Finally, the first day at your new job is approaching—and you feel like you haven’t prepared nearly enough. You want to make the best first impression on your new peers, but you’re not positive that you’re capable of doing so.
Don’t worry! As long as you follow our simple steps to prepare for a great first day, you can easily accomplish your goal of impressing everyone. Even more, you’ll actually
Mentally prepare yourself
Because a new job can be intimidating, overwhelming, and even scary, it’s crucial that you mentally prepare yourself before your first day. If you want to impress your new team, walk in with confidence, focus, and positivity. Journal about your thoughts, concerns, and hopes for your new job, write down how you want your new colleagues to perceive you, etc. To ensure you have a positive and peaceful mindset on your first day, consider practicing yoga or meditation. If you have some free time before your first day, this is the perfect time to take 10-20 minutes to meditate and collect your thoughts. You can even take advantage of free guided meditation videos if you’re new to the concept.
Do your homework
If you really want to impress your new employer, knowing as much as you can about the organization before going into training can do the trick! You may have researched the company prior to your interviews, but now it’s a good idea to dig deeper. Review the company’s website, browse through employee bios, look up the CEO’s background on LinkedIn, and see if there’s any recent news articles about the company. Additionally, follow up with the recruiter before you start and ask what you should bring with you on your first day. Most likely you will need identification for new-hire paperwork and a notepad and pen to take notes. By studying up ahead of time and knowing what to bring, you can give yourself a boost of confidence and feel more prepared.
Know the dress code
Don’t make the mistake of wearing jeans and a t-shirt to your first day when everyone else is suited up. You can gauge the dress code during your interview process, but it’s always a good idea to confirm with your manager or HR contact. If your position is more front-facing, you might need to dress more professionally than other departments in your same office. If uniforms are required, ask if you’re expected to wear the uniform on your first day. Sometimes uniforms aren’t required during orientation, but every workplace is different.
Plan for lunch
Although some employers will provide lunch on the first day of work, it’s a good idea to have a backup option if this isn’t the case. Being “hangry” around your new co-workers won’t make for the best first impression, so ask the recruiter what you should expect for lunch. But instead of asking, “Will lunch be provided for me?” ask if you should bring a packed lunch or ask if there is a good place to grab a bite near the office. This way, you aren’t implying that you expect your new employer to pick up the check. If you do need to bring your own lunch, pack something healthy so that you can stay alert and energized throughout your day.
Start adjusting your sleeping schedule
If your new work schedule doesn’t coincide with your current sleeping schedule, it’s going to take some getting used to. Instead of putting off adjusting your sleep schedule until you finally start the job, get ahead of the game. A week or two before you start working, modify your sleep and wake times so that when you start your new job, your body is in sync with your new schedule. If you aren’t sure what hours you’ll be working, ask the recruiter. By adjusting to your work schedule sooner rather than later, you will feel more awake and focused on your first day.
Look up directions
Getting lost while driving to the first day at a new job can cause unnecessary anxiety. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, look up directions a few days before. And just in case something completely unexpected happens to your smartphone or GPS, write these directions down somewhere. Test drive the route beforehand as well in order to get familiar with where you’re going and time how long it takes to get there. This will also help you retain the directions better so that you can focus more on the road and less on your GPS while you’re driving. In addition, map out a few different routes in case construction or traffic gets in the way of your main route. Then, the morning before you leave, use the Waze app to see if any incidents are blocking these routes.
Set extra alarm clocks
Nothing is worse than showing up late on the first day, especially if you set multiple alarms. Unfortunately, setting multiple alarms on your smartphone won’t stop you from oversleeping if for some reason, your phone battery dies in the middle of the night. Or, if you use a traditional alarm clock, sleeping in would be all too easy if the alarm clock somehow got unplugged. So your best option is to use both types of alarms, just in case! Also, if your roommates or significant other will be awake when you need to be, you could kindly ask them if they will make sure you’re up then too.
If you want to rock your first day and impress your employer, these steps should help you do just that. Being exceptionally well prepared for your first day will start you off on the right foot and will show your superiors that they’ve hired the right person. Do you have any other tips for preparing for a great first day at work? Comment below!