How to Get Ready for Your First Day in a New Job
Ensure that you’ll arrive on time — or better yet, early., Prepare the night before., Pack a smart lunch., Dress for success., Be ready to ask questions.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Ensure that you’ll arrive on time — or better yet
No, you don’t need to get there before the cleaning crew leaves, but set your goal to be a good fifteen minutes early.
This provides some “wiggle room” for unexpected delays and, in their absence, provides an initial image of you as someone who is eager and ready to go.Avoid getting lost on the way to your first day on the job by knowing the best way to get there.
Practice driving there a couple of times at the same time you will be heading to work so you can time out the drive, and also plan ahead for any potential traffic issues.Have an alternate route ready.
You need to know more than one way to get to your new job in case you find yourself stuck in traffic or encountering an unexpected hangup.
Search online maps before you leave the house to give you an idea of multiple ways you can try to get to your new job on your first day.
The same principles apply for public transportation.
Make a few “test runs” of your commute under similar circumstances, and have a solid backup plan (the bus instead of the train, for instance) just in case. -
Step 2: early.
Don’t leave anything to chance on the morning of your first day.
Instead, lay out or pack up everything you need the night before.Lay out your clothes and pack your lunch (see the relevant steps for advice on each).
Have your briefcase, bag, and/or purse ready to go as well.
Create a checklist if necessary to make sure you bring things such as: your wallet and ID; your phone charger; gum or breath mints; medication for headaches, upset stomach, or other possible medical conditions; any hygiene products you normally use, including feminine hygiene products; and a small water bottle to combat any “cotton mouth” on a stressful first day.
Being prepared the night before may also help you to rest easier, and a good night’s sleep is always helpful before your first day at a new job., Even if you are not a brown-bag kind of person, packing a simple, non-perishable, non-odoriferous lunch (no tuna!) gives you maximum options for the first day.
You want to be able to be flexible at lunch time.
It is hard to know if someone will plan a lunch outing for your first day.
You will be able to save your non-perishable lunch for another time, unlike with a turkey sandwich or salad.
This way, too, your new coworkers won't feel bad if you need to leave your packed lunch behind.Lunch is a big deal in some workplaces, and a faint memory in others.
Be ready for either situation, or something in between, until you learn the lunch ropes.
On another food-related note: before helping yourself to coffee and/or danish, find out what the policy is.
Does everyone chip in a set amount each month, or is it pay-as-you-go? , You surely put a great deal of thought into the outfit you chose for your job interview, trying to figure out which ensemble projected the proper image/message.
Your first day is another type of interview, and your sartorial selection should be given equally careful consideration.
While at your job interview, or during any other pre-employment visit to the workplace, take note of the formality level and styles of clothes worn by your co-workers-to-be.
Do not be afraid to ask the HR representative about any dress codes or expectations.Generally speaking, you want to err on the side of dressing slightly more formal than the prevailing level in the workplace.Going over-the-top (wearing your best three-piece suit in an office where polos are the norm) might send the impression that you’re out-of-touch or feel superior, while under-dressing can indicate that you just don’t care enough already.
Dressing for success can be a bit more complicated for women.
It is an unfortunate reality that women who dress in what might be called a fashionably conservative style tend to be deemed more honest, trustworthy, and intelligent than those who choose more cutting-edge or revealing fashions (even something as simple as a shorter skirt or higher heels).As a woman, if business casual attire is suitable for your new job, be prepared to choose tailored, pressed, well-fitting (not too tight or too baggy) pants or knee-length skirts, fitted tops that conceal cleavage, modest jewelry, and simple, dull-colored, closed-toe shoes.
See what other women at the office choose to wear before your first day. , Almost invariably, the first day at a job will include some sort of orientation program, perhaps involving an HR meeting, lots of forms to fill out, tours, videos, handbooks, etc.
Instead of passively trying to survive what can often be drudgery, use it as an opportunity to establish yourself as a co-worker who is eager to learn and succeed.
The night before or earlier, prepare a list of general (“Can you give me a primer on the office phone system?”) and more specific (“In my position as ‘x,’ what will my role be during staff meetings?”) questions to bring up during your orientation.
While there’s no “magic number,” try not to overdo it, however.Beware of asking so many questions that you seem annoying or uninformed.
