by Jen Thorpe

Created on: December 20, 2009

You've handed out tons of resumes, filled out countless applications, and gone through the gauntlet of interview after interview.  All the steps you have to go through just to be considered for a job sometimes can seem like more work than the what the job you are striving for would require.  It's not easy, and it's not enjoyable to go through this process.  In fact, it can be quite uncomfortable at times!  

Eventually, with some luck and perseverance, your efforts will pay off, and you will find yourself among the gainfully employed.  Congratulations on getting the job!  If you want to keep this new job, that you worked so hard to get, you are going to want to make a good first impression to your boss and coworkers.  You don't want to be thought of as unprofessional, or as a "slacker" , or as incompetent.  Bring your best self to your workplace.  Otherwise, you just might find yourself jobless very quickly, and starting over the whole tedious and time consuming  process of getting a job, right back at the beginning.  No one wants to do that more than absolutely necessary!

It's not difficult to make a good first impression on your first day of work.  Potential trouble can easily be avoided, if you keep in mind what to do, and what not to do.

What NOT to do on your first day on the job:

* Don't show up to work late on your first day.

This is the worst way to start a new job.  Showing up late on your first day is going to send the message to your employer that maybe you aren't the person he or she thought you were when you were hired.  If you are late, it is almost as if you are telling your boss "This job isn't important to me", or "I don't really want to work here."  Showing up late is going to leave a negative impression of you to your boss and coworkers.

* Don't arrive to work in inappropriate clothing.

If your job wants people to dress in "business casual", this usually means slacks, skirts, nicer shirts, and dress shoes.  It does not mean jeans and sneakers.  It certainly doesn't mean you can wear shorts, sweatpants, t-shirts, shirts that show your stomach, or the type of shoes often called "flip-flops" or "thongs".  If your new job requires a particular uniform, then that is exactly what you should be wearing when you arrive.  Showing up in the wrong kind of clothing is going to make you look unprofessional.  

* Don't finish grooming after you arrive at work.

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>