Rock the first day at your new job with confidence
The first day of a new job can be a stressful experience but we are here to help! Once your job search is over and you’ve been hired, the next step is to plan for your first day. With proper preparation, you can start your path towards career success from day one. Read our blog post to discover how to make the first day at a new job a success then head on over to Job Mail if you’re thinking about finding other employment.
Photo credit – Christina Morillo
1. Have an open mind
Put aside all your expectations for your first day at work. Every office is different, and while your past work experience will stand you in good stead for your first day, you’ll need to be ready to adapt and learn. While having confidence in your skills and knowledge is beneficial, don’t expect to know everything when you’re starting at a new job. The key to career success is to build on your skills by looking for opportunities to learn and develop new capabilities. Suspending any judgements that you have when you meet your colleagues will go a long way towards building a rapport with your team members right from the start.
2. Introduce yourself to every single person you come into contact with
Meeting new people is a common cause of anxiety, so if you’re feeling stressed about meeting your colleagues, understand that this is normal. The best strategy is to fake it till you make it by introducing yourself to everyone that you come across on your first day. Smile and act confident and before you know it you’ll feel confident too. A friendly and enthusiastic attitude goes a long way towards achieving career success. A quick introduction to the people that you come across in the office will form a good foundation for the working relationships that you’ll need to establish at your new job. You can ask your manager for a list of people who are important for you to get to know so that you can make sure that you get a chance to introduce yourself to them. Be mindful of how the other person responds to your introduction. If they come across as busy, make your introduction brief, but if they seem engaged in your conversation you can take the time to get to know them better.
3. Remember names
While remembering a person’s name is a great start to a new relationship at work, it can be overwhelming to learn everyone’s name on the first day of work. The stress that comes with the first day of a new job makes it particularly difficult to learn the names of your colleagues. The best way to overcome this dilemma is to develop a strategy to make recalling people’s names easier. One useful suggestion is to repeat the person’s name back to them when they are introducing themselves to you. Try your best to learn people’s names but if you forget, honesty is the best policy. You can tell them that you’ve had a lot to learn on your first day and ask them to tell you their name again.
4. Ask questions
Asking questions at the appropriate time shows that you’re interested in your new job. It also helps you learn faster as well as to develop new skills, which contribute to your career success. While it’s important to ask questions, you don’t want to disturb your colleagues when they are busy. To get the right balance, start by defining what information you need to know.
Next, prioritise which information is most important. Write down the questions and determine who the right person to answer them is. If you have a quick question that’s urgent, you can stop by the person’s desk to get an answer. However, if your questions involve an elaborate response, you may want to set up a meeting with a colleague that can help you.
5. Dress for the part, but remember to be comfortable
Remove stress from your first day by planning your outfit in advance. Choose an outfit that is professional but one that you’re also comfortable wearing. Dressing the part helps to make you feel confident when you start at your new job. The outfit that you choose should be appropriate for your new role.
Now that you know more about handling your first day at a new job and how to make a success of it, head on over to Job Mail. There are plenty of opportunities if you’re in the market for new employment.
