New Year, New Job: 4 Ways to Make the Transition a Smooth One

You did it! You found a new job with a company that you believe in, and you can’t wait to take this next step in your career. But now that your start date is approaching, how are you planning to handle the adjustment? After joining Yelp and making my own adjustments only a few months ago, I’m sharing my four tips to make your transition to a new job a smooth and enjoyable one.

Know your worth

In medium to large-sized companies, it’s easy to feel lost in the shuffle and that you’re “just a number.” Rather than feeling lost and overwhelmed by your new influx of knowledge, understand that you were chosen for a reason! Whether it be your coachability, previous experience, personality, or, most likely, all of the above, your recruiter/hiring manager saw something in you that they felt would benefit the organization. Give yourself a pat on the back, trust that you are deserving of your new role, and walk in on day one feeling confident!

Be a sponge

Whether you are joining your new team with loads of relevant knowledge, or you’re embarking on a brand new industry, step into your new role expecting exposure to information and/or processes that you have never seen before. For someone like me with previous recruiting experience, it meant wiping my slate clean of the hiring process I was used to for over three years (candidate qualifiers, interview questions, candidate experience, etc.). For someone just starting their career in sales, it may mean being prepared to step out of their comfort zone and learning an entirely new communication style. Be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.

Get connected

I’ve made connections at each company I’ve worked for that will last me a lifetime, and it hasn’t happened by accident. If you have a passion for volunteering, plan to attend as many volunteer events through work as possible and start conversations with people who you already know share a similar interest. If you’re a food enthusiast, set up a team happy hour after work so that you can get to know them better. Most organizations offer employee resource groups to employees, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and network with your new peers.

Rely on your team

Naturally there is a desire to start a new job and impress your team with how quickly you can jump in and learn the ropes. While the commitment to be up and running ASAP will showcase your eagerness, it may ultimately hinder your success by taking you longer to complete a task or even worse, giving wrong information or a negative experience to a potential customer! Rather than trying to rush your training process, soak it all in and don’t feel silly asking your team a question, even if it’s for the fifth time that week.

Regardless of what stage of your career you’re in, starting a new job brings about a rush of emotions that can be hard to navigate. Be prepared to take advantage of the resources available to you in order to get the most out of your experience in the shortest amount of time possible. Following these tips can easily change the words “job” and “company” into “career” and “home.”

Interested in joining our family of Yelpers? We’re hiring! Check out some of our openings here.