How To Make a Good First Impression on Your First Day

Good Morning Everyone! Yesterday was my first day at a new bank branch.  After 5 years of working at my previous bank branch I was proactively transferred to a branch closer to home.  Although I have been working for my employer for many years I was both excited and nervous about my first day at work.  Starting at a new bank branch was just like starting my first day of work with the company…minus the training.

The bank world is very small and there is always someone in one bank branch who knows someone else in another branch.  The world of Financial Planners is even smaller.  I very often run into the same small group of Financial Planners at training sessions, seminars, and events. All this to say that it is very important to make a good first impression because before we even start our new job (if we transferred) people have probably already heard something about our work habits, our personality, and our track record.

 

Here are Some Helpful Tips on How to Make a Good First Impression on Your First Day:

 

Be 5 Minutes Early. It is better to leave your house early and arrive 5 minutes early at work than it is to arrive exactly on time or take the risk of being late.  However, try not to be more than 10 minutes early because that is also noticed.  I actually once had a former manager make a comment when I was 15 minutes early on my first day.

 

Keep Smiling. The first day at a new office or a new job can be tough.  The unfamiliar is always uncomfortable, but we just have to keep smiling.  A positive attitude can definitely help us fit in with our new colleagues and it can also help advance our career in the future. Nobody likes a negative person.

 

Eat in the Lunch Room. I know that our first day at a new job can be overwhelming; and the thought of spending our lunch hour alone to decompress can be tempting.  However, this is a big mistake.  As awkward as it is to sit in a lunchroom full of people that we don’t know, we will never get to know them if we don’t spend time with them and break the ice.

 

Ask Intelligent Questions. Even though we may not know our new colleagues yet, the one thing that we all have in common is our employer.  We should ask questions related to our work in order to break the ice and open the doors of communication with our co workers. Generally people like to be needed, and talking about something that we have in common is always an easy way to start communicating with others.  Be careful not to ask too many questions, and don’t always ask the same co worker; we definitely don’t want to become annoying.

 

Be Professional. We definitely do want to talk with our colleagues, but we should keep the talk to a professional manner, at least for the first week.  Subjects such as previous work experience, how we applied for the job, why we chose our current employer, and the interview process are all very professional discussions.  How we dress and present ourselves is also very important.  Our clothes should always remain professional.  If you aren’t sure if your outfit is professional or not, the odds are that it is not; so we should leave it at home.

 

Photo by Senekin