Congrats on starting a new position! Now that you’ve gotten through writing your resume, rounds of interviews, and new hire paperwork, you’re ready to start at your new position. Follow these tips for everything you need to know about your first week of work.
Be a sponge
Even if you have years of experience and feel like you already know what to do, make sure to soak up information from supervisors and coworkers to learn about how they run as a team. The technical aspects of the job are just as important as figuring out how to work together!
Don’t show up late
This might seem a little obvious, but don’t be late on your first day! If you’re prone to sleeping through alarms, set a few to make sure you don’t miss them. Calculate the length of your commute and leave an extra 10 minutes early -just in case!
Take care of yourself
Learning new information and meeting new people can leave you mentally and emotionally exhausted at the end of your shift. Make sure to give yourself time to relax and practice a little self-care. That may look like getting dinner with a loved one or ordering in and spending a night by yourself with a face mask and glass of wine. Whatever works for you!
Learn the company culture
Each company has its own distinct culture. Learning how to navigate this culture will work in your favor if you’re planning on furthering your career with your employer. Learn how everyone communicates and interacts so you can make sure you are effective and efficient in your work.
Listen, listen, listen!
For every minute you’re speaking, you should be listening for 10. Listen and observe during your first week to learn everything you can about your new employer.
Get your benefits in order
Your first week is when you’ll set up any benefits provided by your new employer. Make sure to ask questions about your insurance, 401k, paid leave, and anything else you’ll need to know. This information is extremely important for the future!
Focus on important relationships
Forming relationships in your job is an important part of a career. You don't need to grovel or suck-up to anyone, but make sure to be friendly and open-minded in order to make connections with those who may be important connections in your future career!
Don’t gossip
Getting on anyone’s bad side in your first week is not a good idea! Try to stay out of workplace gossip as much as possible. If someone tries to include you in workplace rumors or idle talk, make sure to remain neutral and polite.
Remember you can do it!
The first week can be difficult! Trying to soak up as much information as you can while remembering names and tasks will be tiring, but remember that you can do this- It will get easier once you’ve learned a bit more about how everything works!
Good luck in your new position- and to make sure you're staying healthy, check out these Tips to Avoid Burnout.
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