Your First Week

During the first week, you can expect to:

1. Learn about the position and receive training or shadow the position.

2. Learn the policies (breaks, vacation) and procedures. 

3. Meet new people. Be sure to be yourself, be friendly, and introduce yourself to new people. You will begin developing networks and possibly even build references. 

4. Work to understand the roles of various people and identify the go-to person when you have concerns and/or question. 

5. Learn about the logistics (where the lunch room & washroom are) and fill out forms so have your SIN #, emergency contact, banking information handy.

Some tips you may consider in order to succeed on your first week include:  

1. Dress in business-casual attire on your first day until you get a sense of the dress code. 

2. Take lots of good notes and review them in the evening. Reflecting on the day's experiences, both your success and challenges, is an excellent way to assess how you've done, manage your new learning experiences and find ways to improve your efficiency. 

3. Be patient and give yourself the time to learn the new position.   

4. Don’t panic when you aren’t sure of a policy or procedure, ask questions and search for answers. 

5. Plan to get some extra rest and a really good sleep the night before. Keep your social calendar light, especially during your first week.

6. Create a positive first impression such as arriving 10 minutes early, bringing an organizer to keep track of tasks, turning off your cell phone after arriving, not engaging in personal email/ Facebook.