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Adapting to Your New Role

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So you’ve landed a new job. Congratulations! You’re coming to find, as expected, that the new responsibilities and higher pay means greater expectations that require you to learn a whole set of new skills and to work twice as hard. Keep these tips in mind as you manage the stress of your new responsibilities once the high wears off.

  • Acceptance and Change

Change was inevitable when you shifted your career, but that doesn’t mean you stepped into it prepared to embrace the changes. If you are going to succeed in your new position, you need to come to grips with what has changed. Retire mindsets that worked in your last job but don’t help you succeed here. Think creatively about growth and how you can adapt to your new responsibilities. You are no longer in a role that you are fully comfortable in and you will need to gird up. Alter your work habits. A more demanding position may mean you have to assess your time management at work and at home. It may mean shorter lunch breaks or additional study during free time. Until this new role becomes as comfortable as the last, you may need to change the pace and attention to your work.

2) Get Your Support Team On Board

A new job is stressful and one way to ease that stress is to confide in those closest to you– your family and friends. If they can come alongside you and help tangibly or help by expecting less of your attention and time, it will go a long way in making your transition more enjoyable. Understand what your support structures are at work, as well. Get to know your new team and management. Be open about your needs, especially in the early going. If your employer is reasonable, they are expecting a season of adjustment. Let them help you.

3) Learn!

You landed the new position for a reason; your past experiences indicated you are ready to learn and grow, so take the opportunity to do just that. Find others in the same position who are killing it and ask for advice. Do some research and put in the effort to adapt through becoming more knowledgeable. It will make the transition fly by and soon you’ll be handling your new role with ease.

by Adam Vega