Top tips for settling into a new job

1. Get to know people. This is one that builds over time; as you grow in your role, you will naturally gravitate toward certain people with shared interests and similar characters and form friendships. But be sure to break the ice quickly. Ask people questions about themselves, get to know them and make an effort to have lunch breaks with people. 
    
2. Confirm your schedule. Ahead of your first day, make sure you know what the structure of your day is. What time do people arrive? Are there any morning briefings before the start of the workday you need to be aware of? How long will you get for lunch, and at what time will you need to take it? Knowing these things will help you know a little more about what to expect, and you will roughly know what shape your day will be taking. 
    
3. Arrive early. Getting to your first day early may prove beneficial as you will be able to greet people and introduce yourself as they arrive. You can get a feel for your workspace and make yourself at home before you begin. You may also need to pick up a welcome pack from HR or login details from the IT department. It will also show you to be ready and eager to get stuck in and get the ball rolling. 
    
4. Test runs. Ahead of your first day, it may be a good idea to test out certain things. The commute is definitely something you want to do beforehand. Make sure you know your route to work and how long it is likely to take to get there - taking rush hour traffic into account as well. If your new role will see you working remotely from a home office, test your internet connection ahead of starting and be sure it is strong enough to run the software required for the job. You don't want to come to your first day and keep cutting out on a video call with your new team!
    
5. Ask Questions. No one expects you to come to your first day knowing exactly how to do your new job. Your greatest resource in learning how to navigate the systems is the team around you. If you are unsure of what to do, then ask; they were new once too and should be more than happy to help you. Don't feel you can't ask them to go over something again, too; it is much better to ask again than try and puzzle it through and get it wrong.
    
6. Take notes. You are likely to be shown a lot of different things within that first week or two. You may be using new systems or software for the first time. While asking questions is, of course, more than ok, by taking notes as you are shown things, you will create your own reference to check back on. Go into your first day prepared with a notebook. No one knows better how you learn than you do, so by creating your own notes, you can tailor them to how your brain works. 
    
7. Give yourself some grace! Don't be hard on yourself if mistakes are made; they're expected. As we said, nobody expects you to step into a new job and know exactly how to do it all right away. Everyone was 'the newbie' at some point, so be kind to yourself.
    
8. Meet the boss. Meeting the new boss can be a bit daunting. They are going to be an important part of your time with the company, so getting that first face-to-face meeting done as soon as you can will help break the ice and prevent any anxiety from building up around it. 
    
9. Self-care. Your first week or two may be mentally exhausting, so be sure to up your self-care to help you through it. Make sure you are getting a good night's sleep, keeping hydrated and eating well. Keep your evening activities low key, don't wear yourself out. 
    
10. Be confident. This one can be tough; it goes without saying that there will be some nerves, and depending on your character, you may just really struggle in these situations. There may be an element of 'fake it til you make it' in this one, but if you channel confidence, you will exert confidence. Dressing in clothes that help you feel empowered and confident may help. Push yourself out of your box and get talking to people. The sooner you break the ice, the easier it breaks.