Its my first day at a new job, what things should i remember?

Do your job, don’t do anything else apart from your job. That should get you through

Remember your boss’ name :)
Participate and ask some questions to show that you are interested in projects and to gain a better understanding about the company.
And always smile :)

They are a company based in London with offices in NY and Singapore, they have such cool accents.

Do more listening and watching than talking.

@JesusWasAJewbot I work with a company in the UK but work in the US- it can sometimes be hard to understand what they are saying :( slang is also a huge part. A fairycake is a cupcake and biscuits are cookies. I brough homemade breakfast biscuits one morning because my boss was craving them the day before. He wanted cookies! Fail! It gave a good laugh between us

your sense of humor

Get the hell of Fluther, for one. :-P

Be polite, try to remember people’s names. Don’t assume procedures, ask.

Use simple memory shortcuts to remember names and faces. Being able to address people correctly, by their names, will take you far.

If its anything like my center stay away from work place drama. Just focus on the task at hand and make sure you create good relations with your direct management!

Look, listen and learn. Keep a notebook at your side to jot down names and things you need to remember.
Act in a polite manner, oh and don’t forget when it is time to go home !!

Many years ago, left the teaching and coaching profession, and took a job with a major insurance company….spent all weekend moving my family, and reported for work on Monday morning…still had things to do in regard too my moving and left the office for just a few minutes to take care of a couple of things. Came back to the office and my secretary said my boss was on the line…his office was 150 miles away! The first words out of his mouth were, “what in the Hell did I hire you for?” I was stunned…could not answer! Then he said, “you just cost the company a $1000 damn dollars!” While i away those few minutes, a total fire loss came into the office, unbeknowing to me, and my secretary sent the file to an independent adjuster to be handled as she knew that I did not know where the bathroom was yet…loll The boss spent about 20 minutes cursing me out…never said a word…just listened. After getting off the phone, called my ex-boss and asked him if i could return to my old job..he said, “sure!” Sit there for about 20 minutes thinking about all the stuff that would be required to return…would have to sell my house, buy a new one, move all my furniture back to Memphis…changed my mind!

Well, after about a year of dealing with that ASSHOLE…he left the company…everyone in the office CHEERED…we went out that afternoon and had a party!! i bought the drinks!!!!

Ten years later, got a phone call, and my secretary said, “it is your old boss!” He spent 20 minutes apologizing for that first day. He said, “I’ve a boss that stays on my ass everyday and thought about that day that I treated you unfairly…

@JesusWasAJewbot hope your first day was better than mine! Moral of the story, don’t leave for a few minutes..loll

BTW, stayed with that company for 25 years and retired early at age 57 and it was a glorious day when i walked out that office a free man. Very difficult job…but, it paid well…many times, wished i had stayed with what i LOVED…teaching!

@BoBo1946 You got an apology? That is really impressive. Did you ever get your old bosses job?

And by the way, @JesusWasAJewbot… congratulations on your new job and best of luck.

As a member of management myself I always try my best to remember those who wanted to get me out and try to always be respectful and non partial to any of my people. Thats so crazy BoBo1948 but at least you got an apology.

@mowens no, never wanted to be a boss…was offered the job later, but decided it was not for me. Liked my freedom….could come and go as i pleased as long as the work was done. Could attend my children’s ball games, go home and work in my yard, etc….as long as I stayed on top of things. Also, was offered an agency job, turned it down as i did not like selling life insurance….not my thing.

and the “hoot of the thing,” it was 10 years later (the apology)...after getting off the phone, was totally speechless…

@Tenpinmaster it was unbelievable…still think about that first day! BTW, this was State Farm Ins Co..a good neighbor company..loll

@BoBo1946 lol! I visited the corporate office in Blooomington, IL A lot of that town worked for that company. Went there for a wedding.

@Tenpinmaster yes, after that first day, SF sent me to Bloomington on three separate occasions training me for three weeks periods…a total of 9 weeks of training…they really do a great job training! Today, they have changed things…you get the training before the first day. Think the boss should have known that…but, bosses will be bosses!

gosh, that first day, did not know a floor joist from a stud…loll but, you learn quickly….

@BoBo1946 oh yes! OTJ Training ( On the Job ). Either learn it quickly or well find someone who does! Is State Farm good to work for? How is the overall experience?

@Tenpinmaster overall..an excellent company! They treated me very fair over the years. Cannot say anything bad about them. SF is one of the most financially sound companies in the World. Their CEO makes far less than most CEO’s. They are a very conservative company with great benefits for their employees. In our office, we had approx. 30 employees, and out of those 30, can think of 20 of them that had worked for the company for over 20 years. We had a great office and the best people that a person would want to work with….

Mouth shut, eyes and ears open, notebook in hand. Concentrate on memorizing the names of superiors and performing each task given perfectly. Be pleasant but don’t initiate interactions. Social things come later. Now is the time to make an impression of businesslike competance. Do your tasks to the very best of your ability, learn the proper procedures and stay out of other peoples way. (at least that’s what I learned 30 years ago as a 2nd lieutenant).

don’t be on fluther.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Loll..ditto!

@BoBo1946 Wow. :) you know i hear that a lot about that company. Well thank you for sharing your experience

don’t be on any social networking sites on the pc or your handheld. Put in the work for the time you are being paid to do work.

Don’t be a show off. If your supervisor is showing you stuff that you already know, just listen and absorb everyhting…be a sponge!

Start to keep 2 different booklets to take notes. One for short-lived information. One for long-lasting knowledge. Keep all belonging to the second type your entire life. I started this system 15 years ago.