If you’ve started an apprenticeship or traineeship, chances are you’ll want to impress your employer by excelling at your job. Unfortunately, mistakes can happen when you’re still learning the ropes of a new profession.
Nobody’s perfect and it’s unlikely the company will expect you to be an expert on your first day. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t rest on your laurels – employers are less likely to be forgiving if you’re prone to sloppy errors.
For some quick tips on how to impress your supervisors, visit Apprenticeship Central. Signing up with the site means you’ll not only benefit from readily available resources, such as FAQs and industry resource packages, but you’ll also be able to access various members-only features.
But what mistakes are new employees most likely to make? And how can you reduce the chances that you’ll fall victim to carelessness? Here are just some of the ways to ensure you don’t slip up.
1. Ask questions
If you don’t know how to perform a job or carry out an instruction, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your employer is there to provide on-the-job training, so make sure to take advantage.
2. Listen carefully
It’s not enough just to ask questions; you’ll need to listen and apply the knowledge correctly. Tuning out when your supervisor is talking means you could miss an important piece of information and end up bungling the task.
3. Learn from colleagues
Other employees can be a great help when you’re learning new skills. Not only will they remember being the new person on the job, you can also check with them how to do things if you don’t want to pester your employer.
4. Don’t lie
Be willing to admit when you’re not sure how to do something. Your supervisor is more likely to be annoyed if you pretend to have experience with certain tasks, but then make rookie mistakes.
5. Be diligent
While you may be tempted to show your employer you’re a speedy worker, it’s better to complete tasks to a high standard. That means taking your time and being careful.
6. Own up to mistakes
Even taking the above tips into account, you’ll probably still make mistakes during your apprenticeship/traineeship. Tell your employer as quickly as possible to see whether there’s a way to remedy the situation. Even if there isn’t, you’ll get more respect for owning up.
