Start your new job on a proactive, not passive note
By Jacquelyn Smith
The first day at your new job may be among the most memorable — and perhaps stressful — of your career.
"Most of us remember our first days at every job because of the
heightened pressure to impress," says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace
expert and author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant; How to Manage
Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job." "But you can reduce your
anxiety by being as meticulous in planning your first day as you were
in securing your new position."
David Parnell, a legal consultant, communication coach, and author, says
it's easy, even tempting, to passively ride along with the "human
resources tour that usually sets off the first day of employment." There
will be forms to fill out, videos to watch, people to meet, "and
generally speaking, no real position-specific responsibilities," he
says. "But taking a passive versus proactive response would be a
mistake. The first day sets the tone for the rest of your career with
those who you'll be interacting with."
Here are 21 things you should do on the first day of your new job.
1. Prepare and ask questions. Mark Strong, a life,
career, and executive coach based in New York, says although you should
spend much of your first day listening, you can and should ask questions
when necessary. "Generally, you're trying to demonstrate your curiosity
and desire to learn," he says.
Taylor says it's a good idea to prepare by writing down both practical
and general questions about how you can be most successful in the role.
"By now you have enough background on the company to integrate more
in-depth questions at your orientation meetings," she says. "Have a list
of questions handy for managers you think you might meet. Make sure you
also have a contact in HR in case you have very basic inquiries before
you start or on your first day."
2. Prepare an elevator pitch. Get ready to give a
30-second explainer of who you are and where you were before, as many
new colleagues will likely ask about your previous place of employment,
Taylor says. Be prepared to also describe what you'll be doing in this
new position, since there may be people who have a vague understanding
of your role or simply want to strike up a conversation.
3. Show up early, but enter the building on time. Get
there at least 15 minutes early, suggests Teri Hockett, chief executive
of What's For Work?, a career site for women. "If you haven't done the
commute before, practice it a couple of times during rush hour a week
before so that you're at least somewhat prepared for the unknown." But
wait at a nearby coffee shop until the time your new boss or HR asked
you to arrive.
4. Figure out the social landscape. Two of the more
important factors in succeeding at a job are to not only get along with
your co-workers, but also to associate with the right ones, Parnell
explains. "In any sizeable work environment you will find cliques, and
some mesh better with management than others. If you want to eventually
move up in the ranks with your new employer, you'll need to associate
with the right crowd."
He says it's also essential that you begin to determine the office
politics on day one. "Power is an interesting, quite important, and
sometimes elusive thing in the work environment," he says. "Certainly it
is vital to understand the articulated positional hierarchy in your
organization — who answers to who. This should be as easy as reading
your co-worker's titles. However, because power can manifest in so many
different ways, it is imperative to understand who actually answers to
who."
5. Relax. While you're being strategic, also remember
to relax on your first day so that you can optimize your productivity.
"Make sure you're well rested, prepared, and have every reason to be on
time. This is a visible milestone, and you want to be at your best,"
Taylor says.
6. Smile. "It may have taken awhile to reach this
point, after searching, interviewing, and landing the job, so don't
forget to be happy and enjoy the moment," Hockett says.
Strong agrees, saying: "We all know that first impressions matter. Smile
when you meet new people, and shake their hands. Introduce yourself to
everyone, and make it clear how happy and eager you are to be there.
Your co-workers will remember."
7. Look and play the part. When in doubt, take the
conservative approach in how you dress and what you say and do. Be as
professional as you were in the interview process.
Hockett suggests you determine the dress code in advance so that you
don't look out of place on your first day. "This is important because
sometimes the way we dress can turn people off to approaching us, or it
sends the wrong message." Ideally, you want to blend in and make others
and yourself comfortable. If you're not sure what the dress code is,
call the HR department and ask.
8. Don't be shy. Say "Hi" and introduce yourself to everyone you can.
9. Talk to as many people as possible. One of the most
invaluable insights you can get in the beginning is how the department
operates from the perspective of your peers. If you establish that
you're friendly and approachable early on, you will start on the right
foot in establishing trust.
