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You can’t be uncooler or more awkward than me – it’s impossible, so I promise that your first week will be better than mine.
But just in case, here are a few tips that you can use.
1. Cover up
Dress modestly until you’re completely sure what your office dress code is. Your “smart casual” might be different to theirs.
It’s best to play it safe until you’ve checked what your colleagues wear to work.
Side note: There are few things I hate more than the term “smart casual”. What the hell does that mean? Seriously, who decided to put those two words together and make it a thing? It’s completely meaningless. It’s like saying “clean dirty” or “fat skinny”.
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Don’t tell me to dress smart casual, tell me to wear jeans or a suit/cocktail dress. Dankie baai!
2. Smile and greet people
People very often mistake shyness for rudeness. Believe me, it happens to me all the time. I’m sometimes too shy to say hi to new people, or to engage in conversation – so they think I’m rude.
If you’re too shy to talk to them, just smile when you pass them.
Even if you suck at everything else on your first day, at least people will be able to say you’re nice.
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3. Bring your own mug
You don’t have to do this on your first day already, but you will soon realise that it’s best to have your own mug.
Why? 2 reasons:
A. Office mugs are usually more chipped than Voldemort’s soul.
B. People are possessive AF over their mugs and you will get a klap if you use someone else’s.
4. Ask questions
If you don’t understand something – ASK. Don’t think that it will make you look stupid. It will actually do the exact opposite. When you ask questions it shows your manager that you are truly invested in your new position and eager to learn.
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5. Be on time
I can’t emphasise enough how important this is.
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If you make use of public transport, make sure that you have your manager’s number to SMS them when your bus or train is delayed. We all know how terrible SA’s public transport is, so they’ll understand.
Ask how long your lunch break is and make sure you adhere to it.
And don’t be that person who leaves at 16:45 when your day ends at 17:00. This might sound petty to you, but it makes an awful impression.
6. Bring something to snack on
You’ll probably be so overwhelmed that you’ll forget or be too nervous to eat, but bring some snacks to munch on during the course of the day. Otherwise you’ll get hangry, and we all know how that ends.
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7. Don’t spend too much time on your phone
Hey, I get that you’ll probably want to live tweet your first day or let your mom know that you’re still alive – but keep that WhatsApp time to a minimum. It won’t make a very good impression if you’re on your phone the whole time.
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8. Take initiative
After you’ve been trained, take initiative and own your space. Don’t expect anyone to hold your hand and don’t sit around waiting for people to give you instructions.
Take the knowledge you acquired during your studies and your training, and #WERQIT.
If you fuck up – SO WHAT! We all do from time to time, even your managers.
Good luck! You’re going to love having a job, earning your own salary and being independent.
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