How to Have the Perfect First Day at the Office

By Benjamin Walker, Manager, Senior Content Product Specialist at Janus Henderson Investors (JHI)

Be early. First impressions last. If you are physically turning up to work in this socially-distanced environment set off from home in plenty of time so that if your commute is interrupted you will not panic about being late. This will mean you will be less stressed, have time to relax and arrive calm at your workplace.

Take an interest in people. Employers are not employing a drone, they are employing a person and one of the best ways to engage with others is to show an interest in them. I am hopeless at remembering names so I have to engage the trick that cardsharps use and associate something visual like their hair colour or desk location so I don’t forget. Repeating the person’s name back to them after they have introduced themselves to you helps you to store their name in your memory. You are likely to be introduced to a lot of people on your first day so this trick will make your life easier in the coming days and weeks.

If you don’t ask you don’t get. Sage advice from my father but his suggestion that I should never be afraid to ask a question has stood me in good stead. Most people like to be able to impart information or help others, especially if they know the answer as it makes them feel superior or altruistic. Of course, there is a fine line between being curious and pestering so ration your questions. As the weeks progress and you build your confidence don’t be afraid to ask questions in meetings. If you need an explanation, chances are other people in the room do too, and will thank you for having the courage to ask what they were thinking.

Prepare for meetings. Read the agenda and any materials for a meeting in advance. You will get so much more out of it and be a lot more confident contributing.

Being authentic. If you haven’t come out as LGBTQ+ already then do so in your own time. There is no right or wrong way. With different employers, I have done everything from initially being in the closet, to being frank with people, to casually dropping it into the conversation. I’m lucky to have a long-term partner so referring to him means people can register I am gay without having to wear a sign. I’m lucky enough to work in an environment where everyone is very accepting so do what you feel is comfortable.