- Signing On -
Your First Week
by fergus mellon
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Congratulations, you are now an Early Stage Professional!

Hopefully you will be well rested before starting your new role.  Ahead of your first day go through a
checklist (you can either write it down or just compile a mental one) of what you want to achieve from your new role and how you want to achieve this.  Think also of what you did well in your old job (so you can repeat for your new one) and what you didn't do well (so you can take advantage of having a fresh start and avoid mistakes you made in your old role.
 
And then there's the hard bit.  Your first day and your first week!  Unfortunately first impressions count so in your first week do everything you can to make a good and lasting impression on everyone around you.  Make sure you get the essentials right (see next section on Crushing It), and not just for the first day and week, but consistently!
 
To summarize from the Crushing It section here's a quick hitlist for first week actions:
  • Understand the time you are expected to be in the office.  Do not ask for special treatment and make sure you also know when to leave and do not leave too early!
  • Do your best to bond with your new team!  This does not mean that you need to go for Happy Hour drinks all week (although lucky you if that is the case!), but do focus on trying to get lunch with your new team.  If you get invited to a coffee or other mini-offsite say yes.
  • Look the part.  You will understand the broad dress code from having gone through the interview process and so know what the general code is. 
  • If your manager does not introduce you to your new office, introduce yourself to others around you.
  • Have a general approach of being friendly and engaged.  Say hi to people in communal areas (the elevator, the office kitchen etc) so that people know you are open and want to build a relationship with them.  Maintain healthy eye contact.
  • Keep personal email and phone checking to an absolute minimum.  In the first week (and really first 6 months) you should be focused on getting up-to-speed in your new role.  There should be internal documents to read and if you are really slow to get new work ask your manager or team members if there's any work that you can do to help them out.  Do not resort to killing time on Facebook, personal email or any favorite website (unless it is EarlyStageProfessional.com!!!) 
  • If you have a light workload, in addition to asking for more assignments also try to attend meetings with your manager.  While this won't give you a lot of new work, it will help you begin to form a relationship with your new manager as well as give you a broader context of the business you are working in and could even lead to new projects for you to get involved in.  Even if it takes a while for you to get a full plate, don't panic!  It is normal for things to take a while to "heat up" so the important thing is to maintain your confidence and positive attitude.
 
Now you are in your first job, read the section called Crushing It and think about buying Early Stage Professional: starting off right.

Next Section: Crushing It: What Time Should I Get Into the Office? 
Related sections: Questions to Ask Your New Manager, Leading from the Start and Welcome the Newbies
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In the first 5 or so years of your career?  Want actionable career advice? Buy Early Stage Professional: starting off right, the no nonsense professional skills book designed so that everyone can succeed in the workplace! 

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