5 worst mistakes employees can make in a new job

If the New Year marks the start of a new job, you may want to be on your best behavior as you navigate your fresh opportunity.

Meeting colleagues for the first time, experiencing the company’s learning curve and understanding the corporate culture are all part of joining a new workplace and taking new steps in a career. 

While you’re likely to have the best intentions, experts say that there are specific things that should be on your radar that could hinder your productivity and success. 

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Read on about how to make the most of your new position. 

New job mistake No. 1: Thinking you know everything

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when starting a new job is not asking enough questions and trying to handle everything by yourself, Andrew McCaskill, a career expert with LinkedIn who is based in Atlanta, Georgia, told FOX Business.

“Not only can this slow down your productivity and inhibit you from learning how your team and company operate, it can also limit your ability to gain valuable feedback that you could use down the line,” he said.

Joining a new team isn’t easy — and colleagues aren’t expecting you to know everything the first day on the job. But “don’t wait for offers of assistance.” (iStock / iStock)

“The more you try to figure things out on your own, the less likely you are to make improvements and the more susceptible you’ll be to making mistakes.” 

Joining a new team isn’t easy — and colleagues aren’t expecting you to know everything the first day on the job. 

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But “don’t wait for offers of assistance,” said McCaskill. 

Instead, “be proactive and ask for help, clarity or more information when you need it.”

New job mistake No. 2: Keeping to yourself 

While it may be a bit intimidating at first, it’s a good idea to get to know your team — not just for networking purposes, but also to make collaboration easier and your work environment a more enjoyable place to be, said McCaskill.

“Relationships are key to being successful in any role and can also help you feel connected to a company’s culture,” he said.

You don’t want to miss key opportunities to build important connections with others on your team or in your department, advise career experts.  (iStock / iStock)

If you isolate yourself or don’t make an effort to put yourself out there, you might miss key opportunities to build important connections, he said.

New job mistake No. 3: Reliving your bad work experiences from prior positions 

Living in the past and re-hashing bad experiences from prior jobs can get a new job off to a rocky start. 

“Think of starting a new job as a clean slate,” recommended McCaskill. 

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“You don’t want to get too hung up on your previous job or negative experiences, since this can prevent you from taking the next step forward and really blossoming into your new role,” he said.

“Think of the experience as an obstacle you had to overcome and think of all the skills you gained along the way.”

“Not only can this negative mindset affect how you approach your new job, but your team might be able to pick up on it as well, which can reflect poorly on you and your work.” 

If you do find yourself starting to fall into the same negative mindset from your previous job, try to replace a positive moment for every negative one. 

When you start a new job, think of it as “starting a clean slate,” said one career expert. (iStock / iStock)

“Rather than focusing on what your past employer did wrong, think of the experience as an obstacle you had to overcome and think of all the skills you gained along the way,” McCaskill told FOX Business. 

New job mistake No. 4: Exhibiting a ‘we did this’ mentality

It could be a mistake to constantly reference and compare a previous company in a new role. 

“It may leave a bad impression on new colleagues,” said Charlotte-based Amy Mosher, chief people officer at isolved.  

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While it may be easy to draw on past experiences, it’s important to find a balance between being helpful and providing overbearing comparisons, she noted.

“If you enter every meeting with a ‘we did this at X’ mentality, new employees will likely burn some relationships early on,” Mosher explained. 

“It’s important to find a balance between being helpful and providing overbearing comparisons.”

“Employees should learn from their previous company — and even share what they can without jeopardizing propriety rules — but quickly shift from ‘we’ to ‘they’ in the framing of their previous company.”  

In short, new employees should embrace their new company fully and the opportunities it offers.

New job mistake No. 5: Failing to educate yourself 

A lack of knowledge about your new role, your new employer or your new business leaders may hinder your growth and slow your onboarding process. 

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Use the early days of new employment to learn more about your role and the company. 

“Failing to educate yourself about a new company can extend an employee’s learning curve,” said Mosher.

“Onboarding presents rare downtime that allows employees to read through an organization’s website, explore existing documents that relate to one’s position, or download any of the company’s style guidelines.” (iStock / iStock)

Workers could continue to “struggle to grasp an organization’s goals, have an increased dependency on trainings and demonstrate limited autonomy in their role,” she also said.

When an employee enters a new role, the onboarding agenda may have required meetings and trainings — but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn more during their downtime, she said.  

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“Onboarding presents rare downtime that allows employees to read through an organization’s website, explore existing documents that relate to one’s position, or download any of the company’s style guidelines.”

She added, “Employees can really set themselves apart by taking the extra initiative to be an educated new hire and early brand adopter.”

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