So you are on the journey to transition jobs or careers and want to do so successfully. You can achieve this by closing up loop holes in your current place of employment. Using these tips will foster a smooth transition and create a rock solid foundation for your new job.
1. Get your annual physical, dental work, and necessary medical procedures
The last thing you want to do at your new job is start taking off if it is not an absolute necessity. Although your physical health should be a major priority, take care of it while you’re at your current job. Also, you’ll want to ensure you’re in tip top shape as your start your new job. This encourages you to have the energy to give your best.
2. Organize your house
Studies show that living in a cluttered space evokes additional stress and anxiety on your life. Your home is supposed to be a place of relaxation and refuge. However, coming home from an eventful day to meet disorder at the door takes away your ability to fully relax. Take the time, before you start your new job, to de-clutter that corner that’s been piling up or find a home for those belongings that are stashed random places around the house. Chances are, you’ll most likely have some anxiety with getting settled into a new environment at work. Don’t let the anxiety start at home.
3. Revisit or define your professional and personal goals
Will taking this job move you in the direction that will help you attain your goals? If the transition doesn’t provide you with professional growth nor does it permit you to achieve personal victories mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, then you may want to re-evaluate moving forward. If you haven’t yet defined your professional and personal goals, this would be a good time to figure out what’s important to you in order to become a productive and well-rounded person in society.
4. Take advantage of your personal/vacation time left
It will be a while before you should reasonably request time off from your new job. If it is sensible in accordance with your current workload, take the time to take a break! Vacations or “me time” off is a great opportunity to relieve stress, indulge in your favorite hobbies or activities, and spend time with loved ones. Having this siesta before starting your new job will give you a refreshing and avoid you moving from one stressful situation to another without an onset of a break.
5. Take advantage of CE credits
If your current job offers reimbursement for taking continuing education courses, this would be the time to sign up! Brushing up on your skills, learning about industry trends, and discovering new techniques to improve your performance will give you a jump starting on doing well as a new employee and definitely impress your boss!
6. Assemble past projects into your portfolio
You should always, always, ALWAYS be thinking about what pieces of work you can add to your portfolio. If you have past projects that you managed successfully, designed creative material, gave a praiseworthy presentation, written articles or case studies, taken photos, created a new system, prepared reports or business plans, or any other item that proves your skill set and ability, gather them collectively where you can easily present them upon request. You can put them in a folder, bind them in a booklet, or store them online. Dropbox.com is a great option for storing your work samples digitally as they can be accessed from any computer.
7. Resolve current work baggage
Did this past job leave you jaded or feeling less than appreciated? Take the time to look at your situation from the outside looking in. Was it a personality clash with your co-workers or boss? Where there unorganized systems in place that made it difficult to do your job? Was there a management style that stunted your professional growth? Whatever it is, get clarity on the situation so that you don’t start your new job with the idea that you should expect the same troubles. It is important to view each working experience as a separate entity instead of one collaborative effort designed for you to fail. If you aren’t sure how to properly judge a situation, connect with a good friend or a career coach like myself who can help you discern more clearly.
All in all, the point here is to ensure that you start your new job healthy, refreshed, energized, and open-minded. Creating such foundation will give you the platform to be really successful and paint the momentum for your future. If you can prove in the early stages that you are an asset to your company, it opens the door for awards, promotions, recognition, and merit increases.
Let’s put our best foot forward!