Did you make it through the application process and have your employment contract in your pocket? Congratulation! Then the biggest hurdle is already over. What is still unsettling some young professionals in starting their careers in the home office? In many ways, however, companies are getting better prepared for it. With a few tips, you can also start your career successfully in the home office!
How can I get to know my colleagues? What do I do if I do not understand what I am doing? How can I add value to the company from my home? Many questions are currently going through the minds of young professionals. Of course, working on-site is different from working online. However, there are already many examples of companies, especially on an international level, whose colleagues have never met live and who still work together very successfully.
A home office also has many advantages. You have more time for yourself, your free time, and your family and friends because you don’t have to commute to work. You don’t have to move to another city (or at least not immediately), you are flexible in terms of location and you don’t have to leave your social circle. Local flexibility also brings financial benefits. And especially when you start your new job, you can approach it much more relaxed because you don’t have the feeling that everything you do is constantly being observed and evaluated.
Who are the new colleagues?
There are also opportunities online to get to know colleagues and the team. For example, you could arrange a “virtual lunch” with colleagues if the company doesn’t do it anyway. Then the canteen conversations will just move home!
Even a small online beer after work or a little chat in the evening will probably not turn down most of the colleagues. They certainly want to get to know you as their new colleague. (And let’s be honest: Who is not looking forward to an opportunity to make or maintain contacts in lockdown?)
Are you shy? Do not worry. In most companies that work “remotely”, there are already many approaches to keep the social exchange between colleagues alive. For example, an app is used relatively often, which uses a random generator to bring two colleagues together for small talk or other exchanges in video chat once a week to also strengthen the working atmosphere. There is also a kind of substitute for spontaneous meetings in the coffee kitchen.
You are not on your own
From home you do not easily notice various processes “in passing” and you also do not learn so easily by copying something from your colleagues. That’s true, but you don’t have to work it all out on your own.
In many companies, the “newcomers” get a buddy or mentor to join them. You can turn to this person with all your questions and get support from your colleagues. A bit of proactivity is still required. Approach your colleagues openly if you have any questions or need support. You can also learn a lot about what they tell you and learn a lot that remains hidden about the online transmission. Since a lot has become routine or a matter of course for the “long-established” colleagues, they may not come up with all of this on their own. By asking specific questions, you can save yourself the “groping in the dark” and any faux pas.
Even if you are dying to find out everything, you should still keep one thing in mind: write your concerns on a piece of paper and ask the questions collectively and all at once. Your co-workers are happy to help, but if you contact them with a new question every few minutes, it distracts too much from your own work. With many general problems or technical questions, the Internet can sometimes even help you faster than a colleague. Independence is very much appreciated, especially in the home office!
Work confidently from home
See it positively: Working in a familiar home takes away a large part of the uncertainty that might inhibit you in an unfamiliar company environment. It is easier for you to be yourself without having to constantly ask yourself how your colleagues rate you and your work.
Don’t hesitate to get feedback at regular intervals. Over the distance, your new boss or co-workers will likely find it harder to judge you and the way you work. However, honest feedback gives you valuable information on where you are at the moment and how you can be even more successful.
Especially when starting your career in the home office, it is important to be proactive and independent and to show that you are motivated to perform well and that you do not mainly pursue private activities in the home office when nobody around seems to care Build Trust! In contrast to older, more experienced employees, nobody knows how reliably your work and how well you think along with you. Show your motivation, your willingness to perform, and your good results. And remember: You were hired because you can do something. Trust your skills! You will learn everything else over time.
Enjoy the positive aspects that the home office has to offer and be confident that your career start is sure to be a success! All the best in your new job!