Advices At Your First Day of a New Job

A new job is synonymous with meeting new people, adjusting to a new environment, doing new work, and yes, coping with a new boss! With so many new things round the corner, you feel excited as well as nervous. Over-excitement and nervousness can mar your impression at the workplace on the first day, and this is something you don't want happening. In today's materialistic world, everything from your attire to your demeanor has a say in creating a favorable impression.

How to Make Your First Day at Work Perfect

1. Do the Homework: Keep yourself abreast with all the latest developments in your industry. This preparation will come handy, if your employer questions you to test your knowledge about current affairs. Your awareness also conveys your excitement to the employer. Go through some books and take the help of the Internet to meet this purpose.

2. Sleep Well: A good 7-8 hours of sleep is essential for the body and mind. Sleep refreshes us, and prepares us for the hard work of the next day. On the first day, you must look your best, and sleep will help in the same.

3. Have a King Size Breakfast: Nothing can beat the frustration that stems from an empty stomach. Moreover, you need to be extra focused on your work on the first day. Thus you should prefer to have a healthy and heavy breakfast in the morning that will keep you full for a longer time. Ensure that your breath is fresh after having breakfast.

4. Your Attire: Your dressing sense speaks a lot about you, and so needs special attention too. Dress as per the culture at your new workplace. If you are not aware of the dress code, prefer to dress formally than casually. Casual and revealing outfits should be avoided by women as well as men.

5. The Important Things: Often out of nervousness, candidates forget to take one important thing or the other. Thus before stepping out of the house, take the necessary documents and accessories with you.

6. Timing: Make it a point to reach office early so that you get to bond with others around. It will create a bad impression if you reach the workplace late on the first day itself. If your workplace is far, you should learn about the route in advance and decide on the time it takes to reach there. Plan your schedule such that you reach office well on time.

7. Etiquette: To portray yourself as a congenial candidate, you should follow proper mannerisms and etiquette. Small things like wishing people good morning or saying hello at the workplace is important. This conveys to others that you are open-minded and friendly.

8. Ask questions: Coming to the work related tips, pay attention to lectures given during induction, and clear all your work related doubts by cross-questioning the concerned authorities. This also facilitates communication between you and others and thus you will get to know others at the workplace.

9. Be Interested: Don't be too talkative or try to intrude the space of others, likewise do not keep yourself aloof and restricted. Keep a friendly face and have an open attitude to others. Be willing to start a conversation with others; this way you bond with the people at work.

10. Maintain a Calm Disposition: Employers secretly monitor the work of new recruits, to see how they work or behave with others in the office. Thus, maintain an alert and calm disposition throughout the day and keep yourself interested. Similarly, you should present yourself confidently and pay attention to things like eye contact and body language.

11. A Warm Goodbye: This is a part of etiquette. Wish goodbye to people with whom you had communicated in the day. Be keen to follow these manners, since they help in creating a friendly impression.

Tips to Remember:

1. When you introduce yourself to others, make it a point to remember their names, to avoid facing awkward moments on the next day.
2. Keep yourself away from the office gossip groups, and be more work focused, at least in the initial days on your job.
3. Directly communicate with your supervisors if you have any trouble during work.
4. See to it that you have a sound background knowledge of your company.
5. Participate in after-work activities, if there are any.

Rather than making it seem like a battle to conquer, look at your first day at work as an exciting opportunity to meet new people. Be cool and friendly, and soon you will look at the workplace as your second home!

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How To Write Your Resume

If you're still using the first resume format you learned in school, no wonder you're not getting call-backs. The rules have changed, and you may have been doing it wrong all this time. You're competing with more people than ever before, and your resume is the employers' first contact with you - make it count. Present the information they want in an easy-to-read format, and the hiring manager is more likely to read the whole page instead of skimming and tossing.

Customize the resume to the field

Bankers should stick with formal black and white, but creative fields generally prefer to see a bit of... creativity. Showcase your talents right there on the page. You have to make your resume stand out from the other thousand in the pile, some of which are better-qualified than you. This is not an ad for a nightclub though, so keep it tasteful and somewhat subtle. Make it reflect the corporate climate of the company you're sending it to.

Customize the resume to the job

If the job listing focuses more on skills than education, put your skills section first. If education seems more important than experience, lead with your Education section. Objectives are no longer necessary unless the job listing specifically asks for one. Make sure the skills and experience you highlight, match the skills and experience listed in the job ad - use the same words.

Digitize your resume

Internet-based job applications generally require you to upload a digital resume. Don't use the same file you print your hard copies from - use a web-optimized font like Georgia, and increase the space between the lines to about 120% to keep it readable. Don't use indents on a digital resume, but keep your margins well-defined and clean.

Combine sections

Use your Work History section to highlight specific skills you developed or showcased at each job, and any accomplishments or awards you earned. Be specific - don't say that you're "intelligent and efficient," offer examples of things you've done that prove it.

