Let’s face it, being the new kid sucks. It sucks even more when you are the new employee. As you walk into your new job awkwardly and try to look as if you’ve been here for years, you try your hardest to seem unphased. That was your first mistake, of course you are phased by the new environment. There are 5 HUGE mistakes that all new employees make and I’m going to help you identify them and never let it happen again.
1.Not taking training seriously
This is probably one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a new employee. You sit through countless hours of training and look over tons of paperwork. While sitting in your chair and jotting down notes you get the sense of, “Do I even need to know this once I start working?”. All too many of times do new employees come out of training knowing just as much as they did going into training. You MUST take your training seriously if you want to keep your job and understand your responsibilities.
2.Not navigating a RELIABLE travel route for work
Whether it be by car, bus, train or bike you need a reliable travel route for work. The endless excuses of traffic, transit delays and car troubles are just that EXCUSES. It is your responsibility and yours alone to get to work in a timely fashion. Your excuses only show your new superiors that you are unreliable.
3.Buying cafeteria food
Buying cafeteria food is one of the overlooked mistakes. You don’t know how much anything costs. You don’t know how long it takes to prepare, which can cause your break to possibly overlap. I think the best option is to wait one week before ordering cafeteria food. By the second week you have become acquainted with the travel route, office layout and time blocks. It is also more cost efficient to bring your own lunch.
4.Getting too comfortable too fast
This is a terrible mistake to make as a new employee. You should never ever get too comfortable. I say this because you are on a test drive, you haven’t bought the car yet. You may have been hired but you are still walking on thin ice. You are on a 90 day probation period with every new job you start. That means that if you mess up badly in those first 90 days you will be fired. Your boss is still deciding if it was a good decision to even hire you.
5.Making friends
This is the BIGGEST mistake to make as a new employee. You are at work to work and earn a living not make friends. Now that doesn’t mean you are going to be a hermit at work, just professional. Sometimes being professional gets confused as being an introvert at times. I just feel that you should always protect your work environment with your life. Having small talk isn’t a crime but don’t forget the main reason you are here.
We’ve all been in this position before, and even more recently for myself. All good points to consider when starting somewhere new, especially your travel route. It’s important to consider the office policy on being late due to travel issues and know alternate routes to take.
I don’t really agree that it’s a mistake to make friends at work. Work isn’t meant to be a social club but there should be people you can trust.
I’d also disagree with the making friends point, as I feel making friends is an important part of joining a new company so you can make your face familiar. Of course, this doesn’t mean chatting with your coworkers for endless hours, but a good work/friend balance is certainly attainable.
I agree with Nicole, it’s not a social club but it’s is good to make friends. You’re with the people you work with probably longer than your family daily. I also don’t see what is wrong with the cafeteria food. Our cafeteria has a price list, is quick in service, offers a variety of food daily and tastes good! You can also call in your order and then pick it up so you don’t waste your entire break.
You should absolutely have friends at work. You need people you can trust, vent to, bounce ideas off of, support. I’ve made some of my closest friends at my jobs.
I actually think this writer takes a horrible attitude. I think you should look at starting a new position with excitement and eager to make friends.
Well, I guess I agree with everyone else here! Making friends at work is important to morale. You don’t have to be BFF with the entire office, but some close friends make the day go by better.
Training is unbelievably important. That is your chance to ask questions and soak up knowledge. Take advantage of that!
my last company was not welcoming at all. they just showed you to your desk, no one spoke to you, terrible atmosphere. my new company had a whole training meeting set up, a tour of the office, people kept coming back to say hello. really makes a difference!
I have to say that I actually think that making friends is a good thing at work. You don’t need to be too buddy buddy with everyone, but have some confidantes. It helps with the day to day. No need to be a complete loner!
Interesting perspective. Not sure if I agree with everything, but I guess everyone has had different experiences in the workplace.
I remember once at my job a new girl got too comfortable too fast and it made the rest of us in the office feel inferior to her. Being overconfident can give you a bad reputation/first impression.
I met some of my best friends at previous jobs and I met my boyfriend of the past 2 years at work. I think it should of been worded ( not to start a new job with new best friends in mind ) – know that job and route and get to know people before asking to go out for drinks.
I just don’t agree with a lot of this. Not making friends? No one wants to be the loner.
Any all or nothing approach can be detrimental in the work setting, however I can appreciate the author’s point. As a NEW employee, you are definitely under more scrutiny and need to put your best foot forward. With regard to making friends, setting boundaries and maintaining professionalism is key while still keeping a healthy balance of social interaction. Far too often I see colleagues go out for happy hour or befriend each other on social media platforms and depending on maturity and respect level, it can backfire. So I think you can be friendly and inviting without sharing too much.
These are some great points. I agree with the friends at work situation. If the friendship falls apart then it makes being at work uncomfortable.
While socializing with in the work place is frowned upon, it is not a bad idea to at least to make one or two small talk friends at work so the day won’t be so dry.
I strongly agree with all of these tips. I wish I had this to print out and give to all new employees at my last job where I was a trainer. Not saying that making friends at work is a terrible thing and shouldn’t be done, but as a new comer, that should be the last thing on one’s mind. Good read.
It is very important to take the initial training seriously. Many people are afraid to ask questions in the beginning, but that is the time to do so.
I must say Vivienne makes a good point. So many folks fear asking questions, but when you are new is the time to ask away.