Asking few or no questions, however, makes you seem disinterested. -
Step 3: Prepare the night before.
-
Step 4: Pack a smart lunch.
-
Step 5: Dress for success.
-
Step 6: Be ready to ask questions.
Detailed Guide
No, you don’t need to get there before the cleaning crew leaves, but set your goal to be a good fifteen minutes early.
This provides some “wiggle room” for unexpected delays and, in their absence, provides an initial image of you as someone who is eager and ready to go.Avoid getting lost on the way to your first day on the job by knowing the best way to get there.
Practice driving there a couple of times at the same time you will be heading to work so you can time out the drive, and also plan ahead for any potential traffic issues.Have an alternate route ready.
You need to know more than one way to get to your new job in case you find yourself stuck in traffic or encountering an unexpected hangup.
Search online maps before you leave the house to give you an idea of multiple ways you can try to get to your new job on your first day.
The same principles apply for public transportation.
Make a few “test runs” of your commute under similar circumstances, and have a solid backup plan (the bus instead of the train, for instance) just in case.
Don’t leave anything to chance on the morning of your first day.
Instead, lay out or pack up everything you need the night before.Lay out your clothes and pack your lunch (see the relevant steps for advice on each).
Have your briefcase, bag, and/or purse ready to go as well.
Create a checklist if necessary to make sure you bring things such as: your wallet and ID; your phone charger; gum or breath mints; medication for headaches, upset stomach, or other possible medical conditions; any hygiene products you normally use, including feminine hygiene products; and a small water bottle to combat any “cotton mouth” on a stressful first day.
Being prepared the night before may also help you to rest easier, and a good night’s sleep is always helpful before your first day at a new job., Even if you are not a brown-bag kind of person, packing a simple, non-perishable, non-odoriferous lunch (no tuna!) gives you maximum options for the first day.
You want to be able to be flexible at lunch time.
It is hard to know if someone will plan a lunch outing for your first day.
You will be able to save your non-perishable lunch for another time, unlike with a turkey sandwich or salad.
This way, too, your new coworkers won't feel bad if you need to leave your packed lunch behind.Lunch is a big deal in some workplaces, and a faint memory in others.
Be ready for either situation, or something in between, until you learn the lunch ropes.
On another food-related note: before helping yourself to coffee and/or danish, find out what the policy is.
Does everyone chip in a set amount each month, or is it pay-as-you-go? , You surely put a great deal of thought into the outfit you chose for your job interview, trying to figure out which ensemble projected the proper image/message.
Your first day is another type of interview, and your sartorial selection should be given equally careful consideration.
While at your job interview, or during any other pre-employment visit to the workplace, take note of the formality level and styles of clothes worn by your co-workers-to-be.
Do not be afraid to ask the HR representative about any dress codes or expectations.Generally speaking, you want to err on the side of dressing slightly more formal than the prevailing level in the workplace.Going over-the-top (wearing your best three-piece suit in an office where polos are the norm) might send the impression that you’re out-of-touch or feel superior, while under-dressing can indicate that you just don’t care enough already.
Dressing for success can be a bit more complicated for women.
It is an unfortunate reality that women who dress in what might be called a fashionably conservative style tend to be deemed more honest, trustworthy, and intelligent than those who choose more cutting-edge or revealing fashions (even something as simple as a shorter skirt or higher heels).As a woman, if business casual attire is suitable for your new job, be prepared to choose tailored, pressed, well-fitting (not too tight or too baggy) pants or knee-length skirts, fitted tops that conceal cleavage, modest jewelry, and simple, dull-colored, closed-toe shoes.
See what other women at the office choose to wear before your first day. , Almost invariably, the first day at a job will include some sort of orientation program, perhaps involving an HR meeting, lots of forms to fill out, tours, videos, handbooks, etc.
Instead of passively trying to survive what can often be drudgery, use it as an opportunity to establish yourself as a co-worker who is eager to learn and succeed.
The night before or earlier, prepare a list of general (“Can you give me a primer on the office phone system?”) and more specific (“In my position as ‘x,’ what will my role be during staff meetings?”) questions to bring up during your orientation.
While there’s no “magic number,” try not to overdo it, however.Beware of asking so many questions that you seem annoying or uninformed.
Asking few or no questions, however, makes you seem disinterested.
About the Author
Sandra Henderson
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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