06 Jan 2020

The first day of a new job can be a real rollercoaster. You're probably a little nervous. You might be thrown under the bus with vague directions, feeling like a complete fish out of water. On the first day of my last job, I got locked in the staff bathroom and had to yell for help. That really made an impression...

But I got through it...so you definitely can. 

Take a breather

Take a moment to put the job into perspective. It's just a job and your co-workers are just people. They all went through a first day too.

You're allowed to feel like a numbnut if you don't understand what's going on or you keep asking questions. Let this perspective relax you and walk in with an aura of calmness.

Just take a breather and zen out beforehand. There's no point stressing. No one is expecting you to know everything!

Dress comfortably

You want to be feeling comfortable and appropriate for the job. Whilst you're listening to instructions, you don't want to be stressing over feeling out of place in daggy clothing whilst everyone is wearing suits. Suss out the dress code beforehand and tailor your outfit to that. A hot tip though, it's better to be overdressed than underdressed. 

Brush your hair and teeth, have a meal beforehand, make sure you smell good. Feel comfortable and ready to go!

Show eagerness

If you show an eagerness to listen and try out new things, employees will froth you. A willingness to absorb as much information is a work trait that will get you far in life. If that involves asking the boss or other employees questions, listening with open ears, watching other employees and giving tasks a red hot go, you're bound to go far and give everyone a good impression of you.

Be polite

Even if you're feeling frazzled and out of your depths, if you have some banter with a few colleagues without distracting them too much and are polite and happy, people will gravitate to you.

Introduce yourself to other employees but don't worry if you forget all their names within seconds. Ask what their role is, how long they've worked there and so forth. Have some small talk.

 

And my last tip is to try not to get locked in the staff bathroom. Then again, that couldn't be helped. Things will be thrust upon you but it's not what happens that matters, it's how you deal with it. Stay calm, be eager, accept that you will make mistakes and go through it all with a smile.