Introduce yourself to everyone It’s an incredibly nerve-wracking hurdle to jump over, but once you start introducing yourself, it will almost become second nature to initiate every conversation with “Hi, I’m Dave and I’ve just started in Marketing.” It will probably get a bit awkward when you introduce yourself to Anna from Sales 14 times, but just laugh it off, it’s your first week after all (though you might want to consider an eye test too).
Find yourself a veteran colleague to cling to Well, don’t take ‘cling to’ literally. Seeing as you’ve already introduced yourself to everyone in sight, including the CEO’s dog, there should have been someone that stood out as ‘your sort of person’. Find this person in the corridor, co-ordinate lunch breaks with them, or just make them a cup of tea… then turn on your charm. It helps if they’ve been at the company since the dawn of time, as you’ll be able to fire any potentially embarrassing questions at them, or they can act as your personal inventory of names.
Accept every invitation Ensure your weekday schedule is clear so that you can jump on any chance you receive to socialise with your new colleagues. In case you were wondering, you don’t need to play hard to get during your first week; your co-workers won’t know you well enough to actually want your company. So give them a reason to by heading to the local for a few Friday evening drinks.
Express the qualities that your employers liked initially What was it that they loved about you in your interview? Be it your experience, your insight, your background or even your sense of humour, make sure you show off these qualities from the get-go. Your employers will soon realise that they made the right decision hiring you, and that you aren’t ‘all-talk, no action’.
Make lots of drinks It may sound demeaning, but having good drinks-making skills will see you get noticed instantly. Jot down a few notes on how the colleagues you wish to impress take their drinks. Learn where all the ingredients are, and soak up your co-workers’ habits: which fridge to use, what is communal, where the petty cash is kept.