A new role beckons…

We all aspire for new roles/jobs Better roles. More creative roles. Roles that give us the opportunity to grow and learn and be more productive. And if the new role also pays handsomely, why not?!

So, what do you to do when you do get your dream job? Dreams do come true you know. Are you prepared to dive right in, or do you find yourself overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all (though it would not have been sudden, let me assure you. You would have gone through the whole interview (s) process!)

Begin at the beginning. That is what you do.

• Identify the key elements of the new role/job

Since you have been selected basis your skills and competencies that were judged during the interview process and you are aware of the broad job description of the role, how about bringing all that information up front?

Watch out for key competencies mentioned in the job description. Scan your interview process mentally for the important skills that were discussed. Make a comprehensive list – these are going to be the key elements of your new role/job.

For instance, if you are moving up the ladder from an individual contributor to a managerial position, team development and collaboration would figure high in this list. So would be the skill of decision making. If you are on this path of your career trajectory, it is normal to feel lost and stumble along the way. Seek out mentors within the organisation who can be your guide and put you on a fast track mode so that you are able to absorb the organisational culture effortlessly and at a quick pace. 

• Understand the business

There will come a phase in your professional life when you will jump ships and move across industries/sectors. The fundamentals of your skills can be of immense value in just about any role/job. If you are a risk taker, you will instinctively understand the value of being agile and adaptive. A good and easy place to begin is by understanding the business.

Work with your HR to have a detailed induction that should have you interacting not just with direct benefit functions but also with all business leaders. Note down important points discussed during the induction. Trust me, you will need to refer back to those notes. It is okay to not understand everything in the first instance, which is why those notes will keep handy. Gauge the most profitable business for the organisation. Ask people whom you meet as to what their business priorities are and understand from them how you can support them. In this whole process, keep an open mind and tune in for any new learnings.

• Prioritise 

Once you have mapped out the key business priorities and are clear about the ask of your new role/job, it is time to further classify your priorities. This helps in taking one meaningful step at a time and not meander around in the maze that sometimes surrounds a new role/job.

Your first priority ought to be focused on things that need to be done right away. It could be as simple as collaborating with cross functional teams. If so, get down to doing that.

Second, make a list of things that you need to work on and draw up an action plan around those. Maybe it is learning to say no to unproductive tasks. Or reading up on the history of the organisation to sharpen your understanding of the business. 

Then of course you have the items that require no action. Examples of these would be activities that circle around your strengths, which you have demonstrated in the past and are extremely confident of. An apt example would be wherein you have the background of having worked in a PR agency. Here, you are bound to have an understanding of the whole process of public relations and media outreach. Hence, these need not be in the priority list.

A new role/job will always require and demand that ‘extra’ effort from your end. Earmark those areas that call for immediate action and stay focused in your discovery of new knowledge.

The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.

Sarita Bahl

Sarita Bahl is an alumnus of Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Swedish Institute of Management Program. An experienced and versatile leader, she comes with nearly four decades of professional experience. She has over the years successfully overseen the communications and public affairs function and led the corporate social responsibility strategy for Bayer South Asia, Pfizer, and Monsanto, among others. Sarita has held multiple roles across diverse industries, the public sector, trade associations, MNCs, and the not-for-profit sector. Her areas of interest include advocacy, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, and communications.

As an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Senior Practitioner (Mentoring) from the European Council of Mentoring and Coaching (EMCC), Sarita specializes in career transition, inner engineering and life issues. Sarita enjoys writing and is passionate about animals, books, and movies.