The first day of work brings in a mix of various emotions no matter your years of experience. Most often than not because of nervousness, we goof up a little impacting our perfect first day of work.
If you are someone who gets overwhelmed with the perfect first day of work pressure, you have landed on the right blog.
Let’s begin!
Things to do for a perfect first day of work
The first day of work can be a bit overwhelming for most people. Here we have listed a few tips for you to note down to help get everything in order.
Pick the right outfit
Your first impression is the last impression, not only in an interview but also on the first day of work.
Keep your attire washed and ironed the day before, make sure your shoes are polished as well. To be on the safe side, you can choose formal or casual formal attire for your first day. You can always dress it down by a notch on the second day if you see that your organization has a more relaxed rule in terms of dress codes.
Don’t go overboard with your accessories, keep it minimal as it is the safest bet in a professional environment.
Plan your travel
Travel time plays a crucial role when it’s about reaching work on time and being late on the very first day leaves a poor impression.
Whether you are new in town or well aware of the city’s public transport, make sure to look up the routes to your new workplace the day before. This will help you to reach on time on your first day of work.
Point to remember, leave your house with a minimum of 1 hour extra in hand. There is no harm in reaching the venue early and bracing yourself for any extra traffic etc.
Check documents for onboarding
Another important to check the day before your first day of work is to go through the required documents the recruiters have listed in your joining email.
Note down the required documents and prepare them a day in advance as it will help you stay prepared. Remember to keep extra copies of the documents listed for an emergency.
Once in the onboarding room, read all the documents thoroughly before signing.
Be attentive and ask questions
Orientation/Onboarding programs are extremely crucial for your first day of work as you will be walked through the policies of the company. So be attentive during the program and don’t shy away from asking questions.
It is important to understand the company’s policies and how to make your claims, etc as it will be helpful in times of need.
Be friendly
On the first day of work, keeping a friendly disposition will help you mix in with your new colleagues.
Smile and introduce yourself to them, you can strike conversations by asking if there are any good cafes around where they order from or hang out. This will help you to warm up to them and make new friends.
However, steer clear of gossips, as it creates unnecessary complications in the workspace.
Prepare an elevator pitch
On your first day of work, your colleagues and teammates might ask you about yourself and all the places you have worked. So, it is best to keep a simple elevator pitch handy to avoid stumbling and help sound confident.
Make time to bond with your colleagues
If your teammates ask you to join them for lunch, accept their invitation. Having lunches or coffee breaks with a colleague or teammates are the best ways to make friends in the workspace.
You can’t be a lone wolf in the workspace and getting to know your colleagues will help you to work as a team too.
What NOT to do on the first day of work
While you are hitting all the right notes on your first day of work, here are a few things for you to avoid.
Don't be late
Being on time is the most important factor on the first day of work. Coming in late leaves a negative impression as it might showcase your poor time management or worse that you are not taking the job seriously.
Hence to avoid such negative impressions, always be on time, especially on your first day of work.
Avoid receiving too many personal calls
Sure your family and friends would like to know every tiniest detail of your first day of work and running out to get it every other second or having lengthy conversations is sure to be avoided.
Receiving frequent personal calls/ texting in a professional setup is considered unprofessional behavior. You can always give them a call or revert to their texts during your lunch breaks, but keep the conversations short. You don’t want to ignore your colleagues altogether as it can seem rude.
Don't be shy to ask for help
Every organization has different setups, technologies, etc so don’t hesitate to ask for help if you feel stuck. Always ask your teammates or Manager questions about their work methodology on your first day of work. You are accustomed to a particular work methodology that is different from the current one, it is best to be aware of the way work is done in the new office to be efficient.
Don't be dishonest
We have always heard that honesty is the best policy, this rule applies to your work front as well.
If there are some tools you are unfamiliar with, be honest and let them know that you’ll learn them at the earliest. Remember, it is always better to own up than ending up with a blunder at work.
To conclude, in addition to these tips for a successful first day of work, make sure to bid your colleagues goodbye if you are leaving before them.
Hope you have a great first day of work by following these tips!
