Dig In…The First 90 Days
In Your New Job

You are starting a new job.  Underneath your excitement, fear of the unknown lingers.  You ask yourself if you made the right decision, if this job will be all that you think it will be, if this employer will value you, and if your former job is still available.  The decision to start a new job is a hard one.  Leaving the security of your old job…where you knew what to expect…may seem frightening at first. Set your fears and doubts aside.  A new job is the opportunity to start afresh and advance your career. The first 90 days at your new job will set the tone for the rest of tenure there.  Follow these steps to maximize your new opportunity and to master the first 90 days. 

Before you step through the door on your first day, you should take time to learn as much as you can about your new place of employment.  Search out information on your new company and ask for materials that will give you a feel for the work environment, the company’s products and services, and the company’s business agenda.   This will allow you to gain extra knowledge that may come in handy on the first day of work and throughout your tenure.

Your company should have an orientation to familiarize you with its policies.  If your company does not, take the initiative and orient yourself.  Ask questions about the departments and people with whom you will be working. Arrange meetings with those  with whom you will interact the most on the job.  Introduce yourself, and remember names.  Determine where you can find the resources you will need or where to find resources you may need in the future.

Remember that you have a chance to start with a clean slate.  Take time to reflect on your past jobs and experiences to determine what worked for you or did not work and why.  This will give you a chance to create a plan to maximize your strengths and downplay your weaknesses.  In doing so, you can acquire a reputation for honesty and integrity.  It is important to realize that you must earn this reputation.  Act with honesty and integrity in every situation…whether you are at work or outside of work.

Make sure that your clothes and behavior are sending the right message.  Dress conservatively.  You don’t want someone paying more attention to your clothes than your ideas.  Avoid behaviors that may be offensive to others, such as using profanity.  Be polite.  Although you should avoid office politics, do find ways to fit in and become a part of the team. 

Take the time to observe and understand the personalities and abilities of your co-workers, your supervisor and even those in other departments.  Invest time in forming relationships with your team members; learn their likes and dislikes, expectations, goals, and concerns. Treat everyone equally.  Involve your team members in your ideas and contributions.  This will quickly engender support and acceptance of you and your contributions from your peers as well as give you an opportunity to perfect your ideas and allow you to present a better contribution.  When presenting your finished product, give credit to those who helped you if it is a success.  If it fails, take the responsibility.  Speak in terms of “we,” “us,” and “the team.”  If you make a mistake, promptly take responsibility for it and don’t make the same mistake again.  These behaviors will gain you the acceptance and the support of your co-workers.

You may have brought with you a list of ideas and question from your previous place of employment.  You want to establish a name for yourself and prove that the company made the right decision in hiring you.  However, if you are too aggressive, you may be perceived as a threat and an attack on the company’s culture.  When making proposals to do away with projects or ideas in favor of an idea you brought with you, be careful not to make a snap decision.  The project you criticize may be your new boss’s favorite project. 

Spend time observing how the company operates.  Determine what the corporate culture is by asking yourself such questions as how your boss likes to receive information, whether the environment is formal or casual, and how flexible the company is with regard to lunch hours and time off.  The first 90 days is a period in which the company is determining if your skills and personality mesh with the culture of the company.  The more you understand about the company’s unwritten rules and policies, the more successful you will be.  No matter what the corporate culture is at your new company, always be at least two minutes early to every appointment or meeting.  You will be perceived as being respectful of other’s time.

Another way to learn about the company is to do the menial tasks necessary in any job, such as answering the telephone, working in the mailroom, and making coffee.  By willingly taking on these tasks, you get a better understanding of the company with the added benefit of enhancing your standing in the company. 

When you start your new job, you may tempted to take on extra projects or work long hours.  Once you start, it will be hard to reverse this precedent.  You may be perceived as having a lack of commitment or zest if you later try to work fewer hours, slow down, or decrease your responsibilities.  Also, don’t forget that you have other priorities in your life such as family, friends, health, and hobbies.  Keeping your work life and your personal life balanced will help you be a more productive employee.

So, dig in…and good luck with your new job!

“Ad Hoc’s management team brings an unparalleled level of understanding and professionalism to every engagement. Their intimate knowledge of the national and international legal communities coupled with their insightful strategies has enabled Ad Hoc to secure and sustain a leading position within the legal placement industry.”
B. Daryl Bristow
Managing Litigation Partner
Baker Botts, L.L.P.
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Our Temps Average
Three Months per Assignment

The average length of an Ad Hoc temporary assignment is three months, although some temporary employees have worked in a single position for more than six years.