 Today I'm kicking off the series by talking about your very first day in a professional job. We're going to cover how to deal with the anxiety you might be feeling, what you can expect to happen on the big day and break down everything you need to know so that you can be cool, confident and ready to be at your best. Hi, my name is Raph and welcome to Riser. Whether you're completely new to your career, whether you've found yourself in a management position, struggling to get ahead or simply trying to be the best you can be, our mission here is to help you go further faster. I share the tips and tools I had to learn the hard way, having come up from packing boxes on a factory floor through to a successful executive career. And we've also got some really exciting future surprises in store for you. So if you're new to this channel, then go ahead and click the subscribe button so you can make sure you're always getting the new content as it becomes available. Thinking back to my first day at work, at least in my first corporate job, it really wasn't a great experience. I remember being excited but mostly nervous and part of me really wanted to run away and on the day itself, I very clearly didn't know what I was doing, what I was supposed to do, where I was supposed to go, it was all a bit of a blur, I was lost, pretty disorganized, I felt out of my depth and at times I wondered if I had made a huge mistake and for the rest of that week, I remember playing catch up because there were a bunch of things I should have paid more attention to but didn't, I forgot everybody's names, where to go, how to do things, it was fun. So we recently ran a straw poll online to see if this experience was unusual and what we found was actually pretty sad. More than half, actually it was 56% said their first day was bad or terrible. Let's just think about what that means for a second. On a day that should hopefully be exciting and uplifting, most people had a crappy time. So who had a good time? Less than 15% and only 1 in 50 said they had an amazing first day. Those are pretty terrible odds. So I'm interested, how are you feeling about your first day? Let me know in the comments below. So the question rarely is, how do you improve your odds to be better than 1 in 50? Luckily there are some really simple things you can do and should do that I boil down to 5 tips to get you in the right frame of mind, help you prepare for the unexpected, pay attention to the right things, remember what you're supposed to remember, and actually give you the confidence to enjoy your first day at work. And by the way, make sure you stick around to the end of this video because I have an extra little tip for you that I and many others that I've managed and coached over the years have found really useful. So on to tip number one, start with the right mindset. Now if you get nervous and most of us do, this one is a game changer. Fear and anxiety serve a specific purpose in human nature and by understanding what it is and what causes it we can actually do something about it. And the purpose of fear is to protect us, protect us against what we think are threats, you know, so that we can make sure we're not caught and eaten by some wild animal or burnt alive in a forest fire or something. So the first question is, what exactly do we feel most threatened by? Well, as it turns out, a huge part of it is the fear of the unknown. In the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, an expert in this field, Dr. Nicholas Carlton, describes the fear of the unknown, also known as photo, as being one of our most, if not the most fundamental fear that we humans have. And here's the gold. He tells us that the root cause of photo is the perceived absence of information. This actually makes a whole lot of sense. Our biology is wired so that if we don't have enough information, we go into a kind of survival mode. Photo is triggered and along with it come those feelings of wanting to run away or being anxious or even triggering aggression. You might find yourself getting snappy at people. So what does that have to do with our first day at work? Well, it's as simple as this, and here's the key takeaway. You can fight your first day at work nervousness and anxiety by arming yourself with information. Of course, it has to be the right information, so that's exactly what we're going to do through the remainder of this video. Tip number two is to plan and prepare. Now, the last thing you want to do is be frantically searching for your keys, purse, or wallet in the morning or be hungry or late on your first day. So we're going to plan three things and we're going to prepare three things. Simple, easy, and effective. Now, when it comes to planning, firstly, plan what you're going to wear and your general appearance. We form a first impression within seconds of first meeting someone based on very limited information like how they look, what they sound like, their smell. So bear that all in mind. Now, in terms of clothing, which everyone worries about, the general rule here is never undress and try not to overdress and you'll be absolutely fine. You can try to remember what people were wearing in the office when you went for your interviews and use that as your benchmark. And if you can't remember, or you're still in doubt, then just err on the side of caution and rather slightly overdress without going over the top. And the same goes for pretty much everything else in terms of being a little on the conservative side if you're in doubt. Secondly, plan how you're going to get to work and also plan to get there early. This one seems obvious and it is, but make sure you know exactly how to get there and know how long it's going to take to get there at that time of the day and on that day of the week and even if it means you have to take a little trial run the week before it's well worth it. Plan to get there at least 15 minutes early. Personally, I'd suggest even longer and use the extra time to take a walk around the block and get relaxed before going into the building. And then if the train or the bus is late or the traffic is crazy on the day, you don't have to stress out because you've got that margin of safety. Whatever you do though, don't be late, especially