When you start a new job, there's always a lot of hurdles to overcome (as if getting the job didn't involve enough of them already). It's a new set of challenges, training often involved not just for the role you're in but the systems this company uses, learning the dynamics of the staff and the whereabouts of extra pens and post-it notes. Starting a new job is undoubtedly exciting and nerve-wracking.
Until you add a global pandemic into the mix.
Like everything else in our lives, the pandemic has affected the way employment works. For a while, it felt as if the whole world was working from home, finding space in their home office, taking over the dining table, or - in some impressive cases - balancing their laptop on an ironing board. Many employment ads disappeared, and those that stayed up came with a caveat that you could apply but the whole process was paused on their end and you likely wouldn't hear back for a while.
Now that things have started to turn upwards, employment rates still low but not declining as rapidly as they were, and many businesses starting up their employment processes again, I wanted to talk about what it's like to start a new job in the midst of everything happening.
For those who aren't aware, I was furloughed and then made redundant back in April, a strange twist of fate considering I'd been looking to change jobs until coronavirus broke out. For a while, I freelanced as a proofreader and blog writer, before finding a job at a marketing agency to start in early August.
I know how hard it has been and will continue to be for so many people, so I want to take a moment to recognise that I am incredibly lucky to have this job. I will never stop being grateful to the universe that this has worked out because I feel like I'm part of a genuinely wonderful company.
But that hasn't made starting a job remotely easy. Whilst everyone's situation is going to be different when it comes to starting new jobs at the moment, I've put together a list of my top tips for those starting new jobs from home!
Reach out to your new team. You'll probably be assigned somebody who will show you the ropes and it's common for teams to have morning meetings through video call at the moment so, in all likelihood, you'll be introduced to everybody in your team early on. Working from home can be isolating, however, and you're going to want to get a feel for the team (as much as possible when not meeting in person). Whilst it's definitely going to be tricky to find your place when working remotely, try reaching out to different people. Whether you need them for a work question or just want to say hi, make an effort to reach out and start building a relationship.
Explore systems/programs In all likelihood, you'll have a bit of spare time when you first start a new job. It's kind of inevitable - even if you're starting in person there's often a training period which is slow. Take the opportunity to log in to all the programs and systems that your company uses and take a look around. Learning by doing is a great way to learn, but beyond that, it's just good to become familiar with the platforms your new company uses so that when you have real training, it isn't all completely new to you.
ASK QUESTIONS. This is a major piece of advice for when you're starting a new job no matter what the circumstances are, but when you're doing a remote job, you can't get by without asking. And, more importantly, you can't get by with waiting to ask the question when someone else brings it up. You're probably going to feel like you're bothering people, trust me I have felt like that for the past month, but it's always better to ask the question than being left unable to do a job. Twiddling your thumbs doesn't get you far, and when something is new to you, nobody is going to think twice about you asking a million questions a day.
Remind people about who you are When you're new in a workplace, people tend to notice the stranger walking round and introduce themselves - it's easy to tell that they haven't met you before and, more often than not, people will make the effort to get to know you. When you're a new remote worker, people amight not even realise they've had a new starter. Remind people who you are by starting communication with them with a breif reminder; something as simple as letting them know which department you work in, or who you work under, to ensure they know what your role is. It provides people with clarity for who they're talking to, and means they have a point of reference for future comminucation - and means your not a faceless entity in the company!
Set a schedule - limit notifictions When working remotely, no matter what your intentions, it can be hard to switch off. Early on in your job, establish what hours you'll be working, whether that means double checkign your contracted hours or deciding your own flexi-time hours. And stick to them. Turn off notifications so that you don't get work messages through on your phone. It's too tempting once you've seen the message to deal with it there and then, even if you're technically off the clock! Set your hours and stick to them - and be strict about it.
Share your top tips for starting a new role whilst remote working in the comments!