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It’s a rite of passage, whether you’re graduating college and preparing to enter the workforce for the first time in your life of if you’re looking for your first after school job in an effort to save enough money to buy your first car, we all have the “first day” stresses.  No matter where that first job takes you, there are a few universal rules to keep in mind to ensure you have a second day, says A. Harrison Barnes, career coach and EmploymentCrossing.com founder.  Keep reading!

You’re going to be nervous.  You’re going to walk on eggshells an you’re going to want to impress your co-workers.  It’s just human nature.  If you acknowledge that to yourself before the workday even begins, you’re not going to fight it so much.  It’s natural to want to get along with your new co-workers, says the EmploymentCrossing.com founder.  You won’t be spending so much energy fighting it if you just allow yourself to be who you are.  Remember, everyone has had a “first day” on the job.

You’re going to make mistakes.  Face it – if you’re one of “us” (as in, “a human being”), you’re going to completely annihilate something at some time – and maybe even more than once.  Don’t be so hard on yourself.  It’s those mistakes that provide the most insight, after all.  When you forget the process for handling purchase orders, say so.  No one expects you to remember everything from the very beginning.

When those mistakes happen, own up to them.  Don’t make excuses and don’t try to hide it.  Acknowledge it – “I blew that one.  Can you tell me what I need to do before it goes for signature again?”

Another important tip A. Harrison Barnes offers is to not walk through the door, convinced you’re the “cure all”.  In other words, you might have some great ideas to make the company far more efficient, but if you show up and announce you’re there (even in your mannerisms) to “fix” the company, you’re not only going to get precious little support, but odds are, you’re also going to kick at least a few minds into high gear as they try to think of ways to get you out of there.  There’s plenty of time to make your suggestions.  Besides, you don’t know if the current methods are in place for very specific reasons.  It may appear to be a waste of time to hold off on approval codes until mid-month, but it could be they’re generated once a month and only come available one time on the 15th.  Things aren’t always as they seem.

Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for help.  One secretary remembers asking the same co-worker three times which printer setting was the one to use.  “I knew it was a simple process, but for the life of me, I could not remember it!”  Her co-worker, she says, was gracious and patient with her as she learned the ropes.  It’s a slow dance, this new job business; but once you’ve mastered it, you’re going to find a lot to love about your new employer and your co-workers.  Getting over the hurdle allows you to really grow into a new position.

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