16 Sep 2021

Your first day at any job is always going to be pretty full on. If you’re working hospo or retail, it’s a bit of a mad scramble to get used to how all their sales softwares work and where everything lives in the storerooms. If you’re getting your first office job, you’ll probably spend a good portion of your day just setting up all the accounts on the phone with IT, meeting about 100 people and sitting in a bunch of meetings where you have absolutely no idea what’s going on.

It’s a whirlwind of learning and activity, and it can feel a bit intimidating at first, but there’s a few good do’s and don'ts to get you on the right track to a great first day:

Do: Be Uncomfortably Early

The night before, you should punch in the work address into maps and see how long it’ll take you to travel there, then knock off an extra 15-20 mins before they expect you to be there. This is super important if you’re getting public transport there. There could be a delay, or a canceled service that you couldn’t plan for, but at least if you have that extra time you have a bit of a cushion to work out a new plan. If you end up being super early, go grab a coffee or take a walk to help work through some of those first-day nerves. The last thing you’ll want is to show up flustered, in a rush and sweaty just in time to shake the boss’ hand.

Do: Ask Loads Of Questions

Once you walk in that door and see everyone cracking on like a well-oiled machine, the insecurities start working away in your brain. You might be thinking: “Oh god, I don’t know how to do any of this stuff! My manager said something about how to do this but I don’t remember exactly what it was! Aahhhh!”.

Take a breath. Unless you’ve already got years of experience under your belt, chances are your manager doesn’t expect you to get all that knowledge in your noggin on the first try. If it helps, grab yourself a little notebook to write down some words or methods you’ll be using during the day, but if you don’t know what you’re doing or supposed to be doing at that moment, just speak up! You might be a little behind the curve, but you’ll catch up way faster if you’re willing to admit it and learn.

Do: Cut Yourself Some Slack

Let me get this out of the way for you right now - you’re going to make mistakes! Hopefully nothing too big, but nobody’s perfect right off the bat. The mark of a good employee isn’t if they make a mistake or not, it’s what they do about that mistake. If something’s taken a turn for the worse, find someone who’s more experienced and ask for their advice on how to sort it out, then make a mental (or physical) note on how to prevent it from happening again. Bosses look for people who are willing to take responsibility for their work and their actions, so paradoxically, making a mistake in the right way can actually be a good thing!

Don’t: Rush Through Your Pay And Super Forms

Another benefit of rocking up early! If you didn’t fill it out online, you might get given a big stack of forms with a bunch of things on there like your bank account details, your Tax File Number, as well as a form dedicated to your super. If you’re busy and you want to make things easy for yourself and your boss, you might be tempted just to tick the box which sets up abrand-neww super account for you with whatever provider your work goes with, but this can hurt your balance way down the road. If you’ve already got a fund, you could be paying fees on two accounts, or signing up for extra insurance when you’re already covered by your first fund. Even beyond your balance, that new fund could be investing money in unethical industries.

PS: if you’re not feeling super confident about your superannuation,we’ve actually got a whole Academy all about how super works, and how you can make it work for you!

Don’t: Get Caught With Your Hands In Your Pockets

I mean this figuratively and literally. Once you’ve got a good idea of what you’re actually getting paid to do and how much work you have every week, a little bit of office banter around the tea kettle probably isn’t too bad of a thing. But if you’re just starting out, you will probably either have something to do, or something to learn. When you’re doing neither, it’s
a bit of a bad look. If they’re out of work for you to do on your own, ask what you can help out with, even including other team members and departments. 

If there’s really nothing to do, it’s a good time to do a bit of self-directed learning. Maybe, do some research about the market, learn about extra features in the software you’re using, or fail all of that, just look busy! Walk around with a stack of files looking stressed if you want, but make sure you have a good answer if someone asks you what you’re doing.

Don’t: Arrive With The Wrong Kit On

You might come to work on-time (preferably early), ready to learn and bright-eyed, but for some jobs, if you don’t have the gear you need, you’ll probably get sent home to go and get it. The most important kit is safety gear if you need it - closed shoes, maybe a hard hat or some high-vis if it’s not getting supplied. Number two is comfort - if you’re going to be on your feet all day, or in rough weather make sure you’re dressed with what you need to do your job from start to finish. Number three is formality - unless you got a tour of the office to see what everyone’s wearing, go a little on the formal side for the first day. If it looks casual, go smart casual. If it’s a suit and tie place, definitely go suit and tie -you can always take the jacket off if it’s a bit too much.

Honestly, your first day will probably be over before you even realise it. Head in there with an open mind, a good attitude and patience with yourself and half the battle will be won!