First Week on the Job

Whether you were a liberal arts student or a business major, chances are the degree you got in college did little to prepare you for the new situations you’ll face during your first week at a “real” job after graduation. The first day at work can easily feel like the first day of kindergarten. Someone directs you to your assigned seat, and you don’t know most of your co-workers.
I’ve interviewed more than 200 young people facing the post-graduation work force for the first time. Many of them have told me, “I’m not prepared for a real job,” even if they’ve done well in school and have a great track record at the internships and part-time jobs they had during college. The good news is that most employers take the time to train you. But the training manual and orientation sessions probably won’t tell you the best ways to make the most out of those first nervous days. Here are my tips for success:
10 Tips for Getting Settled in a New Job

1. Organize your workspace. You’ll be more effective if you feel at home in your surroundings. Spend some time thinking about how you can set up your virtual and desktop inboxes and files so you can access information quickly.
2. Meet everyone you can. It’s as easy as saying, “I don’t believe we’ve met yet…” Play a game with yourself to see how many names you can remember.
3. Ask lots of questions. Be a sponge and try to soak up as much as you can. It’s all right to take notes. In fact, it signals to supervisors and team members that you are really listening.
4. Start a reading pile. Gather up everything you can about the products, the company, the industry, etc. Do homework at night to learn about the job. Google the business, read articles on the web, and be curious.
5. Meet with your boss. Get your game plan together for the day, the week, the month, or longer. It’s perfectly acceptable to tell your boss or a mentor that you’re goal oriented, and would like to set some short-term goals for this position.
6. Observe your surroundings. Take it all in and you’ll gather clues to how it all works. Pay close attention to office politics—find out who are the power holders—b but don’t get involved in cliques. The most successful coworker is the one whom everyone respects. Give more importance to being respected than to being liked.
7. Listen and learn before you present all the answers. Your simple solutions probably are neither simple nor solutions. The smartest employees ask, rather than answer—questions.
8. Establish a routine for your work week. Prioritize, look for patterns, and make your routine compatible with your boss and co-workers’ schedules. In particular, arrive a few minutes early each day, and perhaps leave a few minutes late. Set aside a specific time for email—perhaps early in the morning and again at noon and mid-afternoon—so it doesn’t consume your day.
9. Follow through on everything you promise. Be realistic and true to your word. Make a conscious decision to create a reputation for reliability.
10. Realize things take time. It’s good to be eager, but have patience. Breathe, keep your mouth shut, and be circumspect. You’ll make fewer mistakes during your first week if you don’t jump right into tasks that you don’t fully understand.

Another suggestion I share with young people about getting started in a new job is to learn “cube etiquette.” The office cubicle, like it or not, is the most common office workspace situation for college graduates.
“Cube etiquette” boils down to common decency. Her are some pointers:
11 Cube Etiquette Tips for the First Week of Work

1. Control the volume of your voice. On calls and with coworkers, talk at a moderate volume. It’s not the library—but it’s not a frat party either.
2. Keep personal phone calls brief. If you have to make or receive a nonbusiness call, do it away from where others are working.
3. Turn your cell phone ring to low or to vibrate. Also, consider changing your ring tone to something neutral and businesslike.
4. Don’t eavesdrop. If you can’t help it due to the proximity of your desk, at least don’t join in conversations you’re not part of.
5. Don’t gossip. Gossip is toxic and it always comes back to bite you.
6. Dispose of food containers in the cafeteria or break room. Be respectful of shared spaces. If someone else leaves dishes or trash, clean it up and set a good example.
7. Use discretion with your cubicle decor. Your workspace is a three-D business card. Think twice about your Paris Hilton bobblehead and Ludacris screensaver.
8. Don’t get sloshed with coworkers after work. Remember that you’re an ambassador for your company on the road. Also, know that your boss probably has “spies.”
9. Don’t IM, surf, or social network on the job. Save all nonjob-related online activities for home. Don’t forget that your boss has the right to monitor your emails.
10. Don’t engage with chatty coworkers. Politely tell them that you’re on a deadline and will find time to talk later—perhaps at lunch.
11. Don’t procrastinate. You can’t pull regular all-nighters to finish work deadlines. Keep your inbox—on your desk and in your computer—empty.

I always tell young employees to make sure their work in those first days and weeks is consistently above par—if not superb. Demonstrate that you understand the company you’re working for and the industry you’re in. Make connections with co-workers who can help you learn, grow, and advance. You’ll do just fine.
Nicholas Aretakis is a life skills and career coach and the author of No More Ramen: The 20-Something’s Real World Survival Guide (Next Stage Press). He hosts an online community for college kids and recent grads at www.NoMoreRamenOnline.com.