Summer is nearly over and for those who graduated university this year, the start date for your first graduate job may be fast coming up. It is always daunting starting a new job but when it’s your first ever job it can be hard to know what to expect. Here are 5 steps to survive the first week of your new graduate job.
I still remember vividly my first day in my first ever graduate job. I was a bundle of nerves and desperate to make a good impression. In fact I was so concerned about getting on with everyone and fitting in, I missed the opportunity to properly put myself out there. There were many things I should have found out in that first week that I was too shy to ask. Instead I found myself playing catch up months later. This could have easily been avoided if I’ve been more confident from day one.
Since then I have started multiple new jobs and have a lot of experience being “the new girl” in the office. In fact I now have a proven system for the first week in a job that I use when I’m starting a new job myself or help when I’m inducting new staff.
It all starts with the correct preparation.
1. Boost your first day confidence with proper preparation (but don’t prepare too much!)
Preparation in advance of your first day is key. It will make the first week go smoother and help calm your nerves. There is no need to go overboard though. You will likely spend a lot of your first few weeks learning about the company and your role so you don’t want to duplicate work.
Instead focus on a few key areas to best help you survive the first week of your new graduate job:
Re-read any induction materials you have been sent.
Make sure you know where you need to be on day one, what time you need to be there and who you are meeting. Recap any information about your specific role/team and do any learning / induction material that has been recommended to you. I have a tendency to skim read induction emails so I always make a point to go back through them all to ensure I don’t miss anything important.
Research your commute and do a test run
Make sure you know your commute inside out. Work out in advance what time you need to set off and factor in buffer time in case of delays so you won’t be late. If you are an anxious person, it can help to do a test run of your commute the week before to see how busy rush hour is and ensure you’re happy with the route. If you are remote working, make sure you set up your IT in advance and are clear how to get started on day one.
Get your outfit and bag ready the night before
Research the dress code in advance and pick out an outfit that makes you feel confident but comfortable. Pack your bag the night before and make sure you have any important documents already packed (passport, proof of address, P45 etc.).
Prepare questions in advance
Spend some time thinking about what you still need to know about the company, your role, your contract and the practical day to day working culture. Your mind can easily go blank when put on the spot so it’s really helpful to already have some questions prepared.
2. Listening is the most important skill in week one. End of.
You are properly keen to show off your abilities in your new graduate job. You may have been hired because of your amazing communication skills, business acumen or numerical reasoning but in week one, the most important thing to demonstrate is your listening skills.
The first week is all about finding out about the job, your team and the company you are working in. It’s easy to get information overload in that first week. My top tip is to bring a notepad and pen with you everywhere and write down what you learn as you go. This will help you concentrate better when talking to new people and also be something you can go back to to refresh your memory.
Ask everyone’s name and remember them!
The first week is the perfect time to meet everyone in your office. While you will naturally get to know your team, you may never get another good opportunity to learn the name of that guy in finance you always run into at the tea point. Asking now saves you the embarrassment of releasing months later you don’t know their name even though you speak to them every week.
Ask questions if you don’t understand something (this is OK!)
The first week is also the perfect time to get to grips with the office lingo. Almost all companies have acronyms and systems that are confusing to someone new. Often these things are so part of the company culture that they forget new colleagues don’t know these things. If anything doesn’t make sense in week one, don’t blame yourself. It is much more likely that your manager did not explain it properly!
Pay attention in presentations and meetings
It can be easy for the mind to drift off when you are nervous. In my first week my brain was occupied with making sure everyone liked me and I fit in. So much so that all the induction presentations and meetings went straight over my head. I missed out on a lot of vital information because I was so preoccupied. There will be a lot going on but try your best to focus in these situations and take it all in.
3. Lower your expectations: the first week is for induction (rather than getting stuck in)
Sometimes the first week of a new job can be an anticlimax. You spend weeks beforehand thinking about what it will be like and what projects you will be working on. Will you be able to do the work? Will be you smart enough? Will you be able to cope with the pressure?
While I’m sure there are some jobs where you hit the ground running, in my experience it is a slower start than you expect. It can take a few days to get your IT set up. A few days to be added to the right systems. And a few more days to get through your mandatory training and induction materials.
You will likely won’t get stuck into the job you were hired to do until at least week two.
Keep a list of all induction materials and work through slowly
It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the materials sent to you in week one. There can be induction packs, organograms, past reports, intranet articles and best practice guides. The list of things to read grows longer every time you meet someone new and they recommend additional items. Keep it all together on one list so you can easily keep track. Work through each one slowly and don’t rush. You don’t need to do it all in your first week. If you are not sure what to do first, ask your manager for advice.
Make use of this time to get organised
Take advantage of things being slow paced in the first week by getting organised. Getting into good organisational habits from the start will make life much easier for you in the future. For example you might like to: Set up a filing system for documents. Create folders for your email inbox. Get set up with a personal project management system (I like to use Microsoft One-note).
Ensure you get set up with everything you need access to
Use this time to make sure you have access to all folders and programmes you need for your job. In addition, ask around for what regular meetings you need in your diary and ensure you get added to the right mailing lists. You can also make sure you sign up for any company benefits and work out how to get access to things like the office gym, bike store and networking groups.
4. Start building relationships from day 1
Your new work won’t expect you to know how to do the job from day 1. But they will expect you to be eager to learn and work hard. First impressions count, so it is important to maintain an enthusiastic and positive attitude. This also means putting effort into getting to know everyone in the office and start building good relationships with your colleagues.
Introduce yourself to people in the office
In this first week ensure you introduce yourself to people in the office and get to know a little about those you will be working with. If possible, get involved with the general office chit-chat around the desks.
Go for lunch / after work socials with colleagues if asked
You may be asked to go for lunch with colleagues or after work drinks. Try and make the effort to attend these, even if you are naturally shy or introverted as it will help you settle in.
Schedule in intro chats
To break up a week of induction materials, it can be useful to put in intro chats with everyone in your direct team. You can then spend 1:1 time with individuals and get to know a bit more about their work and life outside of work. If you don’t like socialising in big groups, this is a nice alternative and it works just as well if you are working remotely.
5. Respect the culture and ways of working
No-one likes it when someone new comes in and starts trying to change the status quo. This often happens when a new manager starts but is something all new starters need to be aware of. While it is great to bring new ideas to a team, make sure you respect and understand the current ways of working before you start making suggestions.
Stay opened minded and ask questions first
Some of the company’s ways of working might not make sense to you at first. In all organisations there will likely be some inefficiencies but there will also be some processes that are done a certain way for very specific reasons. While you are settling in, stay open minded and find out why things are done the way they are before jumping to conclusions. Then once you have a better understanding, you can start offering solutions if you want.
Avoid talking too much about your last job or how you did things at university
It is fine to talk about university or your last job. People will naturally ask you questions about it. However, try to make sure you don’t talk about it too much. In particular try to avoid comparisons with your new work. It can be frustrating for colleagues to constantly hear about how your last job did things much better or how your university had much better equipment.
At the start, aim to have a similar working pattern to colleagues
If you can, it is helpful to mimic your colleagues’ working patterns at the start. Try to be in the office at roughly the same time as those around you and take a similar length break for lunch. Join in any office activities and generally get a feel for the culture. This will help to feel like one of the team!
Good luck starting your new job! I hope these tips help you feel more prepared and confident. Above all remember it is just the first week of many so try to relax and embrace the new experience.
Even after the first week, you will be continuously learning new things and gaining new skills. You might have some of these already from university, but many will be brand new things. Click here to read my reflections on the top 5 ways university prepared me for work and the top 5 ways it did not!
