Once the job interview is out of the way, new hires must quickly prepare for their next challenge: the first days on the job. Here are some tips for making a positive, lasting impression with your new employer.
- Make some questions. Before your first day, make a list of possible questions not only concerning your responsibilities, but also concerning what the boss expects of the team as a whole and his or her vision for the organization. Getting such information allows you to be on the same stage with your supervisor and work toward a shared aim.
- Arrive on time. Make sure to get to the office on time. It would be a sign of your enthusiasm about the company and your new role.
- Take notes. As a student, you always broke out a notepad and pen when learning new things. Apply that same habit to your early days on the job when your boss or a co-worker dispenses valuable details about your position or a particular policy. This approach can keep you from having to ask about something only hours or days later, which can make you look inattentive.
- Ask for a regular meeting with your boss. Depending on the pace of the work and your boss’s schedule, you should request to meet with him or her on a regular basis. The meeting can be for 10 minutes at the end of each day or a single 20-minute session during the week.
- Have a cordial and productive relationship with your new boss. It almost goes without saying that having a cordial and productive relationship with your new boss makes life around the office much more peaceful. To stay in your boss’s good graces, view him or her as a customer whose trust you’re hoping to earn through quality service.
- Get to know your co-workers. Chats in the break room or a casual lunch are great options for breaking the ice between you and your new colleagues. Being aware of what their jobs entail shows that you care. You really have to understand how they do their jobs so that you know how to work together as a team.