not on your first day at work. And thirdly, plan what you're going to bring with you. The essentials I suggest are a notebook and a couple of pens. You're going to need to take notes and you might very well be in a situation where a notebook or a pen isn't available and I suggest you also bring a snack or two and a bottle of water. Hopefully you're going to be really well fed and even take into lunch on your first day, but that doesn't always happen. So plan for the worst because you don't want to be hungry on top of everything else. So that's the planning part. Pretty simple, right? Now when it comes to preparing, the three most important things are, refresh your understanding of your new role and what's most important. The priorities of the role that would have been covered in your interviews and also in the position description. But also take 15 minutes to just reflect on what the company is about, who you're going to be working with and the department or function you're going to be sitting in and so on. If you don't have this information on hand from the company, you can learn a lot from the company's website, Google, LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor. These are all great starting points and if you want to go the extra step, you can also speak to any people you know who work at the company or used to work at the company. If you have any questions as you're going through this exercise, then definitely write them down in your notebook because these are going to come in handy. You don't have to go too nuts with all of this. Having this information in your recent memory though is going to help keep you focused on the right things from the very start. Secondly, you're going to be meeting lots of new people, so definitely practice how you're going to be introducing yourself because the moment you shake hands or elbow tap and say hello, you're going to need to say something. Now, you may or may not be introduced. If you're not, then after saying hi, you're probably going to want to say something short and sweet about your role like, Hi, I'm Jenna, the new marketing coordinator working in Mary's team. I'll be working with her on the new campaigns and tell them whatever you were doing before this role like, Oh, I've just come over from ABC company or ABC Promotions where I was the assistant coordinator to the brand manager or even this is actually my first job and remember that you're happy to be there. So make sure that you remember to project that. The key here is to practice what you're going to say a few times beforehand so that you're comfortable when the adrenaline kicks in and you're not left searching for words. Thirdly, get as much ready the night before as possible. That means the stuff for your bag, your clothes, your keys, your cards for transportation, all the little things that you're going to need. This is going to take a load off in the morning. Now, these were the tips to get you to the office door in the right frame of mind. Now let's talk about what happens once you walk through that door. And even if you get half of this stuff right on the day, it's going to set you off to a great start. Tip number three is be curious. Be interested in the stuff that relates to your new job, the things you'll be doing, the people you'll be working with and the place you're now working in. For example, when you meet people, ask what they do. And if someone shows you how something works or how to perform a task, even if you think you understand, do you really? That's an opportunity to get them to explain it a little more so you can maybe understand it better. And if you're interested in why something is done in a particular way, ask why it's done like that. Why is an awesome question? It'll really help you understand things to get all those extra insights. Now, if someone asks you if you have any questions, you really should ask a question. But when you do, just make sure that it does relate to the person that you're talking to. For example, if it's the big boss, you're not asking how to get to the restroom. Instead, how about asking what's most important to them? You don't have to be a subject matter expert to come up with some pretty good questions. Just put yourself in their shoes. Try to imagine what they might be doing or thinking about and ask a very general question related to that. If you have trouble thinking of something off the top of your head, then here's where you might be able to use one of those prepared questions from your notebook, if you have to. Now on the topic of asking questions, if you start off day one, actually performing tasks, doing work, try not to ask questions that you can quite easily find the answer to yourself, because that's going to send a signal that you lack initiative and that you need your hand held. But also don't spend an hour trying to work out how to use the photocopier. Try work it out, think through the problem, and then if you decide you really do need help after all, then ask for help first by saying what it is you already tried, which is going to help the other person explain the solution to you. And when the answers are given to you, listen carefully and try not to get distracted. Now if you're not sure you truly understand the answer, then the simple trick of repeating the answer back will help the other person fill in any gaps and it shows that you're seeking clarity to understand, which is a good thing. Tip number four is office etiquette. This is going to help particularly if you're new to an office or a more formal environment. I'm going to quickly touch on a number of dos and don'ts because your first moments at work set the foundations for your personal brand. Remember, we form a first impression of others very quickly. So make sure that you're projecting what you want them to see of you and also don't forget that you're in control of your own personal brand. So the dos. Be social, say hi to everyone and remember to smile. Easy one to forget when you're a little nervous, so just remember to do it because when you smile your brain releases those happy hormones like dopamine and endorphins which are going to help your anxiety a little bit as well. If you're invited to lunch, then say yes and if you don't go out for