How to Prepare for Your First Day at a New Job

Twenty percent of new hires don’t make it past the first 90-days on the job.

You read that correctly: TWENTY PERCENT!

Wild, right?

Well, that statistic is definitely interesting. But, what can you actually do about it?

How can you ensure you make it past that crucial 90-day mark?

It all starts by setting yourself up for success on the first day (and first week) on the job.

This will kickstart your new job journey, decrease first-day jitters, and allow you to create an ideal first 90-day job plan for success.

Let’s take a look at how to plan your first day on the right foot, shall we?

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The Day Before Your First Day at a New Job

A successful first day begins the day before.

Set some time aside to begin preparing for your first day at your new job.

Start by creating a to-do list filled with tasks you believe will ensure you’re properly prepared.

Add anything that HR or your new supervisor may have requested, such as filling out any new-hire forms or packing any specific items.

Next, take a look at common tasks to do the day before your first day (listed below) and complete any that you feel are relevant.

Common Tasks To Do the Day Before Your First Day:

• Choose (and iron) your outfit
• Put together a lunch
• Check drive-time or other transportation options (don’t forget to take traffic into account)
• Make a plan for parking (do you need a parking pass?)
• Fill up your gas tank
• Practice your elevator pitch (for when you meet new people)
• Create a mental list of conversation starters
• Set an alarm for when to wake up and when to leave your home
• Map out your morning
• Check your phone messages and emails for any special instructions before your first day on the job (like building entry codes, office dress code, etc.)
• Review your interview notes and job description
• Pack your bag
• Practice self-care – here are 24 ideas

Related: How to Build a Successful Morning Routine

#1 Preparation Tip: Learn Your Social Superpowers

During your first day on the job, you’re going to meet a LOT of new people.

One of the best ways to make a good impression is to use what I call “social superpowers.”

These are psychological tips that help you better connect with people.

My favorite way to learn these “social superpowers” is to read (or, at the very least, skim) the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

There is a reason this 1998 book is consistently on the best-sellers list… it’s that good.

Work Bag Essentials

Wondering what to pack for the first day? Here are my go-to work essentials:

The Basics:

• The Essentials: Phone, keys, driver’s license, debit card, work ID, prescriptions, cash
• Planner: I use my favorite printable goals planner to keep me productive and efficient at work.
• Binder or Folders: Keep all work paperwork and information organized in one place.
• Notebook and Pen: Writing notes during your first week is really important! It will help avoid asking the same question twice. When I take notes, I prefer to use erasable pens; it allows me to color code useful information without having to worry about white-out or scribbles.
• Water Bottle: I love these timed water bottles, they help you stay on track (and are super cute).
• Insulated Lunch Box, Snacks, and a Lunch: Make sure your snacks and lunch stay cold by using an insulated lunch box. I always pack mine with my favorite meal prep containers.
• Necessities Pouch: Filled with items such as mints, deodorant, chapstick, emergency cash, cough drops, over-the-counter medicines, quarters, feminine hygiene products, floss, etc.

Tech and Work-Related Items:

• Work Laptop, Tablet, and Charger: Be sure to keep your work tech safe and snug in a travel case!
• Wall Charger and a Portable Charger: You don’t want to be caught with a dead phone, so don’t forget to pack an extra charger and a spare portable charger.
• USB Drive: Backing up your work is really important!
• First Aid Kit: You’ll probably have a large first aid kit at work, but having a smaller one in your bag can be insanely helpful.
• Pen Pouch: A pen pouch is a great way to wrangle up your office supplies such as erasable pens, highlighters, regular black pens, sticky notes, page flags, white-out, and permanent markers.
• Headphones: You’ll want a pair of headphones to use during training videos, online meetings, etc.
• Other career needs: For example, if you’re in the science and engineering field like me, you might prefer to use your own ruler, calculator, protractor, E2 paper, safety ear muffs, etc.
• Extra set of clothes: You never know if or when you might need an extra set of clothes.

Tip: You might be required to bring legal documents to your first day such as your passport, filled paperwork, etc. Add them to your bag now so you don’t forget them!

Game-Plan for Your First Day

Next, it’s time to set up a game plan for your first day at your new job.

You may or may not know what to expect, but the most important part is to come ready to listen, learn, and be flexible.

Here are some top tips to keep in mind during the day:

1. Arrive early (aim to walk in about 10 minutes early)
2. Turn your phone and other devices to Do Not Disturb mode
3. Listen to instructions carefully
4. Take notes as much as possible
5. Ask meaningful questions
6. Practice your social superpowers (that you learned from Dale Carnegie’s book)
7. Eat lunch with a new coworker
8. Beat first-day jitters by practicing deep breathing (I LOVE using the Headspace App)
9. Finish all assigned tasks for the day

What to Do Before the End of the Work Day

Before you leave the office, be sure to take a moment to review the day, plan tomorrow, and begin setting up a productivity system.

Review the Day

Ask yourself the following questions and take notes:

1. What did I learn?
2. Who did I meet?
3. How did my first day go?
4. What does success look like in this position?
5. What is my goal for this first week on the job?

