Starting a new job can be stressful as well as exciting. But fear not! Grab a cuppa and read my guide to your first 100 days. It’s full of pro tips and advice to help you impress your manager, avoid mistakes and build a great relationship with your colleagues. So what are you waiting for? Set some auto-reminders in your calendar and hit the ground running!

Your first day

• Today is all about absorbing as much information as you can. Make it your goal to listen 90% of the time and talk 10% of the time. Pro tip: most of your 10% should be asking questions!

• It’ll be nearly impossible to remember everything, so take plenty of notes. Important things to jot down include colleagues’ names, job titles, and little nuggets of wisdom you might receive.

• Explore the building, get your computer and phones set up, and make sure you have the right work gear and tools.

• After work, it’s important to reward yourself on a successful first day, so take a real break and do something fun or relaxing!

Your first week

• Arrange introductory meetings with people you’ll be working with. Pro tip: ask others what they think your job entails. You can learn a lot about others’ expectations of you this way!

• Confirm your goals and priorities with your boss. Take time to understand how your team fits into the wider organisation. 

• If you are a manager, set up 1:1s with your direct report team and get up to speed on their issues.

• Your fresh perspective is really valuable, but be quick to acknowledge what’s working well. Avoid talking about your most recent job as much as possible (e.g. “Well, this is how we did it at…”)

Your first month

• Arrange introductory meetings with key external stakeholders, including clients, suppliers and advisers.

• Continue to familiarise yourself with your new organisation by reading newsletters, blogs, websites, social media, annual reports; anything you can find. Set up Google alerts about your company to keep up to date.

• Have a frank discussion with your manager about any unwritten rules or standards. You can also seek clarification on performance metrics and expectations.

• The importance of listening is often undervalued and overlooked. Find out what motivates the people who work for you and what inspires the people you work for. 

Your second month

• Start taking responsibility for your own professional development. Subscribe to relevant blogs, join a professional association and identify training you might need.

• Recognise an opportunity to make a colleague’s day by doing them a favour. You’ll get the immediate satisfaction of helping someone out, and your colleague will remember it later.

• Seek out a mentor within the organisation. It’ll help you improve your job performance, grow your network and advance more quickly.

Your third month

• It’s time to make some improvements. Perhaps you can make a difficult workflow more intuitive or automate a tedious process. Get input from others and let your manager know about the change you made. They’ll be impressed!

• Now that you’ve begun to shine, try to broaden your horizons. Chat to colleagues in other departments about new projects they’re working on. Learn what’s going on, and you’ll make valuable connections across the organisation.

• Request a three month review with your manager. Discuss your accomplishments to date, and new challenges you’d like to take on. Be ready to listen to your manager’s feedback about how you’re doing.

• Update your social networking profiles. Let everyone know about your new role, and any new ways you might want to connect with them.

Talent for Change

Want to explore new opportunities and get ready for your next challenge? Book a free 30 minute consultation and see how I can help you gain the clarity and confidence for change. Find out more 

How to craft a personal statement for your CV that gets you noticed

You’re applying for your dream job and you know the recruiter has dozens of CVs to sift through. They may only glance at each one before deciding if it’s worth reading in detail. How do you stop them in their tracks and grab their attention? A killer personal statement is an opportunity to set out your suitability for the role and convince the recruiter to take a closer look at your experience. 

Sometimes called a profile or career summary, your personal statement sits at the very top of your CV under your name. It enables the recruiter to quickly identify the strategic value you can add to their organisation.

Many candidates struggle with writing the statement but it doesn't have to be difficult. You should aim for between 75 and 100 words, and it's important not to ramble. Remember you always have your cover letter for interesting and engaging information.

Your personal statement should demonstrate how your skills and experience match what the employer is looking for. Make sure you read the job specification carefully - you can even use some key words and phrases from the job description or advert. Write in the first person because your CV is all about you and your skillset. It needs to keep the recruiter engaged in your value and transferable skills.

Ready to learn more? Here are the three essential elements for a kick-ass statement that packs a punch:

1. Who you are

During ten years working for leading media groups, I have gained extensive industry experience and a valuable transferable skill set in building international partnerships - critical in this fast-paced sector.

The above opening allows the recruiter to quickly identify where you are coming from, and shows you have industry experience and core transferable skills (something that may be in the selection criteria). This alone could be enough for your opening statement, but it can be expanded on by adding some additional information.

2. What you can bring to the table

At ABC I worked on major projects including the award-winning China Max Documentary, the first project the company co-produced with Chinese partners. I was responsible for research, liaising with local consultants, leading the steering group and securing £500K of sponsorship.

Here, you need to be specific about some of your key achievements. Focus on what you actually did, and what the outcomes were. Get straight to the point; avoid lengthy descriptions and make your testimonies punchy and informative. 

3. Your career aim

I’m now looking for a senior position in a media group expanding its global reach, where I can bring immediate strategic value to help secure the organisation’s international growth.

Tell the recruiter what you want from your next role and make sure your description matches the job you’re applying for. Include the ways you can add value and demonstrate your understanding of some of the key industry challenges - in this example it's achieving global reach. 

Three key points for writing a dynamic and interesting personal statement:

• Read your profile out loud to ensure it reads naturally

• Don't mix first and third person sentences

• Visualise reading your statement from the employer’s perspective. Have you covered everything they need to hear? 

Do you need a fresh perspective on your CV, and how you’re presenting your skills and experience to employers? I offer a free 30 minute consultation. Get in touch and let’s chat about how you can land your dream role.