Join the team. Get adopted by someone on your new team, so you can learn quickly the ins and outs of how the work is done. Having a mentor is crucial. This gives you someone to bounce your ideas off of, someone to ask for guidance and someone who can introduce you to others in the company.

Respect the culture. Many new hires expect that new ideas they bring with them are just what the company needs, and they often go overboard in acting like a breath of fresh air. While it's good to jump right in and participate, it's important to respect the culture and social structure of the team. Earn your way in by helping, not by taking over.

Become the problem solver. Everyone wants a "win" when starting a new job, because it's a good way to score points with the boss and the rest of the team. In fact, there's a better way to stand out: become "the fixer". Identify the problems your predecessor left behind and correct them. Almost anything you do to "fix" existing problems will be noticed, appreciated and regarded as improvements.

Article abridged from AskTheHeadhunter.com, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!