Scrap the "Hobbies and Interests" section

For the most part, employers are concerned about how you'll benefit them - your comic book collection doesn't figure into the equation. Clear your resume of all references to your cat, your favorite movie, or who's going to win the Super Bowl. The only time your hobbies should make an appearance is if they directly relate to the job in question. For example, if you're applying for a job with a non-profit pet-welfare organization, by all means mention the many weekends you volunteered at your local shelter.

Put your name at the top

It sounds like a no-brainer, but people sometimes get carried away with the creativity and treat the resume like letterhead. True, your letterhead may be beautiful with the contact information at the bottom or down the side, but imagine this: the hiring manager remembers your resume, and wants to show it to her boss. She leafs through the stack on her desk, scanning the names at the top... and doesn't see yours. She assumes it was lost, and moves on to the second-best candidate.

Don't list references

For better or worse, the internet is your reference now. You will be Googled prior to the interview, so maybe take the New Year's Eve pictures down from your Facebook page. If you have some truly impressive references, print them out and bring a hard copy with you to the interview.

Still, no matter how perfect your resume is, there's an awful lot of competition out there. Apply only to jobs that you are qualified for - don't waste your (or the hiring managers') time shooting the moon, because there are applicants out there who actually are qualified. You won't get that job at NASA with a high school diploma, no matter how lovely your resume is. But keep networking, keep applying, and stay relevant. You'll find your perfect fit yet.

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New Job Tips For The First Day

A new job is synonymous with meeting new people, adjusting to a new environment, doing new work, and yes, coping with a new boss! With so many new things round the corner, you feel excited as well as nervous. Over-excitement and nervousness can mar your impression at the workplace on the first day, and this is something you don't want happening. In today's materialistic world, everything from your attire to your demeanor has a say in creating a favorable impression.

How to Make Your First Day at Work Perfect

1. Do the Homework: Keep yourself abreast with all the latest developments in your industry. This preparation will come handy, if your employer questions you to test your knowledge about current affairs. Your awareness also conveys your excitement to the employer. Go through some books and take the help of the Internet to meet this purpose.

2. Sleep Well: A good 7-8 hours of sleep is essential for the body and mind. Sleep refreshes us, and prepares us for the hard work of the next day. On the first day, you must look your best, and sleep will help in the same.

3. Have a King Size Breakfast: Nothing can beat the frustration that stems from an empty stomach. Moreover, you need to be extra focused on your work on the first day. Thus you should prefer to have a healthy and heavy breakfast in the morning that will keep you full for a longer time. Ensure that your breath is fresh after having breakfast.

4. Your Attire: Your dressing sense speaks a lot about you, and so needs special attention too. Dress as per the culture at your new workplace. If you are not aware of the dress code, prefer to dress formally than casually. Casual and revealing outfits should be avoided by women as well as men.

5. The Important Things: Often out of nervousness, candidates forget to take one important thing or the other. Thus before stepping out of the house, take the necessary documents and accessories with you.

6. Timing: Make it a point to reach office early so that you get to bond with others around. It will create a bad impression if you reach the workplace late on the first day itself. If your workplace is far, you should learn about the route in advance and decide on the time it takes to reach there. Plan your schedule such that you reach office well on time.

7. Etiquette: To portray yourself as a congenial candidate, you should follow proper mannerisms and etiquette. Small things like wishing people good morning or saying hello at the workplace is important. This conveys to others that you are open-minded and friendly.

8. Ask questions: Coming to the work related tips, pay attention to lectures given during induction, and clear all your work related doubts by cross-questioning the concerned authorities. This also facilitates communication between you and others and thus you will get to know others at the workplace.

9. Be Interested: Don't be too talkative or try to intrude the space of others, likewise do not keep yourself aloof and restricted. Keep a friendly face and have an open attitude to others. Be willing to start a conversation with others; this way you bond with the people at work.

10. Maintain a Calm Disposition: Employers secretly monitor the work of new recruits, to see how they work or behave with others in the office. Thus, maintain an alert and calm disposition throughout the day and keep yourself interested. Similarly, you should present yourself confidently and pay attention to things like eye contact and body language.

11. A Warm Goodbye: This is a part of etiquette. Wish goodbye to people with whom you had communicated in the day. Be keen to follow these manners, since they help in creating a friendly impression.

Tips to Remember:

1. When you introduce yourself to others, make it a point to remember their names, to avoid facing awkward moments on the next day.
2. Keep yourself away from the office gossip groups, and be more work focused, at least in the initial days on your job.
3. Directly communicate with your supervisors if you have any trouble during work.
4. See to it that you have a sound background knowledge of your company.
5. Participate in after-work activities, if there are any.

Rather than making it seem like a battle to conquer, look at your first day at work as an exciting opportunity to meet new people. Be cool and friendly, and soon you will look at the workplace as your second home!

Read More