10. Befriend at least one colleague. Go a step further
and try to make a friend on Day 1. "Beyond generally talking to peers
and getting the lay of the land, it's always a good to connect with a
fellow team member or two on your first day, even if it's just for 10
minutes," says Taylor. "Beginning a new job can be stressful at any
level, and this practice can be very grounding, accelerating your
ability to get up to speed faster in a foreign atmosphere."
Let your colleague(s) know that you're available to lend a helping hand.
A little goodwill goes a long way. The positive energy and team spirit
you exude will be contagious, and the best time to share that is early
on, versus later, when you need people.
11. Don't try too hard. The urge to impress can take
you off-track, so remember that you're already hired — you don't have to
wow your new colleagues, Taylor says. It's every new employee's dream
to hear that people noted how brilliant and personable they are, or how
they seem to "get" the company so quickly. But that can be a lot of
wasted energy; you'll impress naturally — and more so once you
understand the ropes.
12. Don't turn down lunch. "If you're offered to go
have lunch with your new boss and coworkers, go," Hockett says. "It's
important to show that you're ready to mingle with your new team — so
save the packed lunch for another day."
13. Listen and observe. The best thing anyone can do in
the first few days of a new job is "listen, listen, and listen," Strong
says. "It's not time to have a strong opinion. Be friendly, meet
people, smile, and listen."
This is a prime opportunity to hear about the goals your boss and others
have for the company, the department, and top projects. It's your
chance to grasp the big picture, as well as the priorities. "Be prepared
to take lots of notes," Taylor suggests.
14. Project high energy. You will be observed more in
your early days from an external standpoint, Taylor says. Your attitude
and work ethic are most visible now, as no one has had a chance to
evaluate your work skills just yet. Everyone wants to work with
enthusiastic, upbeat people — so let them know that this is exactly what
they can expect.
15. Learn the professional rules. On your first day,
your employer will have a description of your responsibilities — either
written or verbal. This is what you should do to be successful at your
job. "With that being said, there is usually a gap between what you
should do, and what actually happens," Parnell says. "This is important
because while you shouldn't neglect any articulated duties, there may be
more that are implicitly expected of you. It is usually best to find
this out sooner rather than later."
16. Put your cell phone on silent. You need to be 100% present at work, especially on the first day.
17. Show interest in everyone, and the company. You'll likely be
introduced to many people, and while they may make the first attempt to
learn a little about you, make an effort to find out about them and
their role. It's not just flattering, it will help you do your job
better, Taylor says.
18. Pay attention to your body language. Your body
language makes up the majority of your communication in the workplace.
Assess what you're communicating to better understand how others may
perceive you, and make any necessary adjustments.
19. Be available to your boss. "This might sound
obvious at face value, but on your first day of work, you'll likely be
pulled in a thousand directions," says Taylor. You want to make sure
you're accessible to your new boss first and foremost on your this day,
despite all the administrative distractions.
"This is an important first impression you don't want to discount," she
adds. "Companies are not always as organized as they'd like when
onboarding staff. You can easily get caught up with an HR professional,
various managers or coworkers — or with a special assignment that keeps
you from being available to the person who matters most." On your first
day of work, check in with your manager throughout the day.
20. Be yourself. "Think of ways to be relaxed and
project yourself as who you are," Taylor says. "It's stressful to try to
be someone else, so why bother? You want some consistency in who you
are on day one and day 31. If you have the jitters, pretend you're
meeting people at a business mixer or in the comfort of your own home,
and that these are all friends getting to know each other. That's not
far from the truth; you'll be working closely with them and enjoy
building the relationship, so why not start now?"
21. Leave with a good attitude. The last thing to
remember is that while the first day at a new job is very important, you
shouldn't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't go flawlessly. "You
might look back on your performance on day one and second-guess
yourself," Taylor says. "Yes, you should prepare and try to do your
best, but remember that if you try to accomplish too much, you may get
overwhelmed. Know that there's always tomorrow."
