It might be nerve-wracking and you might feel like a kid on your first day at school, but the way you behave during your first week at work could literally determine the future success of your career.

1. Don’t be late

Not even once! Leave home early. Get somebody else to take the kids to school. Do whatever it takes to ensure that you will not arrive late. Being late at any time, but especially during your first week in a new job, is like telling your boss outright that you have no commitment to the job and bosses are like elephants, they don’t forget easily!

2. Get to know people

Getting the lie of the land when you have just started in a new job is extremely important. Take the opportunity during your breaks to wander around the different departments and get to know the people and their roles. But…

3. Don’t pick sides too soon

One of the biggest mistakes that many new employees make is to get too friendly, too quickly and with the wrong people. While it is perfectly understandable that you would want to alleviate the uncomfortable feelings associated with being a newcomer to the company, getting in with the wrong crowd can kill a career stone dead. It is not just about avoiding the troublemakers though, but about actively associating with the influencers. Not only in the first week, but the first weeks, treat everyone the same and do not pick any favorites.

4. Pay attention during induction training

Some of the subjects might be a bit dry, but pay attention anyway. Having to check the details with your boss again later will not exactly convince him of your commitment or your attention span.

5. Avoid office politics

Especially gossip (yours or anybody else’s) and expressing your opinion about other people in the workplace. You don’t know who is friendly with whom and just where your chit-chat might end up, and in any case no employer will take kindly to company time being used in this way. Be polite and respectful and don’t step on any toes. In addition, avoid all inappropriate topics of conversation and inappropriate jokes.

6. Read, read, read

Policies and procedures, manuals, reports, anything you can lay your hands on. Even if the information is not directly related to your role, anything which helps to inform you as to the company’s ethos, direction, culture or anything else, will prove valuable down the line.

7. Go one step beyond

In many cases, bosses will not expect the earth from you during your first week - they understand that you need time to find your feet and settle in. However, to make the very best impression right from the start, you should be thinking about exceeding your boss’s expectations and doing just that bit more than what is asked of you. Do be careful though. If you start off at such a pace that it makes your colleagues look bad, you could find them blocking your progress. At the end of the day, it is all about balance.

8. Don’t be a know-it-all

There is nothing worse than having some newcomer waltz into your company and start telling you what they know or how you could do things better. Avoid being a know-it-all at any cost it will only serve to alienate you.

9. Be enthusiastic and optimistic

An enthusiastic and optimistic approach is something which is highly valued by employers. Whatever challenges you encounter, greet them with a positive outlook and you will earn the respect and regard of your boss and your colleagues.

10. Listen

You are in a new situation with much to learn. Rather than talking too much and revealing your own hand, listen to others. Not only will you get a better feel, and more quickly, for what is going on around you, but your interest in what others have to say will establish you as a team player.

Not just during the first week, but during the first few weeks, months and maybe even longer, you are going to be under the microscope in your new job. Start making basic mistakes this early in the game and you could very quickly find that your career has ground to a shuddering halt. Play it with care, however, and you could be on the road to success.

Wilson Chua
Intergity Career Transitions
750 South Shipyard Drive, Suite 300, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Toll Free: 1-302-442-4100
Tel. No.: (302) 504-9960

[tags]Career Transition, Professional Resume Writing Services, Career Counseling[/tags]