1) Make sure you arrange the details of your first day before you start. Large organizations like Fortune 500 companies or government, have a fairly standard procedures in place to onboard new hires. If you are employee number four at a tech start-up, however, don't assume that there are standards in place. The first few days of a new job can be nerve-wracking for everyone, so make sure you know who you are meeting, what time they want to see you, and exactly where you should go. This sounds pretty obvious, but if you arrive at 9am on a Monday, you may find yourself standing in front of a locked office door while your hiring manager leads the morning sales call. Plan ahead.
2) Find out what to wear. Yes, in interviews you likely trotted out your Sunday finest. But if you are working for a start-up filled with 25 year-old surfer-types, you don't want to show up dressed like an undertaker. If in doubt, ask HR or the hiring manager. Nobody will judge you harshly for wanting to respect their corporate culture.
3) Don't bring your entire office on the first day. Yes, your Hang in There cat poster was the hit of the office at your last place, but take a look at the offices of your colleagues before you start to decorate. Often interviews are held in boardrooms that give you little sense of the culture of the organization. Many companies have moved towards a hoteling concept where you are assigned a new workspace everyday depending on what you are doing. The last thing you want to do is drag in your ficus plant only to find out that your officemates survive with a rolling file bin and a laptop.
4) Ask whoever lets you in where everything is. Bathroom, photocopier, file area, coffee area. Ask how you get in and out of the building and how your passcard works. Think of Maslow's hierarchy of needs: the sooner you get comfortable with the basics, the sooner you can start to self-actualize and earn your keep.
5) Be friendly to everyone. Even if you are the world's biggest introvert and have been hired for a job where you talk to nobody, plaster a big smile on your face and be friendly to everybody. Most people will judge your character in a minute or less. Based on what they think, they can be helpful or not helpful. Yes, over the next few weeks you will be judged based on merit, but the first few days are more like speed-dating. Be cheerful, be charming, and avoid any conflict or controversy (I don't have to tell you to hold open elevator doors and avoid cutting anyone off in the parking lot.)
6) Ask what they'd like you to start working on. Often your manager will hand you a pile of work from whoever held your position last. Ask specifically what you can work on and arrange a time to meet to hand over some deliverables. You will all feel better once you actually produce some results.
7) Clarify any buzzwords. Every organization has its own lingo. If you don't know what a term means, ask. You have a month to be stupid and ask questions. After that, people start to judge.
Most of all relax, have fun, and find out when people go out for drinks night (and make sure to attend it!) You've worked hard for this moment so enjoy.
Happy hunting,
Nancy
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