How To Make A Good First Impression At Your New Job

You did it! You aced your interview and landed a new job. So, now what? The next steps into starting your new job are quite important. They say you only have one chance to make a good first impression. You already know how stellar you are because they gave you the position, so here are a few ways how to make a good first impression at your new job and start strong.

1. Shake hands

This is usually a given when entering a new job, but when you introduce yourself to everyone, make sure you shake their hands, with eye contact and a kind smile. This sort of eagerness to meet new people will let everyone know how happy you are to be there.

2. Eye contact

Eye contact is so important while meeting new people. Sometimes we can get a bit nervous and choose a focal point to direct our eyes to keep our concentration going. But making eye contact with people while they are talking indicates that you are listening intently and you respect their time and what they are saying. Be sure not to get to intense with the eye contact, though. You don’t want to creep anyone out.

3. Be enthusiastic

This is so important for your first day. Don’t be untameably energetic, but make sure you tell them how happy you are to be there and how excited you are to get started at your new job. Getting excited about what you do is a positive quality that can be contagious in the workplace. So, don’t forget to smile and be grateful for this big step in your career path.

4. Volunteer to do the dirty work

In every work environment, there is a task or two that everyone pawns off on each other or doesn’t want to do. Volunteer to help out and take on the work that others won’t do. It will show that you are a team player and take initiative.

5. Consider the average person’s attention span

This may seem like a strange tip to consider, but bear with me. The average attention span for people is approximately fifteen to twenty seconds. That’s why an elevator pitch is roughly the same amount of time because human beings tend to check out at a certain point when they are distracted or uninterested. But keeping this little tidbit in mind will help when you want to propose something new to your boss or explaining a task to your coworker. Everyone’s time is valuable and no one likes a long-winded person. So getting to the point and respecting someone’s time is an excellent quality to have in any work environment.

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6 Ask people about themselves

This not only applies for how to make a good first impression at your new job, but for how to impress people in general. If you have a bit of down time at work or you’re having lunch in the break room, try and get to know your coworkers. If there is one thing that people love to talk about, it’s themselves. It’s a human trait we all share and people are always flattered to find that someone cares enough to ask. So, make sure you get to know your coworkers to help create a kind and friendly work environment. Also, learning names right off the bat and using their names in conversation while addressing them is just as important.

7. Be there early

Don’t show up right on time. There are many employers out there who live by a philosophy in which if a person is on time, they’re late. Showing up early shows you care about punctuality and it allows you to acclimate to your surroundings and be prepared for however the day is about to start.

What tips do you have for how to make a good first impression at your new job? Let us know in the comments!