The following article by Siobhan was published in The Kilkenny People 29 February 2008

EVERYONE knows that starting a new job is stressful. You want to make the right impression and want to be able to do your best. You may be having the following worries:

- What are they going to think of me?

- Will I impress the boss?

- Will I be as good as the person I?m replacing?

- What if I don't know how to do the tasks they give me?

My question to you is: Are you a mind reader? If you are, get in touch with RTE. If not, then you are causing yourself undue worry. You can never know what someone is thinking and you can never control it either. What you need to do is focus on the job and prepare for it.

Here are a few things to get you in the Dolly Parton mood and start on the right foot.

1. You are only human. It takes on average, three months for a new employee to settle into their job. You cannot be expected to know on starting how the company runs, who makes the decisions and how projects are carried out. Remember this and you will learn a lot more without stressing yourself out.

2. Start as you mean to continue. If you start volunteering for every task offered up so as to make a good impression, you are risking the chance of burning yourself out which is going to effect your work in the long run. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

3. Don't be having doubts. For many those first 3 months can be very uncertain with all the new information and changes happening. It is important to stay positive and give it your best shot even if things are no going to plan. If after the first 3 months, things are not going to plan e.g. your job role does not match that of your contract, then you can express your concerns to your employer.

4. Prioritise. Know what your key tasks are so that you don't get all caught up in proving yourself with shows of genius. You may have saved the company 100 euro a month by changing paper supplier but when it comes to your six month review, you need to show you did the tasks that were assigned to you. Keep the other achievements for wage increases and proving why you are valuable to the company.

5. Work is not everything. There are several different areas in your life other than work such as health, family, friends, hobbies and so forth. You need to keep a health balance or it will start to effect your work too. So keep your healthy balance and you'll shine.

These are just some but above all of these you need to be yourself and you can't go wrong.

To check out Siobhan's Blog, go to: www.siobhansims.ie

Author's Bio: 

Siobhan Sims, life coach and self-improvement writer, began her love of coaching while working in Philadelphia after achieving her B.A. Honours Degree in Social & Political Studies and I.T. The company she was working for, was all about positive living and having a balanced life as an employee. Siobhan was hooked and on returning, searched for a company that had the same mission in Kilkenny, Ireland.

However, it was not to be found and in 2006, after a serious health scare, she left her job as a manager to work part-time in a bookshop, a dream of hers from a young age. It was during this time that she was able to decide what she wanted from life and her future. She realised that her calling was to become a life coach and enrolled with the ILI and became qualified a year later, specialising in stress management.

She started her own company and while being in demand, especially for her inspiring workshops, found she missed the social aspect of working with other people. That is when she started managing Khan's Books in Kilkenny and found she was able to write her books, coach and still have the aspect of being social and surrounded by her two favourite things in life: people and books!

She is married and living in Kilkenny, Ireland, and is currently preparing for the release of her book, "Did your Day Count? - Learn to get Balance and Direction in your Life!

If one thing is evident from the life of Siobhan Sims, it is that with hard work and direction, you can achieve your dreams.

For more on Siobhan, check out her website: www.siobhansims.ie