‍After you manage to land your new job, the next challenge awaits you. The first weeks and months will determine how fast you can become a valuable member of the team, how others perceive you and how successful you will be long term.

Essentially it’s about the right mindset, which can be summed up in three steps.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions ‍

In the beginning there are always lots of unknowns. Don’t be afraid of them, it’s totally normal.

Instead, embrace the opportunity to ask as many questions as possible.  

This will show your colleagues that you are eager to learn and  motivated to become a valuable team member as quickly as possible.

Get to know the structure of the company, its guidelines and when it comes to coding especially how projects are documented and tested.

In addition, also be open to get to know more about the company in general, not only in your field of expertise. This allows you to see the full picture and contribute in meaningful ways even apart from coding.

2. Establish connections within your company

The next step is to go ahead and build connections within the company.  

A big part of jobs is not only about getting things done, but also about contributing to a great company culture. This allows the team to collaborate more effortlessly and gives you even more knowledge about how things get done in your new job.

Establishing connection goes hand in hand with asking questions but also getting to know the people that work with you. Even if you are working remotely you can accomplish that by taking the time for some idle conversations via video chat or instant messenger. One way to get attention both internally, and externally is by recording a short video that tells your story. Introduce yourself, describe what you and your team are doing and also use it as an opportunity to invite others to join the company. This will get you recognition from not only your team, but also HR and other parts of your company. The video doesn't need to be produced professionally, just be authentic and share your journey with others.

3. Show your worth

As a result of the previous steps and your existing skills you will now be able to start to contribute in a meaningful way.

This groundwork establishes you to participate in your company's projects. Especially in this period your new perspective is an important addition to existing opinions and workflows.

Incorporate your learnings so that you can help your team to grow further and give feedback on what you observed within your first weeks.

Conclusion

After you succeed in your first weeks it’s important to try to keep up your initial motivation. A good way to do that is by trying to stay as curious as possible, always looking for new new tools, technologies and trends. Sharing and discussing them with your colleagues will build towards a common goal together.

Of course the three steps are only a very rudimentary summary. Feel free to contribute your feedback and learnings from your own career.