Today was my first day at my new job, and it was just what I expected — exciting, yet boring. It was exciting, because it’s a job at my dream company. For the past five years, I’ve been working towards getting a job at this company, and it feels really good to finally accomplish my goal. Unfortunately, no matter where you work, the first day is almost always boring unless you enjoy filling out paperwork.
Since I’ve had previous internships and jobs, I knew what to expect, but I realize that most college students have no idea what to expect on their first day of work. I definitely didn’t when I got my first job, so I figured it might be helpful if I shared some of my first day experiences for those of you who haven’t had a real job yet.
Get Sleep
You’ll probably be a little nervous the night before your first day. It’s almost like getting ready for the first day of elementary school again. I’ve had trouble falling asleep, and I’ve woken up really early. I don’t think there’s really anything you can do about this. Just know that it’s perfectly normal. As anxious as you might be to start your new job, chances are you won’t be doing much work the first day, so…
Be Patient
As I mentioned before, the first day is usually pretty boring. The majority of the day is spent on orientation, filling out paperwork, touring the building(s), and meeting more people than you can possibly remember. In my experiences, it takes at least a week before you start getting into the groove of things. The key is to be patient and realize that things will get more exciting as time goes on. You’ll probably get a lot of information thrown at you during the first day, so it’s not uncommon to…
Feel Overwhelmed
Orientation usually means fit as much information into a small amount of time as possible. It’s impossible to cover everything you need to know for a new job in one day, but that doesn’t keep companies from trying. Fortunately, they realize this, and that’s why they expect you to have plenty of…
Questions
The first day of work is a great time for questions, because they expect you to have them. If you can’t think of any questions on the first day, at least find out who you should go to for questions in the future. Knowing who to contact for different types of questions (HR, payroll, benefits, etc.) is essential for getting acclimated to your new job.
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Thanks for the advice! I’ve decided to take some time off from grad school to work in the business world, my first venture in the “real world of business,” and will be starting a new job very shortly. The overwhelming part is definitely #1 right now, so breathing – just like in exercise – is crucial!
Thanks for the information! It is very helpful.