Fitting in for Comfort
SO! YOU'VE got past the CV scrutiny, then through the interview rounds and the group discussions and have the letter in your hand. Great! Before you sign on the returnable copy ask yourself "Do I really want to work here?" Not as most people ask themselves "Do I need to work (here)?" The reason is that the answer to the second question is always a "Yes!" The answer to the first is rarely, if ever considered. To come to a sensible, considered decision, you will have to bank on the research you did on the company before your interview. Add to that the information you learned (both explicit and implicit) at the interview and that you gleaned from the employees you did meet when you were in their premises. Perhaps you were asked to look around. What did you see? Whatever it was, did you actually like it? Can you see yourself enjoying yourself there?
One tends to `put on an act' at the interview and gloss over the weak areas. This is both normal and understandable. As no one is obliged to divulge his surly and uncouth nature at an interview, we tend to try and make the best impression we can and six times out of the ten, we succeed. And we are offered the job we hoped we'd get - even if we never really thought of it as the best option for us. It was merely the first one to come along. And the need for a job - any job - was great.
If after all this hurried introspection- and hurried it will have to be since you are not the only fish in the talent pool,- you decide on taking the job there are certain things you must do to see that your transition from outsider to insider is smooth and trouble-free. To do this, you have to make certain that you conform to what they expect from you. Check out the following:
The dress code and the deviations therefrom that seem to gather no strictures
Coffee machine/canteen etiquette
The official pecking order. You are not there to sweep in triumphantly in a flamboyant manner, try not to bridge the hierarchy with your informal gaffes
The Chain of Command as above but in more detail, knowing who really calls the shots - the person - junior though he (or she) might be, could be playing a role quite different to the designation that he holds
How your presence will affect others in the department
The popularity of your predecessor in his workplace - if he was popular and was asked to leave, your popularity can be negatively affected
If you are superseding anyone - if you are, his friends will resent you
The way things are done - whether it is casually mentioned or if it trickles down to you through several layers of people leaving a paper trail all the way
The rules and regulations that are in common use in the company - do they gel with your values
Whether you will make the slightest difference to the company or will you be lost in the labyrinth of the edifice
What exactly your job is and whether you will be appraised periodically
Can you take negative feedback or are you bad at it?
The freedom provided versus the freedom you desire
Having examined the above and weighed the answers with your own needs and desires, and discovered that you will, after all, accept the offer, you need to perpetrate the personality you projected at the interview. To do this effectively you should:
Be understated rather than brash and loud
Listen to everyone and note what everyone says. It will help you to know where the people are aligned
Do not confuse the above with acquiescence to the wishes of your seniors. Listen, but be non-committal about everything. It is fatal to your future if you start taking sides
Start in the way that you wish to go on. Do not start gung-ho and peter out later because this characteristic is the one by which you are best remembered
Make certain that no negative remarks ever leave your lips, because you have no idea how they can be turned against you
Be conservative in everything; sports, clothes and speech
Be respectful to age and experience but do not fawn on those that are in power over you
Be polite and tactful
Never imbibe too much at an office party, no matter how relaxed you feel
Try not to harp on your old place of work - the thought revolts at it, and so will your new boss
Do not reach for the stars - just yet!The first ninety days are the most crucial. Once you get past that, it should be smooth sailing thereafter - take the job and enjoy it!
ABHIMANYU ACHARYA
drwise@sify.com
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