In this article I’m going to give you two tips to help you make a good impression in your new job. During my first couple of days in my current position, seizing the following two events helped me get the confidence and momentum to start with a bang.
Good PR never fails
It was my first day. I hadn’t had time to sit at my brand new desk when we had a medical emergency in my unit and I had to run to the Emergency Room with my assistant and the client. At the ER I started talking with the nurse appointed to our client. Turns out that like me, he was also a soccer fan. While we were waiting for paperwork to be done we talked about soccer for a couple of minutes.
The next day, this same client experienced another health crisis and had to be taken again to the ER. This time I met Shawn, a doctor who happened to have an Argentinean wife and (also like me) liked travelling the world. He was learning Spanish and was thrilled to have a chance to practice it while at work. While we were waiting for our client to be transferred to a room we conversed for a couple of minutes until duty called and he had to leave.
Back in my office that same day, I was copied in an email from a team member, addressed to my new co-workers, directors, quality managers and administrators. This is the email, minus confidential information:
I spoke with Shawn, the nurse at [Hospital]‘s ER this morning regarding XXX.
Sean made a point of stating “what wonderful staff we have.” He mentioned Fernando by name, but was not sure of the other staff with XXX at the ER.
He stated they were very friendly, courteous, well-informed regarding XXX, and able to help the ER staff with accurate and abundant information regarding XXX.
To be honest, I don’t think I did anything above and beyond. So why did this person remember my “alien” name instead of my comrade’s (Joe)? What made the difference?
Here’s the first tip: I just took a genuine interest in him and what he did. I found something I could relate to and built on that. It wasn’t my accurate and abundant knowledge of my client what got me the compliment. It was my first day so imagine how much I knew about him. In fact, the one who really knew him was Joe, but Shawn didn’t remember his name. It was just good PR. And all I had to do was to be interested in the other person and finding a common ground.
Treat others’ work as your own
A few days ago, I was checking emails in my office when I saw one arriving to my mailbox from the Nursing Manager. She was asking all Supervisors to put together and send an Utilization Review back to her. It was the 9th and the deadline was 2 weeks after that. I was already doing something else, but I stopped and got my hands busy with that review. I completed it that same morning and sent it to her. The result?
Okay everyone, the new guy is showing you up!
Fernando, I will have to think of a special prize. That’s the quickest I ever had!
Another email sent to everyone above and next to me.
So this is the second tip: fast response. It was the first time I had to put that report together and I wasn’t really sure how to do it. I just put all my attention in that task and called people if I had any doubts. I had lots, so for a couple of hours I annoyed this manager quite a bit. Of course she didn’t mind that when I sent the report a couple of weeks before the deadline and a couple of hours after she asked for it.
This second tip is very related to the first one at a psychological level. It wasn’t just my responsiveness. When someone asks you to do something they expect you to take it seriously because it is also their job and also, any request is a personal request. “I’m asking you to do this”. There are two actors in this sentence, and there’s a shared task to be done. So when you quickly address a request you are not only fulfilling your job, but you are also positioning another person’s interest on top of any other priorities you may have.
It is a constant exercise of scratching each others’ back. You help someone and you may probably get rewarded. Bump others and be bumped. But when you do it, don’t expect anything in return. Just do it. Sooner or later, one way or another, you’ll harvest what you seeded.
Genuine interest in others and fast response are just two simple things that will help you make an impression in your job. There are many more. Which other ones do you use?
Image credit, The Gelf
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Article by Fernando
The guy in charge of this blog - husband, Psychologist, former Manager, Blogger, Job Coach, Recruiter and Information Junkie. Yes, I am all that.
Fernando has written 237 awesome articles for us at FT Careers Blog
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll try these two tips when I start new job later.
Twitter: ftarnogol
April 14, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Hi Sunny,
let me know how things went and good luck with your new job!
I’ll try these two tips when I start new job later.
Twitter: ftarnogol
April 14, 2010 at 10:03 am
Hi Sunny,
let me know how things went and good luck with your new job!
Two interesting and very important tips.
Two interesting and very important tips.
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