Day one in a new job
Tuesday 23 January 2007
If you're heading out into the big bad world of employment, one of the most nerve-wracking things is getting through that very first day. Will your new colleagues like you? Will you be worried that you've made a big mistake?
We chat to n2k readers about their first days at work and find out of it's as bad as you might be imagining.
Learning experience
Surinder, 17, admits she was shaking in her shoes on her first day as a junior in a hair salon. "I had no idea what to expect so I thought everyone was going to be really bitchy like this reality TV show I once saw. I thought that no-one would talk to me because I was just this girl who was at college. I was so frightened."
And was it as bas as she thought? Were her colleagues the nightmares she'd imagined? "They were all really nice to me on my first day. They sat down and had a chat about the day-to-day running and trained me on the right way to answer phones and stuff like that.
Most of the time I was just watching what they were doing. I learnt loads in one day and don't know what I was so scared of."
Be included
Not every first day has to be awkward. Jordan, 18, decided that it was up to him to get to know every one when he got a job in a busy office. "I was a bit nervous about my first day because I'd never had a job before," he tells us.
"When I got there I was shown to my desk and given things to do but I wasn't really shown around or introduced. I decided to break the ice and go round asking the people in my team if they wanted a cup of tea. We soon got chatting and my nerves disappeared!"
Jordan reckons that the key to a smooth first day is to make sure people know who you are. "Don't be afraid to introduce yourself," he says. "It means you're included from the start and even if not everybody's friendly at first, at least it's a start."
Attack of the nerves
17-year-old Saul could hardly sleep the night before his first day at a large garage. "I was so tired that I kept getting things wrong when I was left to do something. Getting stuff wrong made me even more nervous and I couldn't really take in what was being said to me," he explains.
"I thought I was in trouble when my boss called me into his office but he actually said that he could see I was nervous and that he would buddy me up with somebody the next day."
Being partnered with a more experienced member of staff was just the reassurance Saul needed. "After that, it got loads better. Because I was being shown the ropes by somebody I felt more included and learned a lot more."
Over to you
Ever had the first day from hell? Tell us about it on our contact form or send us an email.
