While there are plenty of perks that come with a proper 9-to-5, it’s also a big transition from part-time and consulting work to full-time, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way.
If you’re moving from freelance to a full-time gig, here are seven steps to help you succeed, regardless of your new workplace reality.
1. Use Your Inside Voice
Consultants come with a certain amount of credible cache (whether or not it’s deserved). As a consultant, your opinion — even if it’s the same thing that internal staffers have been saying forever — carries a lot of weight.
When becoming a full-time employee, however, you may find that your one-time authoritative voice has lessened in its ability to be heard. For example, say you’re in a meeting and the topic is something you have successfully managed for several other companies in your pre-full-time employee life. Guess what? You no longer have the floor. Instead, you’re sitting with your colleagues while some other outside consultant is mapping out his plan for what you should do.
While you might think it wise to raise your voice and demand action of the people who now are your co-workers, avoid that impulse. That approach won’t get you far now. Watch and learn how others around you bring their ideas to the table or suggest changes to the higher-ups, and try that, instead.