By Sabrina C. Spitznagle
You made it through the interview process; obtained and accepted the new job; and gave notice and left your old job. Now what? It seems like the hard part should be over, but don't forget that the first few months of any new job really is a continuation of the interview process and that changing jobs is hard. You will have to prove yourself all over again, and depending on where you are moving, you may experience some culture shock. It is important that you are prepared for this, and that you don’t lose sight of the reasons you decided to make the move in the first place. None of this is rocket science, but remembering the tips below can help ensure that your transition is as smooth and successful as possible.
1) First and foremost, make a good first impression. You will earn so much credibility and buy yourself much flexibility down the road if you start off on the right foot. You were hired -- so they obviously like you. Keep up this momentum and hit it out of the park on your first assignment. Exceed expectations -- do more than you otherwise would on the project; proofread it more than you otherwise would; and turn in the project earlier than they expect it. Do this even if the project seems somewhat menial.
2) Arrive early and stay late (at least initially). You absolutely don't want to be the last one in the office, or the first one to leave.
3) Be responsive. Respond to emails and voicemails as soon as humanly possible after you receive them -- even if it is just to acknowledge that you received the email and are working on getting an answer. Attorneys tend to be somewhat masochistic, and misery loves company -- they will be pleased that someone else is working at 2:00 in the morning (or at some other odd hour).
4) Make a concerted effort to get to know people in the office. Ask people to lunch. Accept invitations to happy hour if you can (But, don’t drink too much -- limit yourself to a 2-drink max. Drink club soda with lime after that). Make small talk, even if you’d rather just shut the door to your office, get your work done, and go home (Another but -- don’t share too much. They don’t need to know all your weird habits, thoughts, politics, etc. right off the bat).
5) Figure out the politics and hierarchy. Determine this as soon as possible and do your best to develop a positive relationship with at least one of the firm or company’s decision makers as soon as possible. If you do not get assigned a mentor, try to develop a relationship with someone who has been there for a long time to whom you can go with questions.
6) Don't stand out in some weird way. For example, if everyone keeps their door open, don't sit in your office with the door closed all day. Don't work with your office lights off and only a lamp. Dress conservatively and in line with the way everyone else in the office dresses.
7) Be nice to everyone. The first few months of any job are really a continuation of your interview. Make sure that you are especially nice and friendly to the assistants for the attorneys with whom you work; your assistant; the people who work in the mail room; and the receptionists.
8) Follow their procedures. If they have a certain way of doing things -- writing a brief, drafting documents, marking things up, keeping track of time, etc. -- do it their way. If you think things could be improved, you can make a tactful suggestion, but don't go crazy trying to change their ways -- you will need to adapt. No one likes a know it all.
9) Go to the birthday celebrations. You don't have to eat cake, but you should show up and sing (and maybe pretend to eat the cake).
10) Participate in the charities. Pay the $5 to wear jeans on Fridays – you will be more comfortable anyway.
11) Don't abuse privileges. Figure out the rules and what the home grown people do, and then do a bit less than they do. For example, if everyone charges through their car home and/or dinner if they are working past 7:00 pm, only charge your car home and/or dinner if you work past 8:00 pm.
12) Be happy to be there!! People like positive people -- try not to be a complainer. Don’t let yourself idealize your old job and forget all the reasons you left. Instead, continue to remind yourself of the reasons why this new job is better.
While these tips may sound exhausting and make you want to give up your job search before you even start, remember that this transition period is only temporary. If you do all this initially, you will be able to quickly establish yourself and enjoy all the great things about your new job!
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