5 ways to impress on the first day of new job - Military Careers, Second Careers - Army Times

5 ways to impress on the first day of new job

You’re not sure where the copier is, let alone the restroom. You don’t know whether to jump right in and ask for a task or wait around for someone to tell you what to do.

That precarious first day at a new job. It and the week that follows will be, perhaps, the most trying time in your career. It’s critical you make the right impression.

“That first week is hugely important because it really sets the tone for how people view you in the company,” says Tom Gimbel, chief executive of The LaSalle Network, a Chicago-based staffing, recruiting and executive services firm. “People are going to be watching closely.”

Not just the boss, either. Co-workers, secretaries and all the other people you come into contact with likely are thinking: “When’s he going to mess up? Will she make it?”

An estimated 40 percent of new hires fail within the first 18 months on the job. You certainly don’t want to fail in the first 18 hours. Take a look at five ways to wow them the first week and make sure they don’t regret hiring you:

One-week warning

It’s a way to prove you’re on top of things before you ever start. One week before the first day, call to make sure everything is in order. Ask if you need to bring any special information or supplies. Ask if there are forms you could fill out beforehand. Ask for specifics on what employees typically wear.

“As an employer, you want somebody who is thinking about the career, the job, and to get a call before they start says something,” says Gimbel.

An added touch, if you can pull if off without seeming like a schmoozer, is to tell the boss how excited you are to start, perhaps in a casual e-mail.

The details

Clear your personal calendar as much as you can the first week so you don’t have other commitments in the evening. That way, just in case they need you to stay late, you can.

“Managers hate to see new hires watch the clock on their first few afternoons on the job,” says Gimbel.

Other details: Arrive at least 20 minutes early on the first day. And stay a little past clocking-out time. You don’t want to look like you’re in a hurry to bolt.

As for lunch? Don’t go knocking on the boss’s door at 10:30 a.m. asking what time you should take a lunch. It will look like food, not work, is on your mind.

Set up your own orientation

Companies always put you through those dreaded companywide orientations. You still have to do that. But make your own orientation plan, says Andrea Davis Cranfill, vice president of Flashpoint, a human resource consulting firm in Indianapolis.

“Set up meetings with co-workers to get to know them and to start building positive relationships,” she says.

Take the initiative to learn the business and your new job. Ask to see some manuals and annual reports. You might even ask to shadow a co-worker, someone who is in a similar position, for a day.

The work

It’s always tough to navigate that first assignment. Often, you sit twiddling your thumbs the first few days waiting for someone to give you something to do. The solution is simple.

“Ask how you can help,” says Cranfill. They hired you for a reason, right?

“The mistake of not wanting to do something because you are a new hire is a big mistake,” says Gimbel.

Another mistake? Being too forward. You may see co-workers engaged in a project and would love to help.

“You always ask for permission,” he says. “Say, ‘I don’t know everything, but I’m willing to try. If you guys would like my help on this, I’m here.’ ”

Questions please; no nagging

You will have a million questions that first week. And while most bosses expect to devote some of their time to you, they still have work to do. No one wants a new hire that knocks on the door every 10 minutes with a pesky question.

Gimbel says to carry a notepad everywhere and write down questions. On the first day, ask the boss when he wants you to ask your questions. Every hour? At the end of each day? At the end of the week?

“It never hurts to over-communicate, even if that means talking about how you should communicate,” he says.