How to Make a Good Impression at a New Job

Making a good first impression is something you can only do once and can mean the difference between having no lunch buddies for months or having blossoming friendships happen within a few weeks. There are a few rules you need to follow when coming into a new work environment that can make an impact on how you are received.

Step One – Be Humble

Regardless of how you act around your friends and family, whether you are the one always cracking jokes to make people laugh or being the super dramatic individual who shocks people, save your antics for a few weeks from now when you can let your true colors show. By toning down your personality a bit, you allow yourself a chance to see how other people act with each other, type of environment you are in, and how you can attempt to meld into it.

Step Two – Dissect Your Colleagues

Figuring out what your colleagues like and dislike in one another is important to learning how to be a part of this new team. By posing non threatening questions about how things work at the office, you will be able to delve into personality characteristics of certain people which allow you to understand your place in the office.

Step Three – Dress Appropriately

Regardless of the attire worn by your colleagues, you are on an unofficial probationary period where you need to be on your guard. It is very possible that an upper level manager who hasn’t met you before may request a meeting or a high profile customer comes in to check on their account. Because you are new and aren’t aware of how the company works yet, it is best to err on the side of caution and look your best at all times.

Step Four – Keep Your Nose Clean

Office politics plague the professional world and it is in your best interests to avoid them for as long as possible. Since you are new and don’t know your colleagues very well, try to avoid any type of gossip as well as the gossipers themselves, for as long as you can. Not only can it tarnish your image, but it can come back to bite you in the future.

Step Five – Be Gracious

Always show appreciation and thanks for the people who help you along during your first few weeks. By being polite and courteous through your first few months, people will actually take the time to get to know you as opposed to seeing you as some sort of competition.