4. First Impression
Never under estimate the impact of first impressions.
The first few days are when your boss and colleagues
form the most lasting impressions about you.
First impressions about you and your future potential can
make a major impact on your future success with the
organization.
First impressions about people often turn into long-term
perceptions and reputations.
Good for people who make positive first impressions -
the halo effect but
Bad for people who make negative first impressions - the
horn effect
5. The good news is that
Most employers realize that there is a
learning curve for most positions.
There is often an unofficial grace period
while you settle into your job.
6. How to make a great first impression
when you’re starting a new job?
7. Making a great first impression
Have a positive
attitude
Be punctual
Take notes Be a good listener
Have a good
attendance record
Dress
professionally
Show your
team spirit Show genuine
appreciation
Avoid office
politics and gossip
Find a mentor
Learn colleagues
names quickly
Be organized
Ask questions
Ability to work
under pressure
Keep personal
work to the
minimum
Keep track of your
achievements
Take the initiative
9. Have a positive attitude
Nothing works better in all situations than
having and expressing a positive attitude.
Let your enthusiasm for being part of the
team and the organization show.
Always leave non-work problems at home.
11. Dress professionally
Never underestimate the importance of dressing
professionally in your new job.
In the beginning, even if your department has casual
days, you should dress professionally because you
never know when you’ll be called out to meet a top
manager or key client.
Perfectly groomed means efficient and reliable in work;
unkempt means disorganized and therefore difficult to
trust with different assignments.
After awhile, people realize these things do not
necessarily correspond, but initially, your looks and dress
are your representation to them.
13. Show Your Team Spirit
You are now part of a team, and teams
work together to solve problems and get
the job done.
Show loyalty to your colleagues and focus
more initially on sharing any recognition
you get with the team.
Always give credit to the team.
15. Learn your colleagues names
quickly
No one expects you to remember
everyone’s name by the end of the first
day or week
But if you are bad with names you can use
some memory-aid tricks to remember
names.
If you are in a situation in which you
forget a person’s name, the best solution
is to simply apologize and ask the person’s
name again.
17. Ask questions or for help
No one expects you to solve all the organization’s
problems on your first few days on the job.
Nobody expects you to know everything.
So, relax a bit, and always ask questions or ask for
help when you need it.
Remember that it’s better to ask before you’ve
completed the task the wrong way and wasted all
that time.
Communicate openly with colleagues and
supervisors.
Keep your ego at home.
19. Take Notes
Make notes on all the various systems
and rules of the organization.
Attend all orientation/induction sessions.
Nothing is more irritating than a person
who repeatedly asks for the way a system
works in the organization.
21. Take the initiative
In your first days on the job, you will be
given small doses of work.
As you finish assignments and are ready
to handle a bigger workload, take the
initiative and ask for more assignments.
Be proactive and volunteer for
assignments
23. Be punctual
Your reputation takes a beating if you
routinely come to work late or leave work
early.
In the first few days/weeks on the job, be
sure you get to work early and do not
leave earlier than when the majority of
your co-workers leave.
In the beginning, be totally dedicated to
being there all the time and picking up as
much as you can possibly handle.
25. Have a good attendance record
It is very important to show up to work
every day and establish a good attendance
record.
Save the leave entitlement for emergencies
and sickness.
27. Avoid office politics and gossip
Disassociate yourself from the office
politics and gossip to avoid being branded
as ‘political’.
Stay out of the office politics as long as
you can.
Inevitably you will get exposed to it and
may also participate in the same
eventually.
29. Keep Personal Business on Company
Time to a Minimum
Keep your personal work to the minimum and
stay focused on your work.
In the initial few weeks especially, keep away
from all personal work on company time like
Checking personal email
Chatting on the internet messenger with
family/friends
Booking personal air/train tickets on the net
Making personal phone calls – local and
international
Chatting with family and friends on the phone
for a long time
31. Be a good listener
Resist the temptation to come across as a
‘know-it-all’
If you have a legitimate contribution,
make it, but if not, do more listening and
absorbing in the first few days on the job.
33. Keep track of your achievements
It is up to you to keep track of your
achievements.
No one else will do it for you.
Helps you in the following ways:
for personal satisfaction
for annual appraisals and
for future job-hunting
35. Show appreciationShow appreciation
Show your genuine appreciation to
everyone who has helped you to learn the job
It can be your boss, colleagues or the HR
department.
40. Find a mentor
A mentor is a person who shares his experience,
knowledge and wisdom about the workplace in
general.
Typically a relationship between a senior manager
and a junior employee.
A person who provides advice, guidance and
counselling.
Enlist the support of a senior manager ideally
from another department.
