You finally found a great new job. So, what now? Here are 5 tips for surviving your first day at work.
In this economy, just getting your resume read is impressive, but being asked for an interview and being offered a job is a real accomplishment. Finally landing the job you have been looking for is exciting and it can be the first step toward reaching all of your career goals.
When the first day rolls around though, the anxiety and apprehension can get the better of you. I know that for me at least, the first day on the job is filled with this nervous tension in the pit of my stomach. Even though I am an adult, I feel like the new kid at school. I wonder if anyone will like me, if I will be able to handle the job and even silly things like where will I be able to eat lunch.
If you are nervous about starting your new job, here are 5 tips for surviving your first day:
- Get back on a normal sleep schedule – It isn't enough just to get plenty of rest the night before your new job starts. In fact, if you have been out of work for more than a week or two, your body is probably accustomed to late nights and taking naps in the afternoon. It will take a week or so for your body to get back to a sleep schedule that matches what you need for your job. So, take a week or a few days prior to starting work to get yourself back into the routine. This will keep you from feeling exhausted in the middle of your first day.
- Practice getting to work a few days ahead of time – You might be working at the same location that you interviewed at, but even still, you will want to practice getting to work at the usual starting time. There is no way to know what the rush hour traffic will look like or how the public transit will work during that time without attempting it during that time. This will keep you from arriving late to work on your first day.
- Pack a lunch and some snacks – On the first day at any job, I worry about how the lunch break will work. At some offices, there are scheduled lunch breaks, while at other offices people eat at their desks when they can. It's a smart idea to pack a lunch and a few snacks to bring with you. This way even if your lunch break is later than you expected or you find out that there is no set lunch time or way to get lunch, you won't have to deal with meeting new people and all of the orientation on an empty stomach.
- Bring a notepad and take notes – Trust me, you'll thank me for this one later. The first day at any job is a whirlwind of new people and new routines. You'll be meeting your bosses, your new co-workers and will be given passwords and other things. Bring a notepad and write down all of the information. You'll be overwhelmed and it is hard to remember so many new names, faces and procedures.
- Just listen – When nerves get the better of us, it's really easy to talk way too much. On a first day, you really need to listen. You might have a million ideas that you want to share, but you won't be doing yourself any favors if you try to make changes on day one. Instead, take the time to genuinely listen to what everyone is saying, find out who each of you co-workers are and how the business runs. Before long, you will be accepted into the team and then you can present your idea and opinions. But for now, just listen.
Starting a new job is exciting and it can even be a lot of fun. These tips should help give you some ideas about how to plan for your first day and get started on the right foot.
What things do you do on a first day? Are there other things you think are important? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for Administrativejobsblog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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