5 Things You'll Need When Starting A New Job

Hopefully you’re reading this because you’ve landed yourself a job! First of all, give yourself a pat on the back; you’ve earned it bud. Second of all, now that you’ve secured the bag, here’s some of our top tips to make sure you don’t fumble it, as well as how to show your boss that they made the right choice picking you for the job.

A good way to get there

If you were lucky enough to get an in-person interview for your job, hopefully you’ve figured out at least one way to make sure you can rock up on time.
If not, all good! The night before, make sure you hop on your phone and find out the best way for you to get where you need to be, on time. Even better, find out how to get there a little early, just in case you need extra time to change into a uniform, find a park, or just grab yourself a coffee before you start work. Chances are when you talk to your new team mates they’ll have a trick or two up their sleeve about the best park or bus route to take (pro tip: shout them a coffee for their tips on the DL)

The right ‘fit for the job

Believe us - there’s nothing worse than making it all the way to work to find out you have to go home and change, or end up at the end of a shift with blisters worse than new school shoes. Much like figuring out how to get there, it could be worth checking in with your manager before you start to find out what you’ll need for the job. If you’re in more of an office-style setting and you’re not sure about what to wear, having a think about what your manager was wearing for the interview, or even what people were wearing as you got a little office tour might be a good shout.

A positive attitude

Let’s get this out of the way now - you’re not going to be perfect at your job on the first day, and most good managers won’t expect you to be. You’re going to make mistakes, or not know how to do things, which is totally fine as long as you’re able to take that feedback on board and try not to make the same mistake too often. Plus, while you don’t have to be best buds with everyone at work, it’s a good idea to be friendly and nice to be around. Help out where you can, introduce yourself to others and work hard, and you’ll soon find people are happy to do the same for you.

A good notebook (or an even better memory)

Okay, it doesn’t have to be an actual notebook - I promise I’m not a boomer. All I’m saying is that a great way to make sure you remember how things are done, or keep track of all of your tasks is to pop them down in a little manual or a to-do list. That way, if you’re ever unsure, you can check your notes first before having to ask a manager or a co-worker. Plus, as a side bonus, if you ever have to train somebody up, you can use your old notes instead of writing new ones, because you know they work!

All of the right details for your pay

If we’re being real, this is what the job is all about, right? Usually arranging to get paid involves a bit of paperwork, so having all of your deets ready to go will mean that you can get those forms in and get paid ASAP.
You’ll probably need:

• Account details for the bank of your choosing
• Your tax file number (if you can’t find it, try the ATO website)
• A tax file declaration so that your employer can work out how much tax to take out of your pay
• Your superannuation (super) details, which you can usually find on the super fund’s website called a fund nomination form.

What if you don’t have your superannuation account set up yet?

If you don’t already have a superannuation fund, you can choose the default super fund proposed by your employer. The only issue with that is that it might not be a fund that matches up with your wants and needs. Super funds have loads of differences between them, such as fees, insurance policies, perks and discounts, and ethical screens to help you put your money where you’d like it to go. You’ll usually have a few days to get all of your paperwork in order, so if you haven’t already chosen one, you should have time to set one up, fill out your forms and get back to your employer.
If you’re keen to find out more about why choosing your super is so important, as well as how to choose a fund that makes sense for you, make sure you check out our short course Super Aware that we made with our mates at Aware Super.  Plus, completing any module can put you in the running to win one of several prizes. Check it out over here.