You’ve all been through several “first day of school” but what about your first day at a new a full-time job? For many people, this can be a nerve-racking transition because they don’t really know what to expect or how to prepare for the first day of their job.
Thankfully, with some insight from Claire Nichols, a Talent Acquisition Specialist at Sherwin Williams, she was able to shed some light on this subject at our Post-Grad Transition event. Keep reading to see the helpful tips that she shared!
How to Prepare Before Day One
- Have the contact of someone on site so you can ask questions
- Learn what the parking situation is like
- Figure out what people do for lunch (Cafeteria, Order Out, Packed Lunch)
- Attire – how should you dress?
- Gather the documents should you bring with you
What to Expect on Day One
- Arrive early! Make sure to leave time for unexpected traffic.
- Drive the route at least once before your first day so you can be familiar with it
- Orientation
- Onboarding
- This could be done solo or with a group of other new employees
- Administrative Tasks
- Intros
- You aren’t expected to retain everything that you learn on day one!
What to Expect in Your First Week
- Take notes, actively participate, ask questions
- Get to know your team
- Learn your resources
What to Expect in Your First Month
- You should be more familiar and comfortable with the resources
- Start to settle into a routine
- Know what works for you and what doesn’t
- Learn your strengths on your team
- Build more of a relationship with your direct supervisor
What to Expect in Your First Few Months
- Learn how to receive and implement all types of feedback
- Start taking more ownership, but still ask questions
- Take any opportunity there is to learn
- Be reliable – Do what you say you are going to do.
How to Earn a Promotion
- Continue to learn about the company and your position
- Do your current job well and grow your reputation
- Avoid focusing too much on your next opportunity and losing focus on the “now”
- Volunteer for projects and say yes to opportunities that interest you
- Be a team player
- Talk to your manager about your goals
- Be accurate, reliable, and continue to stretch your knowledge
- Build relationships with others at the company
What if the job isn’t a good fit?
- Give it some time: The first few weeks can be overwhelming and stressful. Allow yourself time to understand the company, your role, and expectations.
- Reflect: Where is the source of your dissatisfaction coming from? Identify what it is that you don’t like.
- Network: Building relationships within the company can be very beneficial and lead to other opportunities internally if you still like the company and want to stay there.
- Continue to use this experience to learn what you can while you’re there.
- Remember to stay professional while trying to navigate this.
- Most people’s first jobs are not their forever jobs – you know what’s best for you.