Congrats! You landed the job. Now what should you do?
Starting a new job in the accounting, finance or IT professions, or any profession for that matter, can be exciting and nerve-wracking, all at once. You have to walk into a new building, meet new people and learn the business – all on top of getting your job done well.
No matter your new title, be it Accounts Payable Clerk, Business Analyst or Software Developer, there are ways to prepare yourself for your first 90 days on the job. While all jobs and industries vary, there are general rules of thumb that can help you during your transition and help things go as smoothly as possible with your new employer. A recent Inc. article discusses tactics to help new employees.
We’re sharing some of their pointers and ours.
Here are 5 Tips to prepare newly hired accounting, finance and IT Employees for their new jobs:
1. Do your research before you start.
- Before you even accept a new position, it’s important to do your homework about the company’s culture, the work space you’ll be using daily, dress attire and other expectations of your day-to-day activities. These questions should be worked into your interview questions so that you’re fully prepared for what’s ahead. You should also check out the company’s website, social media channels and blogs to see what type of information, if any, is shared by employees. Finally, ask for the company’s most recent internal newsletter to get more insider knowledge. Do the accounting, finance and/or IT teams get a voice? This is all important to note.
2. Have goals.
- Right out of the gate you should figure out what’s expected of you and gauge any possible challenges that could come your way. What are the expectations that your manager has for you in the first week, month and ninety days? Then, intently hone in on your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual goals. That way, along with your supervising Accounting, Finance or IT Director, you can develop a plan to attain those goals and have benchmarks to relate back to along the way.
3. Ask for help or advice.
- No one will expect you to know every aspect of your job immediately. Actively ask questions or seek advice from your peers and supervisors. Management would rather have you ask questions than move ahead with financials or system processes if you’re uncertain of something. While it’s OK to make some mistakes, you want to be proactive to ensure they’re kept to a minimum. Also, if you need additional resources to complete your job duties, you should make sure to ask for them early on, especially if you have a newly created role. Your employer might not have anticipated all that was needed to complete the job. This will show your vigilance.
4. Go above and beyond.
- Within your first 90 days in your new accounting, finance or IT role, you should do all that is expected of you, and more. Try not to use the word ‘No’ when someone gives you a task or request to complete. You need me to stay late and help another department? Sure thing! You must first prove yourself to your supervisors by producing results. That way, they’ll know they selected the right person for the job.
5. Know the SOPs.
- It’s important to know the company’s policies and procedures. Review any employee manuals or standard operating procedures diligently. Even if you are shown this information during your onboarding process, review it again a few weeks later so that it can sink in even more. It’ll make things easier for you in the long run if you can speak to the normal processes of your accounting, finance or IT functions and the business as a whole. It’ll also put you ahead of the game if you want to move up to management down the line.
What are some other tips for new accounting, finance and IT employees starting out? Comment below and let us know!