How to survive on your first day of work

Get a good night’s sleep

I know, this is the most basic tip ever, but hear me out. It is hard to sleep when your head is filled with nervous thoughts about the day to come, but it is proven that you’ll get even more anxious if you don’t sleep. Anxiety affects your judgement and bad judgement is not something you want on a day you should be socially and professionally on point. And let’s face it, sleeping is freaking awesome. Allowing yourself this pleasure will result in happiness that night, and gloriousness in the morning.

Show up on time
We have mentioned this in several other blog posts, but it is so important that we can’t talk about it enough. NEVER arrive late and especially NOT on your first day! This is a day were you project your work persona on your new colleagues so the first impression is vital. Do you want to be known as the slacker who doesn’t have control over their life on your very first day? I didn’t think so. Arrive on time!

Be curious and ask questions

This is an important thing to mention on this list because it shows that you are interested and want to learn. However you don’t want to seem too intense on the first day so it is important to just listen and get to know the goals your boss have as well. Everything in moderation.

Have an open mind
This is a great tip in general. Don’t judge someone because they didn’t greet you the first day, or regret taking the job because the company culture seems boring. You’re probably pretty dull that day, too. Yes, first impression is important and can be accurate. However, give everyone the benefit of the doubt and try to keep your hopes up. Relax, you’ll find the Pam to your Jim.

Get personal
Your work will be a certain amount of percentage of your life so you should definitely show that you want to make the most of it both professionally and personally. Open up about your life, talk about yourself so that your co-workers get to know you. However, don’t overshare! They don’t need to know about your drunken endeavours during a night on the town.

Befriend at least one colleague
Befriending a colleague will make you feel more comfortable and help you to faster adapt to your new environment. Starting a new job is stressful at any level, so a friend can help you maintain that positive energy. Positive energy is contagious and will spread to the rest of your team so that your team can stay motivated and achieve good results.The power of friendship is truly remarkable. Like every disney movie ever made has taught us.

Don’t be too hard on yourself
And lastly, don’t criticize yourself too much. If your first day didn’t go perfect, don’t stress, it is not the end of the world and you’ll get more chances to impress. It is only your first day. Take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back. Unless your Pam is hashtagging #metoo the next day, you probably did OK.