Starting a new job? Here’s how to prepare for the first day…!
Congratulations, all that hard work has paid off. You wowed the employer in the interviews and now they’ve offered you the job! But starting at a new company can be a little daunting and you still want to make a great impression, so here are a few things to do to ensure that you are well prepared before the first day:
1. Do some more research
You got through the hard part – getting the job! So don’t let yourself down by walking blindly into your new job without having done any research. You probably had a look on their company website before your interviews, so try and get a more in-depth understanding by finding the company on LinkedIn. Don’t be afraid to find your new colleagues and learn a bit about them before you meet them in person. (If you’re not good at remembering names, this gives you a chance to learn them before you meet them. Then you’ve got one less thing to worry about on the day!)
2. Plan your route into work
Turning up flustered because you got lost or were stuck in traffic is not a good start to your job and will make you appear unorganised and unreliable. Plan your route before you start by doing a trial run the day before to see how long it takes and what routes work best. However long it takes, leave a little bit of extra time on the day to allow for extra traffic.
3. Dress the part
You should never underestimate the importance of dressing professionally in your new job, although this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to wear a suit. During your interviews you probably noticed their dress code, so make sure you dress accordingly. If you’re not sure what to wear, it’s always better to dress smartly than be under dressed.
4. Take a break between jobs
If possible, try and leave yourself a week’s break between your old role and your new one. This will give you a chance to mentally leave your old job behind and leave you to start your new role ready and refreshed. You could use this time to buy a few new outfits for the job.
5. Catch up on sleep
You want to be focussed and alert when you start your new role, as it is likely you will have a lot of new information to take in. So even if you aren’t able to arrange a small break before starting then at least try and get to bed early every night the week before. This will ensure that you’ve caught up on lost sleep and will also retrain your body clock to adjust to your working hours meaning you won’t need to rush to the coffee machine as soon as you arrive.
6. Don’t forget to enjoy your new role!
Don’t stress if you don’t completely grasp the role after the first day, they wouldn’t have hired you if they didn’t think you could do it! Everybody takes time to integrate themselves into a new company. Take in as much as you can and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand something. It is better to ask than to do it wrong.