Fitting In

Fitting in is usually the hardest part for people when starting a new job or industry opportunity. Fortunately for me I feel as if I have good interpersonal skills and I can fit in with almost any group in a very short period of time. Using these skills I was able to create a relationship with everyone in my office within the first two weeks of employment.

There are a few tips I use to my advantage every time I find myself in a situation where I'm new to something and need to introduce myself; and the first tip is doing just that. Introduce yourself! To everyone, and I mean everyone. As soon as I got to my placement I made it my number one priority to acquaint myself with every chiropractor, physiotherapist, massage therapist, and front end manager in the office. From there I continued to create small talk with them, even if it was something as little as asking someone how to do something, or asking them about their schooling process.

Another tip I like to use is one of my favorites and people often forget this one too often, and that is to just have fun. I know we're all at our placements to learn and get hands on experience as to what it would be like working in our future career choices, but if you treat it like an everyday job, that's exactly what it's going to feel like. Make it feel like a fun place to learn and an excuse to be out of class or out of your house. Don't think of it as a waste of time but rather time well-spent. 

My last tip is to just be yourself. If you act like someone you're not and then one day you forget to put the mask on and act a certain way, people are going to see right through it and see you as being fake or untrustworthy. This is not optimal when beginning work at a new establishment so going in with your own identity and not someone who you wish you were is going to be the best option to have success at fitting in at your placement. 

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Jacob Girard