Yewande Jinadu: 4 Tips to Get You Ready For Your First Day at Work

So you’re super excited that you just got a job offer, after days/weeks/months/years of your job search. Then you find yourself having to deal with the anxiety that comes with planning for your first day at work.

Landing a job is great, but making the right impression and succeeding on the job will definitely put an icing on the cake for you.

Here are some tips that will help you be in your first week:

Be prepared physically
My first day at work started out pretty well, but ended terribly when I realized I forgot my wallet while I was about to board a bus (halfway home). The story of how I walked a long distance (in the most uncomfortable shoes) made it awful.

Ensure you have comfortable clothes and accessories ready and ironed for the first week. Observe the dress code of the staff during the interviews, so you don’t go overboard while trying to impress on your first day at work.

Absorb as much information as you can
You would be getting more than enough information during your induction/on-boarding program. This is a very important aspect of your success at work and getting it wrong at this stage may be chaotic. Be a good listener and observe a lot of things. The company culture is something you should pay proper attention to, and ensure you don’t behave like an outcast.

Set expectations
It’s easy to get so involved with your tasks or the organizations goals that you lose yourself, which may affect your career. During the first week of integration, understand the company’s goals see how you fit into the goals, then map out a career path for yourself. Document these expectations: including dates; things you want to achieve on the job to enable you be a top performer and how you plan to do that; skills you hope to gain on the job and the people who would help you gain this skills; mentors you need to identify, that would help you get to your destination.

Beware of the manipulators
There is a special category of employees that you need to be mindful of, so that you don’t lose your joy even before it started. I call them manipulators. These are the employees that are highly disgruntled and would look for the slightest opportunity to drag you into their cabal. Always keep an open mind and don’t always accept everything they say hook, line and sinker.

Manipulators complain and make you feel like you made a mistake joining the company, since they are looking for an exit. Don’t be confrontational with these people or try to argue with them, because you can never win that battle. Just listen, nod your head, filter the information and move on. Be emotionally intelligent when dealing with them.

I wish you the best in your career journey.

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