Stranger in a Strangeland
Navigating your exciting, new role like a pro
Congratulations! You have just landed a new, dream job. Your first day of onboarding is around the corner, and you can feel the butterflies of excitement.
Although I have personally not switched jobs too often myself, I have watched many young professionals onboard on my teams over the years. One of the things I realize looking back at all those experiences is that starting a new job can feel a lot like arriving in an unfamiliar city. The streets are uncharted, the customs are a mystery, and you’re trying to find your footing while soaking in the new sights and sounds. It’s exciting but can also be overwhelming.
Whether you’re a fresh hire eager to make your mark or a seasoned pro taking on a new challenge, every new neighbourhood has a map to go from “Where am I?” to “This is home.”
Ready to explore? Let’s take the first step.
Walk Around Before You Drive
When you move to a new city, the best way to get a feel for your neighbourhood isn’t by zipping around in a car. Instead, you lace up your shoes, hit the pavement, and explore. You notice the hidden coffee shop tucked behind two towering buildings, the shortcut through the park that’s not on any map, or the little quirks that make the place interestingly unique.
The same goes for your new role. To truly understand how your team works, you need to dive in and try shipping something. For a developer, this might mean making a minor code change and seeing it through to production. For a manager, it could be introducing a small process tweak or steering a straightforward project to completion. Keep it small, so it is achievable. The goal is to get to the finish line while learning the terrain, and not to scale a mountain to demonstrate your prowess.
By engaging with your team’s workflows, tools, and processes firsthand, you’ll begin to understand your team's Ways of Working - how anything gets done on this team.
Decode the Local Dialect
Every new city has its own unwritten set of customs that makes it tick. Maybe people greet each other with a nod rather than a wave, or perhaps you tip only when someone goes above and beyond. To truly feel at home, you need to immerse yourself in these nuances, and nothing helps you adapt faster than learning the language. Language not only opens doors to understanding but also helps you connect with the people around you.
In your new role, this translates to understanding your team’s culture and the lingo of your workplace. Start by meeting your team members. Schedule informal one-on-ones to learn about their responsibilities, workflows, and preferred ways of communication. Get a sense of who does what, and more importantly, how they do it.
As you navigate your new environment, you’ll encounter jargon and acronyms unique to the company or business domain. Make a habit of jotting them down. Ask your manager, onboarding buddy, or a helpful colleague to explain them when you get the chance.
In your early days in a new role, you have a free pass to ask all the “obvious” questions. Use this time wisely because later, expectations will shift, and you’ll be expected to figure things out on your own.
This proactive curiosity not only builds your understanding but also signals your willingness to learn.
Build Your Network of Allies
In any new city, knowing the right people can make a big difference to your quality of life. Whether it’s a friendly neighbour who offers emergency medical assistance or a local guide who knows where to find the best eats, these connections can be your lifeline.
The workplace is no different. As you navigate your new role, it’s crucial to identify and build relationships with your “allies.” These are the people who can help you understand the lay of the land, teach you about the tribal knowledge that runs the team, or even help you unlock new opportunities. Some will be your immediate teammates, while others might be key stakeholders or influential figures in the organization.
Start by asking your manager or peers about who you should meet. Then, set up one-on-one conversations to introduce yourself, learn about their work, and demonstrate genuine curiosity. It’s not always about what they can do for you—consider what value you can bring to them as well. Nothing beats helping them with something small but meaningful to kickstart this relationship.
Over time, these connections will form the support system you can lean on when you face challenges. So, make it a priority to build your network early—it’s one of the best investments you can make in your new role.
Be the Neighborhood Scout
Every neighbourhood, no matter how pristine it looks at first glance, has plenty of small opportunities for improvement. Maybe it’s a loose cable that threatens kids playing nearby or a stretch of sidewalk cluttered with debris. Taking the initiative to make your surroundings just that little bit better not only contributes to the community but also earns you goodwill among your neighbours.
In your new role, these small improvements might take the form of updating outdated documentation, or fixing a broken script. The key is to look for areas where you can contribute without overstepping. Don't try to dive into solving big, systemic problems just yet (more about this later).
These "boy scout" actions, while seemingly minor, make a noticeable impact and show your colleagues that you care about the collective success of the team.
Understand the History Before You Judge
Every city has its quirks. There might be winding streets that don’t seem to follow any logical layout, a peculiar zoning rule that affects certain neighbourhoods, or an old fountain in the middle of a bustling intersection. At first glance, these oddities might make you wonder, “Why on earth is it like this?” But dig a little deeper, again with genuine curiosity, and you’ll often find a rich history and reasons that made sense at a given point in space and time.
In a new role, you’ll inevitably encounter similar quirks—be it in how your team works, the company’s policies, or the product’s codebase. Resist the temptation to criticize or jump to conclusions. What seems inefficient or downright baffling at first might have been carefully shaped by constraints, trade-offs, or lessons from past experiences.
Instead of vocalizing every "WTF" moment, keep a “WTF list” for yourself. You can easily burn bridges for good by going "WTF" too often. Note down the things that puzzle you and revisit them periodically. At the risk of overusing the term, genuine curiosity will earn you a lot of karma, not to mention that over time you’ll likely come to understand the rationale behind many of these decisions.
When you do feel ready to address a long-standing issue, this karma, and the empathy and right context you have developed, will help you propose a solution that your long-serving team members will appreciate.
Embrace the Adventure
Starting a new role is an exciting yet challenging experience, much like setting foot in an unfamiliar city. Approach your first few months as you would exploring a strange land—with curiosity, an open mind, and a plan to adapt. You may feel like a stranger now, but with time and purpose, this new land will feel like home—a place where your contributions truly matter. All set to take this plunge then?