Just weeks ago, Dylan Harrison's father tried to persuade him to leave law enforcement to be an electrician. Instead, Harrison redoubled his commitment to policing.On his first part-time shift with a new agency, Harrison was shot dead last weekend in Middle Georgia. He'd sought the second job to supplement his full-time duties with a drug task force elsewhere in the state.Related video: Several cities across America confront aftermath of violent weekendAhead of Harrison's funeral Friday, his relatives remembered a man always drawn to public service and to doing well by his wife and infant son.He is among at least 111 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died this year in the line of duty from nonmedical causes, according to a nonprofit that tracks such deaths."(Harrison's father) was trying so hard to get him to apply for a job in the electrical field," because he had just obtained his electrician's certificate, Harrison's mother, Kathy Harrison, told CNN affiliate WGXA this week."(But) he told me a few weeks ago ... 'Daddy, I love what I'm doing. I love helping people,'" the father, Jeff Harrison, said.Harrison's uncle shared a similar memory: "He told us that he wouldn't be happy unless he was a law enforcement officer," Michael Cauley told the local TV station. "That's just what he loved doing."'The kindest, sweetest soul you would ever meet'Harrison, 26, of Dublin, Georgia, already was a full-time agent with the Oconee Drug Task Force.But to earn extra money, his family says, he'd recently taken a part-time job as a police officer in Alamo, about a 30-mile drive from Dublin and a 160-mile drive southeast of Atlanta.During his first shift in Alamo, Harrison was fatally shot around 1 a.m. ET Saturday outside the police department, police said. Investigators believe Harrison was shot "ambush-style" in retaliation for an encounter hours earlier in which he used his Taser on a known associate of the man now jailed and charged with killing him, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.On Monday, police vehicles escorted a hearse with Harrison's remains from the bureau's crime lab in Atlanta to Dublin.His parents and other family members stood alongside a road there and watched the hearse drive into town. WGXA interviewed Harrison's parents and Cauley then.The 26-year-old was jovial and a prankster, Cauley told WGXA."He was just always happy and smiling. You see the pictures of him, he's got these two dimples, and that just sums up what he was like. He was just a very happy, jovial guy. He'll be missed."His survivors also include his wife, Heather Milks Harrison, and son, Brody Cash Harrison."I wish y'all could have known him," Kathy Harrison told WGXA. "He was the kindest, sweetest soul you would ever meet."Suspect faces murder and other chargesAuthorities have arrested Damien Ferguson, 43, of Alamo, on suspicion of killing Harrison. He was charged with murder and bias motivated intimidation of first responders in connection with the shooting, and aggravated stalking for a separate incident, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.Ferguson had an initial court appearance Tuesday but has not had a chance to enter a plea. He did not have a lawyer listed for him on Thursday, according to the clerk's office in Laurens County, where Ferguson was jailed.Harrison had taken the part-time job in Alamo to earn more money "to buy a new house," the uncle, Michael Cauley, told WGXA.But his affinity for civic service ran deep, Cauley said."He joined the ... volunteer fire department when he was 16, 18 years old," Cauley told the TV station. "He just dedicated his life to service, and that's what he was all about."Harrison held several public safety jobs as an adult. He had been a full-time firefighter at Southside Fire Department on Georgia's Wilmington Island before working as a 911 operator for Laurens County, according to his obituary.He also had been a part-time police officer with Middle Georgia College, the city of Cochran, and the East Dublin Police Department.Harrison's funeral is scheduled for Friday morning at the DuBose Porter conference center in Dublin.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp offered his condolences to Harrison's family Saturday on Twitter.Alamo Police Chief Karen Zanders had "never experienced a grief that I have felt since Officer Dylan Harrison's life was taken in our small, quiet town," she said."Officer Harrison was a husband, a son and, more importantly, he was the father of a 6-month-old boy," Zanders told reporters on Sunday."His life was taken from him for simply doing his job," she said. "We will never forget Officer Harrison and the fact that he made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the safety of each one of us."

