Overwhelmed At Your New Job? 5 Steps To Catch Up Quickly

I moved into a new field (from Legal into Security and Audit), I am working on getting certifications for this role, and I am working through a very steep learning curve. What should I do to ensure success in my new role? – Dawn

Getting certifications, taking courses and attending conferences are all good ways of developing skills and expertise specific to your new field. However, companies can be in the same field but still have their own unique way of working. There are company-specific processes to follow (e.g., reports to file at a specific cadence, in a specific format). There are systems, software and other technology that differ from company-to-company. Finally, each company has a unique culture – e.g., how collaborative v. competitive, how accessible leadership is – and this extends to your immediate manager and how they like to work.

While training in support of a new job is helpful, it is still insufficient to start a new job strong. Here are five steps to take when you’re learning on-the-job and need to catch up quickly:

1 – Clarify work timelines and match your learning timelines

There is a lot you probably need to learn, but not everything needs to be done right now. Most jobs are a mix of ongoing responsibilities, as well as ad hoc projects and initiatives that are assigned at various points in time. Some jobs have a seasonal nature to them – in the case of this audit professional, there may be an annual (or semi-annual or quarterly) deadline to meet. Work with your manager to confirm exactly what you’ll be working on and when, so you know what learning to prioritize.

2 – Identify what specifically you need to learn

Skills and expertise in your field are just two learning objectives. In addition, you need to understand how your new employer works, including how your manager likes to work. Hopefully, when you onboarded as a new employee, HR, IT or some other welcome resource helped you with the foundational systems (e.g., email, voicemail, knowledge management systems you’ll need for your job). However, there may be role-specific or department-specific software or information where your manager or colleagues need to lead the training. As you look through your list of responsibilities and projects (from step 1), identify the technology and information you’ll be using, as well as the reporting or whatever finished product you need to deliver. It could be that you need academic-like training (e.g., learning SQL to download your own data), or perhaps your manager or a colleague can train you on-the job. Finally, don’t forget communication and leadership skills that might be front-and-center for this new career but weren’t as prominent in your previous career (e.g., your legal work was more behind-the-scenes and now your audit work is client-facing).

3 – Enroll your manager in your learning and development

Once you have a list of items you still need to learn, ask your manager for help. There are many different resources for learning and development. Your manager will know if there is company-led training you can access, if there is budget to pay for a class outside or if a colleague can tutor on-the-job. Don’t spin your wheels trying to figure everything out yourself. If you come to your manager with a clear understanding of your role and responsibilities and what you’re asking for is support in maximizing your performance of said role and responsibilities, your manager will appreciate your initiative and interest in getting things done right from the start.

A caveat to the above is that, if you land a job with the understanding that you already have a skill (e.g., SQL), then learn that skill on your own time and ideally before you start. The kind of L&D support your manager can and should provide is related to company-specific ways of working, including proprietary or customized technology systems.

4 – Check in with your manager more frequently at first to learn what you didn’t know to ask

Ideally, you have some regular check-ins with your manager already established. When you start a job, check in more frequently than when you’re settled in the role. At the start of a job, you need more frequent feedback so you know how you’re really doing in the eyes of your manager and can correct any problems more quickly. You don’t know what you don’t know, so more frequent check-ins enables your manager to coach you on things you didn’t know to ask.

5 – Enlist support outside your manager to capture different ways of working

Because your manager also has their own responsibilities and projects, they are not going to be available at a moment’s notice. Take the time to establish relationships with your colleagues in a similar role as yourself. If your predecessor is still at the company, invest some time in developing a relationship with that person since they have the most firsthand experience with what you’re going through. Employee resource groups enable you to meet people across the company, in different departments and at different levels, and there may be connections you make who can help you if you need to learn about departments and people outside your own area.

You are always less efficient when you’re new – don’t get discouraged

There is a lot of learning to do at a new company, even when it’s a job you’ve done before. If you’re making a career change into a new role, new industry or both, there’s even more learning to do to account for your new field. Don’t get discouraged if workdays are longer, or if you feel like you’re less productive than before. Mark your calendar to check in with yourself every 60-90 days, and you’ll probably see improvement over time. If not, take advantage of those more frequent check-ins you scheduled with your manager to get help! Once you’re up-to-speed, don’t forget to dial back your extra effort, and return to a more sustainable work/life balance so you don’t burn out unnecessarily.