newbieSo you got the job … now what?

This is something we all have to deal with, or have dealt with, at some point. It’s exciting to start a new job, but you want to make sure you start off right, don’t you? After all, so often how you start is a precursor for how your career will go.

Tomorrow night, from 8-9 pm CT (9-10 pm ET), Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon, who created the #HAPPO hashtag (Help a PR Pro Out) and chat, are bringing back this terrific Twitter chat to help you out.

It’s easy to join (here are my tips on joining a Twitter chat, if you haven’t done one before), and if you’re looking for an extra boost of confidence along with that new paycheck, I highly recommend you join in.

Among other things, we’ll (yes, I’ll be there too, since I’m a HAPPO Champion) be discussing:

  • What is the hardest thing about being the newest employee in your company/department?
  • Should you use social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook) to connect with new colleagues (and please, if you have a protected Twitter profile, now would be a really good time to make it public)? How about leadership?
  • What steps should you take to manage your image internally?
  • What do you do if the reality of the job you took doesn’t match the position you applied for?
  • What are some red flags that may signal the job is not working out?
  • What steps can you take to “help out” the new guy/gal on the team?

I’ve always found chats fun, and Arik and Valerie have built a terrific community around HAPPO. So do join in. Even if you’re not a newbie at your job, your experience and words of wisdom could help countless others.

Remember: 8-9 pm CT, and join by including the #HAPPO hashtag with all your tweets (make sure you’re following Arik, Valerie and the official @helpaprproout Twitter handle).

See you then!

Image: davemelbourne via Flickr, CC 2.0