Assume you've finally found the job of your dreams after a long and arduous search! I'm sure you're relieved that it's over! You can now unwind, cruise for a while, and "rest on your laurels." right?

Wrong!

Your work has only just begun, but so has your "glory!" Once you're "on the job," you'll face a slew of new challenges, including:

• Assimilation into your new role

• Aligning with the business priorities and culture of the new company

• Developing productive relationships and establishing professional credibility

• Avoiding "blind spots," leveraging assets, and strategizing for advancement

• Maintaining your "partner in career success" relationship with your Career Coach (if you have one).

Other important strategies and tips include...

• Remember to celebrate!

Finding a new job is certainly a cause for celebration. Indeed, don't forget to celebrate because you deserve it after all your hard work!

Following the celebration, send an email to your network of contacts informing them of your new position and thanking them for their assistance. In turn, you should offer them assistance or guidance in a similar capacity if they ever require it (and they will, eventually).

• Assimilate into your new position as soon as possible.

The first few weeks of a new job are typically both exciting and stressful. The excitement of new tasks and responsibilities is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming!

You may have been the "top dog" or an expert in the past, but now you're the "new kid on the block." Alternatively, you may find yourself as the person who knows the least about some new technology, procedures, or "how we do things around here."

As you figure out how to fit into your new environment, your new relationships and the unfamiliar organizational culture can be a source of anxiety.

You've learned a lot about yourself during your career transition process, including your strengths, preferences, and how you're "wired." You've worked hard and successfully hired your new boss.

The good news is that now is the time and this is the place to make the most of your self-discovery journey! Make all of the elements you've identified work for you!

Your new job will allow you to hone in on your key strengths. Begin by learning about your boss's priorities and the expectations for your new position - and specifically your performance.

However, before you rush to meet these priorities and expectations, make sure you understand the organization's culture and style, as well as its way of doing things.

• Learn from the past and plan for the future.

By answering the following questions, you can increase your value to your new employer and your chances of success:

-Do you have any skills that you can hone as you begin your new job?

-If so, what do you need to learn to work more effectively?

-What could you do differently if you were previously laid off or downsized to make yourself more valuable in this job? Learn new skills? -Improve your attitude toward extra work? Take on more responsibility?

-How will you keep up with job market trends, particularly in your field?

-Do you have a plan for where you want to be in a year, three years, and five years? What can you do right now to help you achieve your goals?

• The first 90 days make or break you.

Some experts believe that you only have 90 days in a new job to make an impact and leave a lasting impression on people in the organization about you and your leadership abilities. In terms of gaining respect, visibility, and credibility in your new position, you'll either "cut it" or you won't. The precedents you set in your first 90 days will last for the rest of your time at that organization. As a result, this "thumbprint" period is critical to your long-term success.

• Relationships are everything.

Develop positive relationships with your new colleagues and good communication habits to keep those relationships going. Be truthful, open, friendly, and dependable.

Develop positive relationships with your new colleagues and good communication habits to keep those relationships going. Be truthful, open, friendly, dependable, and clear. Pay close attention to the internal politics and culture of your employer, and align yourself in the most productive ways possible.

• Create a reputation for delivering tangible results.

Create a reputation for delivering tangible results and keeping promises. Begin a "success file" right away to track your accomplishments, contributions, and positive feedback from clients, managers, and others. Always strive to accomplish more!

• Communicate, communicate, and then "deliver the goods."

Communicate your plans, progress, and results to your bosses and team. Develop a reputation for setting clear goals and completing projects on time and on budget.

• Create your own internal contact network.

Develop positive relationships with everyone in the company, including those above and below your level. Learn everyone's name. Contact the mailman, the security guard, the IT expert, your manager's Executive Assistant, and everyone else!

You want friends all the way around you. Why? Simply put, it makes working with these people more enjoyable and productive. Also, keep in mind that no one achieves great things at work "by themselves."

• With your manager, go over and fine-tune your job description.

Along with reviewing and revising your job description, take the first 90 days to create an Individual Development Plan for yourself and your role, which includes short-, mid-, and long-term goals. This is critical to ensuring that the job you have landed is the job you want!

• Maintain a healthy balance between your professional and personal lives.

Make sure you don't overdo your enthusiasm for your new job. Family time, hobbies, and "recharging your batteries" all contribute to your professional effectiveness and success in the long run. True success is largely defined by achieving and maintaining "healthy balance."