Starting a new job is tough for anyone. There are skills to learn, colleagues to meet and the unwritten rules of a workplace to figure out.

But for those first-term Members of Parliament who arrive after November’s election, the learning curve is likely to be altogether steeper.

They’re expected to start their new roles with the competencies and experience needed to find their feet quickly.

But unlike most newbies, they have no formal job description, no single manager setting expectations – and relatively little likelihood of mistakes going unnoticed.

Our newly published research, based on interviews with 23 first-term MPs, shows just how difficult the transition can be – and how parliament, the media and the public might better support newcomers.

‘You want to hit the ground running’

For many new MPs, the shift can come as a shock. After swearing an oath of allegiance, they’re largely left to get on with it. As one new MP noted:

Normally when you start a job, you’ve got someone to look to or a job description or something to give you guidance, and this felt like, “figure it out, in the deep end”.

Normally when you start a job, you’ve got someone to look to or a job description or something to give you guidance, and this felt like, “figure it out, in the deep end”.

The job also involves answering to multiple groups with different expectations – from political parties and colleagues to constituents, interest groups and the wider........

© The Conversation