You got the job. You have accepted. You have written the resignation letter and enjoyed he handshake with the boss. Having worked your notice, you leave your old desk behind, looking forward to pastures new.  

But, the nerves are setting in and, when this happens, we can start to make some rather poor quality judgements. Creating the right impression, fitting in, not making a fool of yourself and so on, are all the things that we think about the night before we start a new role. 

Having a checklist to help you with the do’s and don’ts of you next new job can be helpful in ensuring that it goes swimmingly well, and not a big nose-diving belly flop.  

The do’s or should do…

Be positive in your outlook – it is a new job, a new challenge and you are more than ready for it 

Re-read all the information sent to you both at the time of application and interview, as well as any additional material since you accepted the post. Make sure you are familiar with certain things, making notes of anything that needs clarifying 

Research the company again, and get a handle on who the competitors are and so on; arming yourself with some background knowledge can be incredibly helpful 

Plan your journey to work and if possible, have a dummy run. It may be in the same town, but if it a different bus route, tube stop, different motorway exit and so on, you need to know how long it takes and peak rush hour time 

Find out who you are meeting and reporting too; all this takes is a quick phone call or an email 

Make sure you know your working hours so that childcare and so on is not an immediate issue 

Examine the contract of employment carefully, and make sure you are happy with what you are signing; some people think it is rude to ask the date they are paid but, this is an essential piece of information for you. If the date is not in the contract, ask them 

Take some photo identity on the first day; employers are required to do certain checks on new staff, the most basic of which is that you are who you say you are. Take your passport and your driving licence if you have one, for proof of identity as well as address 

Your mobile phone needs to be off or on silent 

Make sure you stick to timings, and that you are back promptly from breaks and lunch 

Show that you are willing; staying an extra 10 minutes and not running out the door creates a far more favourable impression, especially as you get to know people and settle in 

Be calm, stay focus and socialise – get to know the people you are working with, as this can make the first week pass so much quicker and better. 

However, there are some pitfalls that some people fall into; the first week in important and creating a bad impression during this time can really hurt your prospects at the company.  

What not to do…

Call in sick during your first week, unless the situation is extenuating 

Lateness is also frowned upon, as well as punctuality 

Think before you speak and certainly don’t rubbish your former colleagues or palace of employment; there have been many an embarrassing tale of a new employee bad-mouthing their former line manager only to be told that the person sat in front of them is their spouse/sibling and so on 

Don’t make or take personal calls on your mobile, and texting is also frowned upon. In fact, take your eyes off your mobile, and concentrate on the task in hand 

Don’t struggle, or panic! Ask for help and learn to communicate with new people. There are bound to be moments when you feel adrift and useless but, everything comes with time and experience 

But on the other hand, don’t be a know all; humility is a great characteristic to have. You may have been hired to implement new systems, staffing rotas and so on, but this does not mean you are a knight in shining armour that has carte blanche to do whatever you want on your first day 

A new job is an exciting and challenging time, a situation that everyone has been in. You will hear it said to you many times on your first day and in your first week that ‘I had no idea when I started either’ and so on. Colleagues are more than willing to help out, so relax and enjoy!