Advice for first day nerves 

First day job nerves are something we all experience at some point, but they can be overcome with these simple techniques 

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Robert Half

If you are feeling first day nerves, here are a few simple techniques that will help you walk into a new office looking confident and feeling prepared for the challenge.

Prepare 

Make sure you get a good night’s sleep and that you have set a morning alarm with plenty of time to get ready. Make sure you bring any HR documents you might need. 

Re-familiarise yourself with the role

Read through your job description again to familiarise yourself with your direct report and the tasks you’ll be doing. This way you can prepare yourself and know what’s expected of you.

Take your time

It’s likely you will have a lot of HR documents, process guides, branding guidelines and homework on the company to deal with on the first day. Take your time going through each document and be sure to ask questions if anything is unclear.

Prepare an introduction

Having an introduction prepared will help you feel prepared when greeting new colleagues for the first time and will give you the confidence to approach people first. But remember; there’s a fine line between revealing too much and being standoffish.

Re-program your mindset

First day nerves can stem from feeling anxious about your capabilities, being instantly disliked or failing at the first hurdle. Instead of letting your nerves consume you, think of your nerves as a good thing: they’re helping you stay on your toes at an important time and show that you’re pushing your personal boundaries.

Be kind to yourself

Set yourself realistic goals for your first day at work to help you feel more confident about the days ahead.