10 Essential Tips for Excelling on Your First Day at Work

Starting a new job can be an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. On the one hand, you’re eager to dive into your new role and make a positive impression on your colleagues and superiors. On the other hand, you may feel a bit intimidated by the unfamiliar environment and the steep learning curve ahead of you.

But don’t worry, everyone goes through this phase, and there are steps you can take to make your first day at work a success. In this blog post, we’ll share 10 tips that will help you survive and thrive on your first day at work.

10 Tips For Excelling On Your First Day at Work

1. Wear Comfortable Shoes

It’s your first day at work, you don’t want to be seen scrunching your face up just because of the shoes you wore. You’re probably going to have all details about your position before you even resume but to be on the safe side, comfortable shoes are always a good idea.

You just never know how much running around you’re going to be doing until you start. Especially with those entry level jobs where they might end up using your skills in different menial capacities.

2. It’s Okay to Not Know What You’re Doing

A lot of times all the things you learnt at university or at online classes do not adequately prepare you for the real job. In these cases, experience is the best teacher. If you’re lucky, your new office has an intensive training program or a senior colleague you can shadow.

Unfortunately, in most cases, you’re left to your own devices and it can be confusing. Don’t get paralyzed by fear, it’s just your first day at work. If you make a mistake, correct it and try again. Don’t fret about getting in trouble or getting fired just keep working, that’s how we learn. You might be surprised to find that a lot of bosses appreciate that kind of work ethic.

3. Not Everyone is Your Friend

Listen, be careful with the ones they call “work friends”. They’ll stab you in the back faster than you can say “It’s my first day at work.” I’m telling you, they are more toxic than those mean girls in high school.

Now don’t get me wrong. You can make some lasting friendships at a job but you’ll run across some devils before you get to that angel. I once lied to my boss to cover up for a colleague I thought was a friend. The colleague then came over to tell the truth right in front of me, completely throwing me under the bus.

The climate is different in the workplace, everyone is trying to get ahead and sometimes you can get in the way of those ambitions. So repeat after me, “Shine your eye.”

4. Not All Bosses Are the Same

If you’ve worked before you probably have an idea of what bosses are like. That’s standard not all bosses are the same. Just because your old Director insisted on you getting him coffee every morning or carrying in her bag doesn’t mean the new one will.

Take the time to learn about every one of your superiors before making any judgements.

5. Do Not Take on More Than You can Handle

Just because it’s your first day at work and you want to impress, does not mean you should do too much. Taking on too many responsibilities will do nothing but bite you in the behind later on.

Work stress is real, so for the sake of your mental health, do not take on too much.

6. Look at Your Senior Level Colleagues to Gauge Your Future at the Job

Looking at those in a higher up position can help you decide if this job is going to be a long term role or if you’ll probably end up moving on after six months.

To know your future you need to know these three things:

• How many senior positions are there?
• How did the people that are there get there (did they build from the ground up in the organization or were they recruited from somewhere else)?
• Are they happy?

The answers to these questions will help you decide if this organization is worth investing in long term.

7. Befriend the Lower Level Staff

Let me tell you, no one knows more company secrets than the lower level staff; the office assistant, gateman, drivers, even the cleaners, they are the real gatekeepers. So if you really want to know what it takes to get ahead in your new company, you’ll go to them.

Treat them with respect or buy their loyalty with money and food, get in good with them and you’ll learn a lot. It’s your first day at work, might as well be nice to everyone. You never know who’s watching or where your blessings might come from.

8. Do Not Date a Colleague

This should go without saying but I’ll just slip in here for good measure. Most offices have a policy against dating in the office but for others it’s an unspoken rule.

But let’s for a moment forget that against the rules and just look at it for what it really is, just a plain bad idea.

I once heard a story about two colleagues who dated and had a bad break up. Seeing each other at work began to affect them so much that their relationship came to the attention of management. They were called in and one of them was asked to resign, they had to choose which one? The guy had a much better position so he stayed and the girl lost her job.

Heartbroken and jobless, not a great combination, you’ve been warned.

9. If Your Boss is a Predator, Quit

If your boss is making suspicious advances on your first day at work, or any other day for that matter, quit, don’t think that you can handle him/her.

I once had a client who made me uncomfortable but I ignored it. He was giving me a pretty big job back when I was starting out and I didn’t want to mess it up. So I ignored the fact that he called all the people working for him “his girls” or that when he shook my hand he held on a little too long or that he only wanted to have meetings only at night.

I thought this was the price I had to pay to be a professional. I was also aware he was married because he spoke about his wife a lot, So I took that as a sign he wasn’t interested in me that way. Until, one night after a meeting he asked for a hug, it was odd but it was a simple enough request so I agreed. When I leaned in, he held me and tried to stick his tongue in my mouth. I completely forgot about the job when I shoved him away.

That experience was traumatizing and could have been a lot worse. No job is worth it.

10. Don’t Sweat Over the Little Tasks

If you’re coming in for a sucky entry level position it can be frustrating but don’t let that feeling reflect in your work. Take your job seriously because it’s just a stepping stone, it may not be where you want to be in life but it will help you get there.

In another couple of years you’re not even going to remember that overbearing boss or the time you had to go and get everyone’s lunch order or that colleague who threw you under the bus. You’ll be so far ahead of all that work drama. So keep your heart and hands strong and know that you’re doing great. Again, it’s only your first day at work, give yourself a little credit and boost of confidence.

Remember, the first day is just the beginning of an exciting journey. Embrace the challenges, learn from the experiences, and enjoy the ride!

All images are sourced from pexels.com