How to Survive Your First Day at a New Job

How to Survive Your First Day at a New Job

• Wednesday, January 06, 2016

First days are always nerve-racking. Whether it's your first day of university, your first day at work or your first day as a parent, the experience can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed. In the middle of December, I started working at a large travel & resort company doing their social media, so I have some first-hand pointers on how to survive your first day at a new job.

What to do Before Your First Day at Work: 

Breathe In, Breathe Out - Before you get too stressed out, take a moment to seriously breathe. Inhale & exhale. If your palms are sweaty, your heart rate is up, & you're feeling slightly anxious, do whatever it takes to unwind & destress. You can survive this. You can do it!

Research - Google is your best friend. Research the company, salaries, & the experiences others had. You can find nearly everything on the internet these days so don't be afraid to put in some time to study your future company. It will make you sound smarter & more prepared for your first day at work. Plus, it'll ease your nerves a little bit.

Dress to Impress - Plan your outfit prior to your first day. Some jobs require a uniform, so make sure you look the part & have all the necessary pieces. Iron your clothes. Wash your face. Brush your hair. Look nice. Other positions allow you to wear what you want whether it's casual, business casual or professional. Determine what you'll wear & hang it up so you're ready to go first thing in the morning.

What to do During Your First Day at Your New Job:

Know You're Not Alone - Just know that you're not alone in this new adventure. You're not the only person who's had a first day at the job & you're not going to be the last. Understand that everyone at your work had a first day at some point, even your boss. You'll do great!

Engage with Coworkers - Never be afraid to talk to your coworkers. Talk about life & personal interests. Within a couple days I was already getting looped in to the marketing team's whimsical emails about mermaids & kittens. These people are going to be your new buddies in life. You're going to spend the majority of your time with them so get to know them now.

Ask questions - Ask questions about the company itself & inquire about each person's position & role therein. It's important to figure out how the company works & where your position factors in. These people know more about the job & brand than you do; use that to your advantage by learning from them.

Take notes - You'll probably be overwhelmed with information on your first day. Take some notes so you can remember things without having to repetitively ask for help. They might explain how to do a particular task, where to find a certain item, or who to contact for a specific problem. It's your duty to pay attention so you can sound super cool, like you know what you're doing.

What to do After Your First Day at Your New Job:

Get Some Sleep - Phew! You survived your first day at work! Give yourself a round of applause & a pat on the back because you did it! Now you should get a full eight hours of sleep. You have a busy day tomorrow. Stay energized so you can kick butt at your new job. You'll get into the habit of finding a routine that works but you but until then, sleep sleep sleep!

Update Your Resume - It's never too early to update your resume. After all, it helped get you hired in the first place & it may do so in the future. Dust it off & give it a redo with current information on your brand new position. It's imperative to stay on top of your resume because you never know when you'll need it.

Repeat - Set yourself up for success at your brand new job. Be the type of person you'd like to work with. Be efficient & smart. Dress to impress. Take notes. Lastly, don't be afraid because you are awesome enough to have just gotten a new job!

Are these tips helpful? When was the last time you had a new job? What advice do you have for others? :]

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