How can I be more confident in a new job?

After going to various networking events, connecting with influential individuals on LinkedIn, getting calls from recruiters and headhunters, enduring arduous interviews, and negotiating your compensation, you have finally been offered the position of your dreams. You need to now demonstrate to the people in charge of recruiting that they made the right choice to bring you on board and back up what you said during the interviews you participated in. It's possible that in order to make it happen, you would be prepared to do just about anything.

But hold on a second there. During the first three months on the job, there are certain things that are really necessary for you to accomplish, as well as other things that you must avoid doing.

The following advice will help you position yourself for success in your new job:

1. Be confident.

Anything else will convey the message to your bosses and coworkers that you are not ready or prepared for the job, and they will take that seriously. Keep in mind that if you are skeptical, then it is possible that they will have the same attitude toward you. Think on your capabilities, as well as all the reasons why you are qualified for the job and what you can do to the firm, rather than dwelling on the negative and damaging your self-confidence by doing so.

2. Give it time.

It is very natural to have feelings of anxiety or even discomfort while starting a new job. Since you are unsure of the specifics of the new role and its potential outcomes, you understandably feel anxious. Instead of obsessing on probable regret and thinking about your previous career, practice patience and remember yourself why you took the position. That's like attempting to get to know someone fresh when you're still hung up on your previous partner. It just won't work. It takes some time to become used to a new job since there is a learning curve.

3. Have an awareness of the culture.

It is of equal importance to get familiar with the culture of the workplace as it is to have an understanding of the job function. I can't tell you how many times customers have told me that they were fired from a job because they "simply didn't fit in." This is another way of expressing the idea that they were not familiar with the culture. Get out of your comfort zone and talk to new people to expand your horizons. Take the effort to get to know your new coworkers by inviting them out to coffee or lunch. You will pick up a significant amount of information just by listening, so keep your mouth shut and make an effort to get to know the many people that work at your new place of employment.

4. Maintain a good attitude, a healthy dose of enthusiasm, and a firm grasp on reality.

Inexperienced workers often make the error of agreeing to everything, over-promising, and under-delivering on their commitments. It is preferable to take on a manageable amount of work and do it successfully rather than to overextend oneself and run the risk of failing, particularly in the beginning stages. Therefore, it is important to have the skill of politely declining an offer.

5. Set your standards.

Will you come in late and put in two hours of extra effort over and beyond what everyone else does simply to wow the manager? Although this demonstrates excellent motivation and commitment, it may also establish an unhealthy precedent, and your employers may grow to expect you to consistently remain late since you did so in the beginning of your career. It is possible that your new coworkers may find it irritating. Therefore, make the most of your time and establish healthy boundaries between your job and your personal life.

6. Take charge of the situation and schedule a meeting with your management.

Instead of patiently waiting for the review that has been allotted, you could politely request one. Take use of this time to solicit feedback and make any necessary adjustments to the way you are currently functioning. It is unreasonable to expect to get feedback after waiting for six months, since by that time, you will have become too used to your routine to be able to make meaningful adjustments.

7. Make sure that you keep a record of how you spend your days and the things that you get done.

When it is time for your boss to do an evaluation, this will give data for them, and it will also help you keep organized.

8. Be aware of the criteria used to evaluate achievement.

Gain an understanding of the criteria that your boss uses to evaluate your performance and the goals he or she has set for you. Misaligned expectations are often the cause of many disagreements in the workplace; thus, you should do your bit and have a dialogue precisely about the criteria that are used to evaluate success.

When a result, as you start your new career, you should approach it with an equilibrium of confidence, fearlessness, humility, and kindness.