Starting a new job or internship? Congratulations! Chances are that your first days, weeks, or months will be remote. Starting a new role is both exciting and challenging. Starting a new role remotely will bring on new obstacles that you, or your new company, has never had to face. Keep these tips in mind when starting a new job remotely.
Introduce Yourself
When beginning a new role in a traditional setting, usually your coworkers will see a new face, introduce themselves, and offer any insight or advice they may have. In a remote setting, you may be introduced via email or at the beginning of a zoom meeting. This will most likely be much less personal and more informal than an in-person introduction. The introduction may get lost in a sea of emails or Slack messages. To make this virtual introduction more meaningful, intentionally take the time to introduce yourself. Let your coworkers know your new role, a bit about yourself, and that you would appreciate their help while getting settled. You may have to do this more than once depending on the size of the company.
Phone a Friend
The buddy system has never failed us. Find some people in your company that can help you can navigate your new role. These may be the team members that you are directly working with, someone who's had your role before, a team leader, or even the person who hired you. In a traditional setting, these relationships are developed more slowly and organically. But virtually, you will have to be more intentional about finding these relationships. Find one or two people that won't mind helping you get acclimated virtually. Set up a 15-minute meeting with them so you can get to know the organization better and ask them any questions you may have. This will help you to accelerate the virtual acclimation process.
Learn the Lingo
It is very important to learn how everyone prefers to communicate. Whether it's via email, Slack, or another channel, you'll want to know which channels to use and when. Should you send longer questions via email and shorter ones via slack? Or should you hold all questions until the next Zoom meeting? Also, find out if your company utilizes a system that shows when they’re available or offline. These are important questions that you'll need answered in order to stay in the loop and complete tasks.
We hope these tips make your virtual transition a smooth one!