A few weeks ago I posted about 'Questions every Candidate should ask a potential new employer'.  As I get ready to start a new journey at a new company next week I thought it may be fun to post my thoughts on what a new employee should do to be successful.
 

• Leave your dirty laundry at home
  From time to time when someone leaves a company, they are leaving because they extremely unhappy with the old place (not true in my current case).  When this is the case, leave the past in the past.  Do your best to not vent, rant or 'explain' what you did not like with the old company or why they 'sucked' so bad you had to run for this hills.  This will only make you look bad, nothing good can come from it.
  
  If asked about the prior company, try to speak about the experience in a positive light.  It will make you look much better then doing the opposite.
  
  
• Understand before you critique
  Every company does things different, this is a given.  When you arrive and are learning about the way things are done, make sure you understand WHY things are being done the way they are before you critique it.  You have to trust that when the decision was made back in the day that there were valid reasons for the decision.  It is completely ok to suggest alternative ways, but not before you understand the current way.
  
  If you get your career started by trying to prove how smart you are and present a 'your way is best' attitude, you will be in for a world of hurt.
  
  
• Go in with an open mind and open eyes
  Make an effort to open your mind to new ideas and ways of doing things.  This can be especially helpful if you are leaving a company that you were at for a long time.  By having an open mind you will be able to learn and grow as a employee.
  
  More than likely you are leaving your old company for a new experience and to gain knowledge, you could gain this very quickly if you are willing to accept change.
  
  
• Build your own list of terms/definitions about the business
  As you are learning about the business try to keep a list of terms/definitions you encounter (if the company already has something like this such as a WIKI then consider yourself lucky) so you can reference them. 
  
  
• Try to understand the layout/architecture of the systems
  As you are learning about the systems, try to build a document or documents that show the layout as you understand it (if the company already has something like this such then consider yourself lucky) .  Show these documents to senior team members to make sure your understanding is correct.
  
  By having documents such as these, your ramp time should be significantly reduced.  This will also allow you to make more informed decisions about possible changes to the system, or imporovements that can be made. 
  
  
• Socialize...
  Make an effort to meet as many different people as possible.  Try to learn what their role is, what part of the system they work on.  Also, try to get to know your fellow co-works on a personal level.  Maybe you will find that you have common interests.

There are just a few of my thoughts about this, do you have any?

I know this is a little off the .Net topic, but since we all have to work for a living, thought it was worth while.