Tips to master your first day at a new job

Try a faux commute:
The last thing you want is to be late on your first day of your new job. While it may not be necessary to do the full commute on the run up to your first day. It may be worthwhile to check Google Maps for commute times, such as expected traffic on the route during rush hour on a weekday morning. The main thing you want to understand is how long it is expected to take to commute to work on a normal day. 

Ask about the onboarding process:
After accepting the role and finding out all the relative information.  It might be worthwhile asking if there is any kind of onboarding process you need to complete before fully joining the team. This could be any paperwork you need to complete, reviewing an employee handbook, along with any other starting materials. You may also want to ask the HR department what you can complete before starting to make the initial first day easier. You may also wish to find out if you will be working alongside one specific coworker you could connect with beforehand. 

​Remember to have fun and be yourself:
The main thing to remember is don’t forget to have fun and be yourself! You were hired for this role for a reason and that was because of who you are and what you can bring to the table. Don’t wait for others to come and introduce themselves, be bold enough to introduce yourself whenever possible. 

Take notes:
The chance you are going to get a lot of information thrown at you is likely. Be prepared with a paper and pen! This is the chance if you love buying stationary, to run out and grab some new notebooks and pens. Write down everything, from the information you’ve been given, where to find any office supplies you may need, where specific places in the office are located and how your new boss expects calendar invites to be sent. You might think you’ll remember everything, but chances are you won’t be able to remember everything. If you make as many notes as you can, you will always have something to look back on, if needed. 

Learn the language of the organization:
Every company will use different phrases and acronyms, these are things you will most likely use on a daily basis. Referring back to the previous points on making notes: this will help you learn quickly in order to understand the “lingo”. If you hear a word or abbreviation which you don’t understand, be sure to ask!

Put your phone away:
Without stating the obvious. Your new job may be one where it’s acceptable to look at your personal phone, send texts or make phone calls. But on the other hand, it may be an office where it’s frowned upon. Be sure to assume the latter, unless told otherwise. This is the kind of thing which may be mentioned in the company handbook. You don’t want everyone to think you plan on being on your phone 24/7. If it turns out it is okay, be sure to have it on vibrate or silent.