Your first day at a new job can be pretty nerve-wracking. Meeting everyone, learning their names, trying to learn the ropes and wanting to make a good first impression. Asset Recruitment’s Permanent Recruitment Specialist, Paula Jorgensen draws on her recent experience of joining the Asset team and shares her top tips for a painless first day.

Having recently started with Asset Recruitment just over a month ago, I can relate to feeling those “first day jitters”. Everyone has had a first day on the job, but with a little bit of forward planning you can make your day go smoothly. Here are my top tips:

Prior to starting

• Get organised. Make sure everything is in place for that first journey to work. You know where you’re going, what time they’re expecting you and who to ask for when you get there. If you haven’t been told, show some initiative and make a phone call to find out.
• Do your research. Learn all you can about your new employer, their product lines, their competitors, philosophies, and corporate culture. Make sure you’ve checked out their website and any social media they use.
• Plan your outfit! Even planning what you’re going to wear can take away some of those “first day jitters”.

The first day

• Leave home early, and have an idea of where you’re going to park. You could encounter bad traffic, miss the bus – anything could happen!
• Have the same positive attitude as when you were interviewed.
• Ask questions and take notes – show interest.
• Smile and be friendly.
• Get to know your co-workers, learn a little about their families, and find out what their interests are. Are they a cat or dog person? Making notes straight after you meet someone can be helpful in jogging your memory when trying to recall new names. Showing interest will help you form lasting bonds.

The following weeks/months

• During your first few weeks or even months on a job, resist the urge to change the way things get done unless it’s part of your job duties. (It can be irritating for your employer to keep hearing “that’s not how we did it at my old company.”)
• Get to know the way people work. Figure out who has the authority to give you work to do and who is just trying to have you do their work. Some people attempt to push off their work to the new unsuspecting person.
• Keep a positive attitude and continue to ask questions. This is your opportunity to learn all you can about your new employer and the company – and you can never ask too many questions in the beginning!
• Continue to arrive at work early and don’t rush out the door at the end of the day. You don’t have to be the first person to arrive and the last one to leave but don’t be the last one in or the first one out.

So whether it’s your first role out of school, a temporary position, a senior management role or even a promotion within you current workplace, everyone experiences the first day jitters. Remember to smile, breath, and approach the situation with a positive outlook. Before you know it your first day will be over and you won’t be the “new person” for too much longer.

Good luck!