First Day

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It's my first day at work at the new office and it's quite stressful and intimidating. I'm sure we all have had to adjust working with new people in one form or another and it's not always easy. So to make the process go a little smoother I read a couple of articles. Here are the five top tips they had in common. 

1. Be 10-15 min Early. Test drive your rout, arrive early and grab coffee; what ever you need to do to get there with out stressing your brains out because you thought it would only take 15 min but its starting to look more like 25. 

2. Dress for Success. We are ladies and gentlemen of the professional world and we must look the part. Remember its always better to be overdressed than under-dressed. We want people to have a good first impression of us. 

3. Practice Introducing Yourself. How many times have we been told to practice our elevator speech? Well, now we can practice our introduction. Keep it short and simple but interesting enough that the conversation can be continued at a later time. Your coworkers might not have the time at the moment to hear about all your cats. Be prepared to answer questions about your recent work and school experiences along with what you be doing for the company. If you don't know tell them "I'm not exactly sure, but I'm excited to get started." 

4. Listen and Take Notes. There are a lot of new information coming in on your first day, and as the week goes by, it accumulates exponentially. I suggest you start taking notes - not just scribbles, organized notes. You never know when you would need to go back and dig up the facts. 

5. Ask Questions. Don't be a know-it-all or start assuming because that can lead to unnecessary mishaps.  If you're not 100% sure, ask. Even better, if there is a place to look up policies and procedures, figure out the correct actions on your own. You'll get extra points for that one