“I love starting a new job in a new company and new environment, where I don’t know anyone!” said no one ever. Starting a new job is probably the adult version of starting school as the new kid on the block. You’re trying to figure out the social norms, where people eat lunch, the accepted level of socializing at work, who your wbb (work best friends) potential candidates are, and so on. You’re trying to learn the ropes, but you’re also being conscious of not looking like an idiot. It’s nerve-wracking, to say the least.
Some of us managed to avoid being the new kid on the block in our formative years. But as adults who work in the corporate world, eventually, we all have to start fresh somewhere and be the newbie on the team. Trust me, as someone who emigrated to this country as a 15-year-old high school sophomore and started three new jobs in past eight years, I know the feeling all too well. In the highly matrixed modern workplace, though, there are rules of thumb you need to follow not only create a successful onboarding experience but also become well liked by your teammates in the process.
Based on my own experiences starting multiple new jobs, the research in Positive Psychology, the principles taught in Designing Your Life, and a lot of active empathy, here are proven methods for how to be likeable when you are the new girl at work. I’ve broken the suggestion down into three levels. The easy level means everyone and anyone should be able to immediately put the advice into practice. These suggestions are going to sound familiar if you’ve read Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. And quite honestly his principles have mostly become synonymous with common sense. Then, we move into the moderate and the difficult categories that may take more time, intel, and resources in order to perfect. Finally, I end with the most important and probably the most difficult task.
Easy:
Moderate:
Difficult:
Jessica is a writer, a digital marketer, social media aficionado and a lifestyle blogger at Cubicle Chic. Through her writing, Jessica aims to connect with fellow corporate 9-5ers who may be bound by an office physically but crave for much more in life. She writes blog posts about interoffice politics, how to climb the corporate ladder, how to resolve interpersonal conflicts, and how to do it all in the best outfits possible. Jessica lives in sunny San Diego with her husband and two cats, Lulu and Miles.
Our employer partners are actively recruiting women! Update your profile today.