to complete the workshop at your convenience and in due course can also be valuable. Depending on the level and scope, both free and paid courses can be found easily, and their completion often requires obtaining a certificate that confirms the acquisition of specific skills and passing the final test. Online workshops include audio and visual materials to create interesting and, most importantly, engaging content for the participant. Sometimes it is even possible to contact the course creator and the classmates to ask them for advice or help.
3 - Take the initiative 🏃🏻♂️
Be proactive and apply for new tasks, including even those not directly related to your daily responsibilities. It is a smart approach to learning new skills. For many reasons.
First, it is a chance to show your employer your best side, especially if you take on a job that others have rejected. In this way, you demonstrate that you are not afraid to leave your comfort zone, that you are a hardworking person and you are not afraid of new challenges. And this is undoubtedly a huge advantage and the occasion to score points with the boss from the very beginning.
Second, it's a great opportunity to expand your networking. In this way, you can get to know colleagues from other teams with whom you do not cooperate on a daily basis, as well as be a part of a project on which you would not have a chance to work in other circumstances. Treat it as an investment in your future - such contacts may prove useful in further projects, even after many years.
And remember to take your time. Do not put too much pressure on yourself to know everything right away, because it is simply impossible. Too much new information learned in a short time can be overwhelming. Also, allow yourself to make mistakes. In the beginning, everyone does it, and that is not a reason to feel ashamed.
When you start a new job and establish relationships with your colleagues, remember not to rest on your laurels. It is important to constantly broaden your horizons, acquire new skills and show initiative. This will not only bring tangible results like recognition and push your career forward but will also be a source of your personal satisfaction. Because nothing is as satisfying in a professional career as the awareness that we are constantly developing and not standing still in the same place.