lunch, don't just sit at your desk, find the lunch room or wherever other people are and join them. You're going to be meeting a lot of new people and so a great way to remember the names is to repeat them early and repeat them often. So when Joanne introduces herself, you say, hi Joanne, really nice to meet you and at the end of the introduction you can repeat their name again. Speak to you later Joanne. Let's catch up again soon for that coffee, Joanne. There's a lot of data out there on how simply repeating a name massively improves our ability to recall it later. So whenever you pass Joanne in the hallway, hi Joanne. Another fun fact and a bonus here is that when you do remember someone's name, you're sending them a signal that they are important to you. Remember to treat everyone in your workplace with the same respect as you would show your manager and as I'm sure you'd like to be shown. And I only mentioned this one because again, when we're a little nervous, sometimes we can be a little offhand without meaning to be. Now here are a few quick things not to do. Don't be a no at all. Even if you think you have a better way of doing something, there is a time and a place and in most professional environments, you're going to need to earn your authority if you don't want to rub people up the wrong way. So for now, especially on day one, focus on learning and doing things to the best of your abilities and not trying to prove how much you know or how bad something is, even if it is. Another thing not to do is don't bring surprises on your manager. Like having to leave work early unless you have a specific arrangement in place before day one. Whatever your situation is, make sure it's well known beforehand. Otherwise, your manager is going to be wondering what other surprises you have in store for them and would you blame them? Now on the topic of work hours, for the first few days, just follow along with what most people in your area are doing and be very aware of the impression that you're giving if you're always the first one out the door. You're always overly concerned about what time it is versus if you've actually finished what you have to get done. Last but not least, when it comes to your device, put it away. Put it away and stay off social media, especially when you're actually working and that means anytime you're not on a break. Tip number five, write everything down. Carry that notepad and that pen around with you and use them. Write everything down. I guarantee you're going to be using this information later. This includes, yes, the names of people you meet, what they do, maybe diagrams of who sits where, questions, ideas, important information, as well as any actions that you need to take. Now, when it comes to making notes, here's a little hack that I use. I put little symbols next to things I want to follow up on or reference later because it just makes life easier for me and it means that I don't have to spend time sifting through piles of notes for that great idea that I had one or two weeks back. Obviously, do whatever works for you. The point here is to be able to easily find these later on. So for example, when I'm searching for that question that I had on a particular topic and the person I'm asking is standing right in front of me, all I need to do is scan through my notes and I can easily find what I'm looking for in a few seconds. So do this if you can, but most importantly, just make sure you write everything down because it's really going to help you later. All right, let's do a quick recap before we get onto the bonus tip. Tip number one was all about educating ourselves on what causes our anxiety, which really comes down to not having enough information. Tip number two was about planning and preparing and not leaving things to chance. We planned three things and remember we prepared three things. Tip number three was about being curious, genuinely curious and also demonstrating to others that we are curious. Tip number four was about work etiquette and a few do's and don'ts to bear in mind from your first day. And tip number five was to write everything down and be able to reference particular types of information in a way that really works for you and leading pretty nicely on from this. If you want to set yourself apart, here's a neat little bonus tip. So there's going to be a new language to learn pretty much wherever you go, special words, terms and acronyms that people use to communicate. In large companies, this can sometimes even go down to the division level. For example, if you're from one division, you might even find that you don't know some of the language used by another division. But wherever you are, even in a small organization, language is going to be super important. Unless these special terms are available in some sort of company manual or on the internal website, which they probably aren't, start making your own little glossary. I put them in a separate place in my notebook and I suggest you start doing this from day one because within a couple of days, you should be trying to use these terms wherever possible. And by using these terms pretty deliberately, you're going to be demonstrating a level of knowledge and connecting with people in a deeper way. You'll be amazed how powerful this one can be. It requires almost no effort at all to get started. So make yourself a little glossary starting from day one. Easy. Now, if you have any questions or comments about starting a new job, please leave them down below. And if you enjoyed this content, please hit the thumbs up button and don't forget to share it with someone else who might also get value from it. And if you are seriously interested in building a rewarding career, then go ahead and subscribe so that you're always getting our new videos as they are released. Like the rest of the episodes in this three part series, all about how to start a new job on the right foot. Our next episode, which builds on the information we just discussed here, is our guide to your first week at work. And when you're done with that, you can catch our guide to your first 90 days where I'll lay out a strategy to deliver great value to your company, build your confidence, and become a rising star. Till next time, keep rising.