Tips for your first week at work

Society6
No matter what people say, at work first impressions are critical and establish the brand that you build for yourself at your new company. Prior to last week, my most recent ‘first week’ at a new job was over seven years ago. I was bright-eyed, bushy tailed and eager to do learn about everything in my sights. I won’t say that I didn’t have that type of excitement toward my new job but it was a bit more restrained (let’s chalk it up to old age and experience). These are a few tips that I've jotted down and hopefully they'll be helpful to those of you who need to get through your first week at a job:

Ask questions. Ask as many questions as you can and ask the obvious questions. Don’t be afraid to ask stupid sounding questions because people will expect you to know the answers in 6 months time.

Bring a notebook with you everywhere and write everything down. To tie this in with the first tip, write down the answers to your questions. Take notes at meetings, even if they aren't relevant to your job description. One thing I do at every company I work at is to write down acronyms that I don’t know and create a little glossary for myself. Every company has different acronyms and terminology that they use and learning what those are can be the first step toward figuring out what people are actually talking about.

Get a map, directory and org chart. Even though the office that I work in is relatively small, especially compared to my last office, I still get lost. All the hallways are beige and the cubicles look identical. Until you are able to locate where you are by the art on the walls, get a map so you can figure out where meetings are held and where people sit. With the directory and org chart, you can then grasp some context as to the people that you meet and how they relate to you.

Try your hardest to remember everyone’s name. This one I’m super duper terrible at. I will meet someone, try my hardest not to say something awkward and by the time I’m done meeting him / her, I’ve already forgotten his / her name. And remembering what they wear doesn’t work either (the first day I came to work everyone was wearing red) because they’ll have changed (hopefully) the next time you see them.

Err on the side of formal. Much like when attending a wedding or any other event where the dress code is less clear, it is better to err on the side of more formal than less with regards to what you wear.

Operate on a FILO (First In Last Out) schedule. I know this one is a tad controversial and it was between myself and my friends. Personally, I believe that you should, within reason, arrive early in the office and leave late. Not only does it help you gauge when everyone gets into the office and when they leave but also makes your available to meet and talk to people prior to or after the ‘regular’ business day.

What are your tips for tackling the first week at work?

Comments

  1. When I first started work at my current agency, my mom made dessert for everyone, thinking I had NO people skills. It was a good laugh for everyone - me walking around the hallways asking people if they wanted coconut jello.

    But ...

    It worked!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh gosh, this totally brought back those terrifying memories of my first weeks at work where I went home every night absolutely exhausted, dreaming of all the things I couldn’t quite wrap my head around. I loved your tips – particularly writing down acronyms (which I still struggle with in my current job and I have been here nearly 5 years)!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, I don't like first days/weeks at a new job. I am sooo bad at remembering names as well, faces yes, names no. Luckily with my current job I only had 5 names to remember ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great tips, Rooth! I remember my first day at work aeons ago....gotta agree with remembering everyone's name.

    ReplyDelete
  5. These are really great tips. Thankfully this is only my second job, and both this one and my last one were super small offices when I started (my first job was 15 people small), so I didn't have trouble with names. My current office has quadrupled in staff in the 2 years I've been here (not an exaggeration!) so memorizing new names is essential. Good luck in your first month!! You'll get the hang of it in no time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great tips! Sometimes I feel like I can be a bit 'comfortable' at work, and when interviewing new people who are so nervous, I like to remember that it wasn't that long ago when I was new! The notebook tip is especially true.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great work! And congratulations again. My first "lessons" were harsh. I tend to fall to the "opinionated" side of events. I really had to learn to keep my "often naive" opinions to myself and listen, listen, listen. I thought in 6 mos. I had everything figured out. Oiy, I so did not have anything figured out. You, my dear, sound like you have a much more balanced head on your shoulders!

    ReplyDelete
  8. These are awesome tips and I need them as I will be starting a new job in a few months! Thanks Ruth! You rock.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Awesome tips!!

    You moved to a great area... I love uptown...and all the restaurants..
    Hope you are enjoying the Big D

    :)

    Stylejourneys

    ReplyDelete
  10. These are very very helpful tips. I remember hyperventilating inside cubicles on my first days in all offices I worked for (None of them of course would know this) but after taking over the anxiety, I will then act super business-like. I'll be asking questions (a lot) while trying to be more open getting to know my new colleagues. Memorizing names takes quite a while.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These are great tips! Asking questions is so important! I think the other important thing is to just "keep going"... those first few days can be awkward, and you know you will look back at them in months with new perspective, but you just need to power through them and know you *WILL* be more comfortable in the future. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Those are great tips. At this age, I've learned not to get too emotionally involved in a job - like keeping it separate from my personal life :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great tips. I am a definite follower of the notebook tip. I have to write it all down for future reference.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ugh, the first days are the worst - sort of like the first day at school, but with added responsibility :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've had really good luck with after-hours discussions, listening to old-timers talk about specific problems, successes and the organization in general. Very educational, the first week and beyond.

    During my first week as an accountant, I found journal entries that had been written up backwards by our deputy division chief and my wannabe mentor (debits on the left, credits on the right). The division chief loved it, but those two gentlemen never warmed up to me after that--though one of them claimed credit for any little success I had after that in other organizations.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh to have a cube!!! At my future ex-job I sit at a bench seat with 2 other people. I like that someone's there to help brainstorm or discuss things with but there are no private areas {it seems like it was really poorly thought out}. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and blame it on the "cobbler's children" syndrome

    Since I've had what feels like a billion first days the last few years I feel like it's best to absorb and process things the first week. I'm pretty quiet when I don't know people but then you can't shut me up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great post. I'm always awkward at meeting people & names are the last thing I remember!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am still in a university and I have no other experience working for a company but these tips are helping me learn how to act and what to do when I get my first job. So, thank you for this. P.S. I am so awkward at meeting people. XD

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Reads