Tips for Your First Day of Work

You’re probably asking yourself, “How can I plan my first day?” Starting a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. It’s a fresh start, but it also comes with a lot of unknowns. To help you navigate this new chapter with confidence, we’ve put together five essential tips that’ll set you up for success on your first day. From giving yourself plenty of time to practicing your introductions, these tips will ensure you make a great first impression and feel more at ease as you step into your new role.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time by Being Early

Getting to an unfamiliar place can be stressful. You may not know what to expect with the commute, where to park, where the entrances are, or what’s involved with being admitted to the building for the first time. Starting your first day off in a hurry or with a sense of uncertainty about whether you’ll be late can create stress, and you don’t want to start your very first day feeling uncomfortable. Help yourself get off to a good start by taking this issue off the table completely by planning to be especially early on your first day. Don’t be afraid to give yourself 20, 30, or even 60 minutes more than you think you’ll need. You’ll breathe easier knowing that if anything unexpected slows you down, you’ll still have plenty of time. If you find you arrive and you’re way ahead of schedule, you can use the time to explore the neighborhood, review some notes, or spend a little time relaxing.

Practice Introducing Yourself

You’re likely to meet a lot of new faces at the new job, so plan for your first day to involve a lot of introductions. If you haven’t already, spend a little time practicing different ways to introduce yourself. New coworkers often say hello along with a question about your new position and what you’ll be doing, where you’re coming from most recently, or what you’ve done in your career so far. Try answering those questions along with your introduction of yourself out loud on your own. It may feel a little silly at first, but it’s fairly common to find these kinds of summaries tricky without having given them a little thought. Practice until your responses feel natural so you don’t get caught off guard when it’s time to make a first impression.

Look the Part

Your first day will include several opportunities to make a good first impression. The way you look — including how you dress as well as your body language — are forms of communication that’ll help you send the message that you want to send. Review company policies about what to wear and be sure to meet them. If you’re still not sure what to wear, don’t be afraid to ask one of your contacts at the company. When in doubt, overdressing a little usually doesn’t hurt.

The way you carry yourself will also help you. Remember to smile, make eye contact, and use good body language. The general idea of good body language is to carry yourself in a way that shows that you’re happy to be there, comfortable, and confident. If you find that the specifics don’t come to you naturally or that thinking about it too much makes you feel self-conscious, try focusing on mindset instead. Keep it in the forefront of your mind that you’re glad for the opportunity to be there (hopefully that’s the case!) and you’ll likely find that your body language will convey just that. Expressing gratitude in your words won’t hurt either!

Take Notes

As you plan for your first day, it’s a good idea to put down your thoughts and questions in a notebook, and bring it along with you when you go to work. The first days bring lots of new information. You might record the names of people you meet, information about your new email or other credentials, to-do list items, and any other information that strikes you as important to remember. It’s likely you’ll have new questions as the day goes on — write those down as well, whether you can get an answer right away or not. This will help you stay organized as you settle into your new responsibilities.

Go With the Flow

Generally speaking, your coworkers won’t expect you to jump in and start performing your duties on your own right away. It’s likely they’re planning on showing you around and helping you get accustomed to the company and your new role. The first day is often mostly show and tell. Don’t be afraid to let them take the lead. This takes some pressure off you and makes for a good opportunity to get a sense of the company culture and norms, the personalities of the people you’ll be working with, the pace of the workday, and the ideas they have about the way work is done there. If you’re not sure how something’s done, observe how the others around you do it. Be sure to accept any invitations you might receive to go to lunch, participate in meetings, or meet someone new. All of these are avenues your coworkers might use to get to know you and help you get situated and comfortable.

The First of Many Successful Days

A good first day will help set you up for a good first week, and a good first month. With any luck, before long, you’ll go from wondering “How can I plan my first day?” to reflecting on a successful first year.