11 Dec 08 How to get Through Your First Week at Work

Anyone starting a new job is really bound to feel a sense of apprehension. Going into the office on your first day, especially if you are in a relatively junior position can seem a daunting experience. After all, you don’t even know where the toilets are, or where to make yourself a drink, so the first day and even the first week can seem quite slow and lengthy.

But there are some things that you can do to help yourself and make the settling in process a little bit quicker. Don’t be afraid to ask. If you don’t know how to do something or where something is, then ask, but try not to ask the same person all the time, or they may grow a little tired of it.

Don’t be too forward on your first day. If you come in and try to change things too quickly, people may resent you. So just adapt to how things are done and don’t keep telling people how your last employer did things: they probably won’t be interested.

It is always important to be friendly but do not attach yourself to a particular individual until you know what is what in the office and understand the dynamics of the workplace. It is really easy to alienate people by inadvertently saying the wrong thing. Remember that these people are colleagues, not necessarily your new best friends.

If you are temping for a recruitment agency, then you probably will get used to settling into new work experiences very quickly, but you should still ensure that you don’t rock the boat too much, whether you are temping or there on a permanent basis. Changes in the workplace often need to be handled sensitively and many people may be wary of a new person joining the team, so simply be yourself, but be slightly reserved until you start to understand how things work and what the office is really like. That way, settling in should be no trouble at all and you will soon be a valued member of the workplace.

Tags: Afraid To Ask, anxiety, Apprehension, Bound, Changes In The Workplace, Colleagues, fear, first week, help, Junior Position, Little Bit, Many People, New Best Friends, New Friends, New Job, Recruitment Agency, Rock The Boat, Settling, Starting A New Job, Toilets, Work Experiences