Plan Tomorrow

Ask yourself the following questions and take action on each one:

1. When do I need to arrive at work tomorrow? Set an alarm on your phone as a reminder.
2. What tasks did I not get done today?
3. How can I move one step closer to this week’s goal?
4. What tasks do I need to complete tomorrow? Create a to-do list.
5. What upcoming meetings do I need to attend? Add them to your calendar.

Begin Setting Up a Productivity System

At the end of your first day (or, at the very least, the first week), begin thinking about how you can create a productivity system for your new position.

This will include a…

1. Calendar
2. To-Do List System
3. Routines List (Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Work Tasks)
4. Planner
5. Planning Routines List
6. Career Development Routines

Tip: My ultimate work productivity and organization hack is to create planning routines. This truly keeps your productivity running like a well-oiled machine by ensuring you never forget a meeting, are always on top of every deadline, and maintain a prioritized and realistic daily to-do list. Learn how to create your own planning routines in this blog post.

Career Development Free Spreadsheet

Be sure to snag your free career development spreadsheet. It includes 10 career-related worksheets to help advance your career and reach your goals including a career goals roadmap, career development routines list, networking database, and more.

Once Back at Home

Once you’re back at home, be sure to complete a few additional tasks to ensure tomorrow and the rest of your week is a success:

1. Choose and prepare an outfit for the next day (modify based on what others were wearing)
2. Pack a lunch
3. Revise your alarms for wake-up and leaving times
4. Begin brainstorming a new morning and evening routine to follow
5. Create a 90-Day Plan for your new job
6. Relax and practice self-care

Related: 24 Self-Care Ideas to Help You Relax After a Long Day

How to Create a 90-Day Plan

Remember at the beginning of this post when I said 20% of new hires don’t make it past the first 90-days at a new job?

I am a strong believer that creating (and following) a 90-day new-job plan is a key to beating this statistic!

Of course, everyone’s first 90-days will look different. Because of this, I highly recommend you read The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins and Starting a New Job by Robert Moment. These books are absolute game-changers and will walk you through the process of creating your own 90-day plan for success (based on your career field, work style, personality, and strengths/weaknesses).

Example 90-Day Plan from my Own Experience:

Here is my own 90-Day Plan that I used during my very first big-girl job. Although I found a lot of success in using this plan, please note that it was specific to my own situation and job description.

30 Days: Focus on Training

• Focus on listening, learning, and training
• Learn about fellow team members and their work habits (try to meet one new person everyday day)
• Strengthen relationships with people in your immediate team
• Keep detailed notes about EVERYTHING
• Establish a productivity system
• Set and meet 30-day goals based on what success looks like in this position

60 Days: Focus on the Big Picture

• Continue learning and training – be sure to ask smart questions
• Complete all assigned projects and tasks
• Work on better understanding the bigger picture of your projects and company goals
• Identify new opportunities for growth
• Seek out a mentor and schedule regular meetings with them
• Begin working with other teams and broaden your network within the company
• Establish career development and work routines – the free career spreadsheet helps with this 😉
• Set and meet 60-day goals based on what success looks like in this position

90 Days: Focus on Producing Value

• Continue learning and training – push yourself to learn one new thing per day
• Complete all assigned projects and tasks
• Brainstorm how you can bring value to your team and company
• Create and plan and begin working on this plan to bring value to your company
• Begin taking on bigger responsibilities
• Set and meet 90-day goals based on what success looks like in this position
• Set up a new set of goals for the next 90-days

Again, I cannot recommend reading The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins and Starting a New Job by Robert Moment enough. These books will help identify 90-day goals for your specific job and career path.

Top Career Development Books

Speaking of books, one of my absolute favorite ways to improve my career development is to read. I actually carve out time in my career routine to do this every week and, to be honest, it really has changed my work-life (for the better, of course). Here are some of my favorites:

• What Now? The Young Person’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career by Nicholas Lore: I can genuinely say that this book drastically changed my life. I read this book from cover to cover and took the career journey Nicholas Lore outlines. It landed me where I am at today. Without this book, I probably would still be wandering around trying to figure out my life’s purpose. If you’re in that same boat, this book is 110% for you.
• David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell: This fabulous career book changes the way we think about overcoming obstacles and advancing in our careers, even as an underdog. Gladwell also has another bestseller called The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.
• Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life by Barbara Stanny: This book is more than just about the wage gap and career struggles women have been facing for years. It is an inspirational and motivational book that discusses the commonalities between the millions of women currently in the workforce that make six-figures, and how you can too.
• Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois P. Frankel, PhD: This book outlines common mistakes the average woman makes in the workplace, and how to become more successful.
• The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins: You will learn how to create an absolute game-changing plan for your first 90 days in your new job (no matter what level you work at). It is seriously a must-read for anyone moving into a new position!

Further Reading

One last thing, here are some related blog posts you might find helpful on your career journey:

• How to Develop a Successful Job Search Routine
• How to Prepare for an Interview: A Complete Checklist
• How to Answer the Most Common Interview Questions
• 10 Foolproof Steps to Finding Your Dream Career
• The Ultimate Goal Planner to Help You Chase Your Dreams
• Discover How to Create an Effective Personal Mission Statement

There you have it. My complete guide on how to prepare for your first day on the job (well, your first 90-days, really). I truly hope you have found this post helpful and wish you the best of luck at the new job. You’ve got this!

Don’t forget to snag your free career search spreadsheet!