Acclimating to a new job is never easy but it can be particularly difficult when you aren’t in the office. To compensate, you’ll have to be more proactive. Try to schedule a lot of brief check-ins with colleagues to mimic the short, informal interactions you’d have in person. Use these conversations as a chance to ask questions you may have about your current projects, but make sure to ask people what they are working on too so they have a chance to describe their work. Pay attention to any implicit statements about what they think is most important. Seek out mentors quickly so you have people who can guide you in the new role. Ask for help when you need it. And consider keeping a daily diary of how things went so you can easily identify any questions you have and make a plan to get the answers you need.
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Despite the unprecedented numbers of people filing for unemployment, the job market hasn’t come to a complete halt. There are companies who are still hiring and many who were in the process of interviewing when social distancing measures went into effect.