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Starting a new job is nerve-wracking: You're trying to remember everyone's names and roles, and learn the culture, all the while trying to put your best foot forward.And for new hires who are joining a company remotely during the pandemic, the onboarding process can be even more difficult.Here's how to make a great first impression:Prepare ahead of your first dayPreparation is key to starting a new job on the right foot."Get your office in order. Get everything you need that you can set up to where and how you are going to work: your desk, get a ring light if you feel you need it ... get your space ready so that when you start work you are ready to go," said Andrew McCaskill, LinkedIn career expert.He also suggested reviewing the company's website, blog posts or social media pages to help become more familiar with the company and your new colleagues."Start to look around to see what you can learn about the organization ... get into the company news to figure out what's going on at work before you get to work," McCaskill said.Ask for a buddyWorking remotely means you no longer have a seat mate that can help you learn how access your project files or fill you in on office norms.To help answer any mundane questions that pop up as your learn the ropes, ask your boss to assign you a buddy."Ask your manager: 'Is there someone on the team that you can go to for small questions to help figure out how things work here?'" said Renata Dionello, chief people officer at ZipRecruiter. "That way, that person knows up front you might be asking them questions and make you more comfortable to ask questions and them more responsive when you come to them."Build your networkWithout coffee breaks, lunch dates and hallway run-ins, establishing a rapport with your new colleagues takes more effort when working remotely.Ask your manager for recommendations of colleagues you should meet and also pay attention to names of people who are regularly in your meetings or included on team emails.Once you have a list, start setting up introductory meetings.Dionello suggested requesting 30-minute meetings with co-workers who you will be working with directly on a regular basis, and ask questions about their role, current projects and work preferences.She also suggested setting up 15-minute intro meetings with people who aren't direct reports or on your team, but are included in emails, show up in meetings or are referenced occasionally.These meetings shouldn't be entirely work focused. Ask questions that will help you get to know your teammates, but don't get too personal right away. Questions like: 'How long have you been at the company?' 'How did you get into this industry?' and 'How was your summer?' can help break the ice."Networking is a two-way street: if you need help ask for help, but also offer help," said McCaskill. "Share some of your own personal insights about you and your life and that makes it a little easier for other folks to do the same. Accept what people offer up initially, and make it very natural."Scour the intranetSome companies offer internal websites to employees that can be a treasure trove of information regarding resources, handbooks, benefits and announcements."Making use of the tools the company has is really important," said Paul Wolfe, senior vice president of human resources at job website Indeed.Employee resource groups, such as those established for women, parents, people of color, or LGBTQ employees, can also be a good way to make connections, noted McCaskill."If there is an opportunity where there is already a group or community built into your organization, getting involved and getting access to that community will help grease the wheels of you getting to know more people faster," said McCaskill.Learn your manager's styleSome managers want frequent progress updates, while others are a little more hands off. Learning how your manager prefers to communicate — whether it's emails, instant messaging, weekly meetings or shared documents — and how often, is important to your success."Ask them how do they like to work best and share with them what works best for you," said McCaskill.Get feedback regularlySet up frequent one-on-one meetings with your manager during your first few weeks on the job that are feedback-focused, suggested Dionello."It's fine to say to the manager...'For the first two months, I would really love frequent feedback on whether I am focusing on the right things, am I approaching things the right way, is my style fitting with the style of the team and company?' You can have that conversation up front," Dionello said.The "stop, start and continue" framework can help get the conversation going, said Wolfe. That means asking your manager: Is there anything you should stop doing, what should you start doing and what should you continue to do?Be patientOnboarding can be difficult in a remote setting, so try and give yourself a little breathing room."You have to pace yourself and be patient," said Wolfe. "You aren't going to come out of the gate and fix everything right away. Come up with a plan with your leaders about how you prioritize things."