Landing a new job is a great feeling, and it often seems like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders – especially if it’s been a lengthy job search. While you should definitely congratulate yourself and enjoy the moment, you shouldn’t stop there. Instead, it’s best to continue your search and do everything possible to increase your likelihood of success. Here are a few specific steps to take.
Read Job Related Literature
Before beginning your first day, it’s smart to thoroughly go over any relevant materials that can help you get started out on the right foot. Doing so should help you make a positive first impression, and there should be less friction as you transition into your new position. Some common literature you’ll want to read over includes:
- Company handbook
- Company policies
- Job description details
- Employer history
It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with what the culture is like, which should make it easier to fit in. For example, you might want to do some research on what your employer’s philosophy and values are like as well as their role within their industry.
Explore Training Opportunities
No matter how much experience you have, there’s almost always additional information you could learn that will leave you better equipped for your new job. Consequently, you may want to ask your employer if there are any training opportunities available that will help you become the best employee possible.
If there are no opportunities, you could potentially do some training on your own by searching for resources online. For instance, you may want to look for videos, blog posts, whitepapers and eBooks that can provide you with further training.
Establish a Backup Plan
Even if you think that you’ve found your dream job and can’t envision any obstacles, you never really know which curveballs might be thrown your way. Maybe you just don’t fit into the company culture, or you can’t stand your new boss or you suddenly get laid off after a few weeks. It’s hard to truly gauge how things will unfold until you get your feet wet, so it’s a good idea to continue your job search for a few weeks, until you’ve fully settled into your new position.
You should also be sure not to burn any bridges with other potential employers. For example, if another company offers you an interview, you should contact them and explain that you’ve been hired for a position, you’re grateful for their time and that you’ll definitely keep them in mind in the future. This is the courteous thing to do and may open new doors later on.
Sometimes it’s easy to get complacent when you land a new job – but complacency is something you want to avoid if you want to increase your odds of success. Taking the right actions after you’re hired should put you in a position to thrive and provide a safety net in case things don’t go your way.
Click here for more helpful job search tips from the experienced recruiting professionals at Shannon Staffing.
