How to show you’re ready to hit the ground running in the first 10 minutes of your job

We’ve all had first-day jitters. Any big change is hard for humans. But you’ll do great work and try your hardest in this new role. To make sure you put your best foot forward, here’s what you can do in the first 10 minutes to make an impact.

Dress the part

You hear this advice for the interview stage all the time. But it’s important to take what you learned and adjust based on the hiring manager’s outfit during your interview. Maybe you noticed that your future colleagues dressed a little less formal when you were given a tour after the interview. 

A research study at Princeton University showed that first impressions are made in the blink of an eye; one-tenth of a second to be exact. Before you meet the entire team, make sure you have the right outfit picked out. The color of an outfit can lend itself to making the impression you are after. For example, if you want to come across as:

• Powerful, wear black
• Passionate, wear red
• Successful, wear green
• Reliable, wear brown

If you’re still a little unsure, always dress just one tick higher than where you think you should be. And to give yourself a bit of a confidence boost on your first day, pick an outfit that makes you feel great.

If you’re afraid to add too much color, use the guide above and add an accessory. A tie with a pop of color or a thin belt in a bold tone can show your personality without being overbearing.

Show up a few minutes early

Most managers will have time blocked off for when you first arrive so they can show you to your desk and introduce you to the team. You want to show them you respect their time, right off the hop. Get to work five or 10 minutes early so that they know you made an effort to be on time. 

There are a few ways to ensure you get there on time on day one:

• Set two alarms – one normal alarm and a backup 10 minutes later.
• Practice the commute on a weekday at the same time to get a feel for the traffic and total duration.
• Get to work 30 minutes earlier than you intend and relax in your car for a few minutes, so you aren’t too early and disrupting schedules.

Communicate with upbeat introductions

Sounds mundane, but how you say hello matters. If you let your nerves get the best of you, you’ll come off as quiet or standoffish, which might be far from the truth. So firm up your handshake (or whatever socially distanced greeting we’re doing at the time), and practice making eye contact while introducing yourself.

Make it simple, upbeat, and confident. Stick to sharing details that are relevant to work. Don’t say something strange or out-of-place just to be memorable. For example, sharing your obsession with baseball or your must-have pizza topping would be memorable, but not in a good way.

Instead, build an introduction that shows them you are excited to get down to work and you are a team player. Here are a few examples to get you started:

• “Hi, I’m John. It’s really nice to meet you. I can’t wait to get into the analysis code here. What code do you use?”
• “Hi, I’m Julie, and I’ll be working as a junior business analyst. Will I get to collaborate with you on any projects?”
• “Hey, I’m Craig. The new graphic designer for online media. When you have an hour when you aren’t swamped, would you mind showing me what you do?”

Demonstrate your expertise with a short story

Once you get past the brief introductions with your new colleagues, you’ll want to share with them what makes you excellent at your job. You could highlight how you are a sought-after problem solver, analytical thinker, or proficient scientist in a niche field. Rather than telling them directly, which might come across as boastful, you’ll want to weave a story for them demonstrating your strengths.

Think back to the pivotal moments in your career up to this point and tell the story of how you:

• Solved a massive problem using your skills
• Thought outside the box to put a new system in place
• Rallied the troops to bring together a high-performing team
• Created a new procedure, process or department

Here’s where you could (carefully) use a little humor to spice up your story. In your first introduction above, you want to stick to the facts. Now, when you’re sharing who you are and what you can do, some personality will help you build rapport on your first day.

Bring a paper planner with you

Even if you typically will use the planner in Outlook or on your phone, bring a notebook or planner with you so you can take notes. You might have a meeting with your manager before your login and email are set up in the first 10 minutes. And you don’t want to be pulling out your phone to note something down, because they may mistake that for a distraction. (Turn off the phone ringer while you’re at it.)

The planner will signal your organization and preparedness for the job. On that note, be sure to bring a pen as well.

Befriend key players in your new work life

The very first person you’ll meet on your will more than likely be the receptionist. They are the gatekeeper of the company, and they know nearly everyone. You’ll want to befriend them first because they can make introductions for you and they know the ins and outs of the place. You may also find it easier to ask them questions than your direct manager.

Depending on how your office is configured, you’ll want to also befriend your new desk neighbors. If you sit in a pod of four workstations, make sure you say hello to all of your deskmates. If you have a separate office, be sure to pop into the neighboring office and quickly introduce yourself. These are the people you’re going to be seeing for most of your weekday waking hours. Keep it pleasant off the hop to make your life easier down the road.

Print off banking details to take with you

In some jobs, there’s a lot of paperwork on the first day. Contracts, employee handbooks, IT policies, direct deposit forms, and health insurance information. Rather than gathering up your banking information later that night to submit tomorrow, print those forms off before your first day.

You’ll save back-and-forth time with HR and you’ll once again show that you think ahead and respect other people’s time. Strictly speaking, this may or may not occur in the first 10 minutes of your job, so consider it a bonus tip.