Surviving the First Day at Work

Andrew May on the TODAY Show, Channel 9, Sydney


Starting a new job is a lot like your first day at school – there are fresh faces, unfamiliar places and plenty of new things to learn. You also need to learn who’s who in the zoo - where the toilets are, what time the ‘tuck shop’ opens and what is the principal really like?

Your first day in any new role will be a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand you will feel nervous, self-aware and out of your comfort zone. On the other hand there are new and exciting opportunities, new skills and new challenges ahead of you. Understanding and following some basic workplace rules will help you sail through your first day. Before discussing what to do; let’s have a quick look at what not to do.


blundering plumber burns down £5M mansion
The first day can be a nerve racking experience prone to professional mishaps. Where even the most experienced worker can expect to feel a bit of heat. But if you’ve ever had a bad first day – think about the poor 17 year old rookie plumber who burnt down a £5 million ($12 million) waterside mansion in southwest England.

Taking it on himself to do some soldering in the roof of a historic mansion in Devon that was undergoing a major renovation – the plumber started the fire after polystyrene insulation caught alight from the flame of a blow torch.

The message? Stay away from the blowtorch on day one.


5 things to avoid on your first day
While there are definite things you should do, there is also a list of things you should avoid:

1. don’t go too hard too soon - Remember the school 400m race? Every year there was some kid who stayed up all night watching videos of Michael Johnson winning the Olympic 400m race. The next day the gun fires, the first 200m is flat out, at the 250m mark the legs feel a little heavy, then the last 100m you get totally swamped and everyone flies past. Pace yourself at work and ease into the new environment.
2. don’t get into office politics – avoid the water cooler discussion bitching about the boss, or the HR manager, or about the new girl in accounts
3. don’t eat garlic, onions or a spicy curry the night before – I’ll let you work this one out for yourself
4. don’t tell colleagues everything that’s wrong – while a set of fresh eyes can be invaluable for creative input and adding new ideas. Be careful of entering a new workplace and pointing out everything that’s wrong
5. don’t bring your medals on the first day – I remember my father took in my state running medals to show Mr MacQueen, my new Sports Master after we had moved from Glen Innes to Yass when I was in Year 7 (dad to his credit was so proud of his kids). While Mr MacQueen was impressed – 2 weeks later when the football captain said ‘where are your medals today, new-boy?’ in front of everyone at school assembly. I didn’t think bringing the medals in was such a good idea anymore...

5 things to do
There are 5 ‘must do’s’ that will help you get off to a great start and they all start with the letter P.

1. punctual – make sure you arrive early. Taking a new route to work in the car, on the bus, on your bike or walking can take more time than you first expected. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early to avoid any last minute traffic mishaps.
2. plan – think about what are you going to wear. If everyone else is wearing a suit and tie – wear a suit and tie. If the standard uniform is Hard Yakka work wear, a suit and tie might look a little out of place!
3. professional – be courteous and polite, err on the side of caution if you’re not sure about the grammar or syntax to use. Walking up to the CEO and giving him a ‘high 5’ might be funny to your new colleagues, but could be a CLM – career limiting move
4. procedures – every company has standard policies and procedures. Make sure you find out what they are. Learn the evacuation policy, first-aid guidelines, where stationary is kept, workplace health and safety, internet policy,
5. performance – at the end of the day you are employed to do a job and perform. Most companies will have a 12-week trial period followed by a formal performance review. Make sure you are crystal clear on how you will be measured. Is it sales volume, customer satisfaction, staff morale/communication or materials produced?

don’t be too hard on yourself
Remember you are new and it is perfectly normal to take up to 3 months to settle into a new role and ‘learn the ropes’. Don’t be too hard on yourself – we all make mistakes and this is part of the learning process. And please ask lots of questions and keep a note book – you are much better to ask what might seem like a silly question than make a $12 million mistake!


enjoy the challenge
Starting a new job can be fun, challenging and rewarding. Acknowledge that you will have mixed emotions along the way and focus more of your time and energy on the new and exciting aspects rather than on the things you don’t know or can’t control. Follow the 5 to-do tips and enjoy your exciting new career.

Andrew May