Before you start

When you first applied for the job you will have researched the organisation so you’ve probably already covered off basic questions like what is the organisation’s purpose, how do they operate, and what 'hot topics' are currently trending within the sector?

Now is the time to refresh your memory and build further knowledge. Turn your attention to the department that you’ll work in and look for more detail. Try to gather intelligence about their current strategy, recent activity, or projects, and work out who’s who.

Armed with this information you’re less likely to fall into the trap of asking obvious questions, and instead, you’ll be well positioned to make thoughtful observations.

Why wait until day one to get to know people? Drop your new manager a line to reiterate how excited you are to be joining their team and ask if there is anything that they would like you to do before you start.

You can use LinkedIn to start connecting with your new colleagues. Think back to when you were interviewed, perhaps you met people who already work for the organisation, or maybe you may know of other graduates who will be joining the organisation at the same time as you. Send personalised connection requests to these people to get the ball rolling. Initiating these relationships now is likely to help you to feel more confident when you start.

With any luck, conversations with your new colleagues will flow, but it’s always good to be prepared and have some ‘go to’ content lined up.

Give some thought to how you might introduce yourself. Besides the obvious ‘hello, my name is...’ you could also include what you studied at university, what sparked your interest in this area of work, or what you’re keen to learn more about. Adding detail may lead you to finding common ground or encourage others to share a little about themselves in return.

Once you’re beyond introductions, having some open questions and general topics of discussion in mind can also really help. You could start by asking about their role and how you might work together.

Try to tick any personal errands off your ‘to do’ list before you begin your new job. Ideally you don’t want to have to ask for time off as soon as you start. So, if you’re due for a dental checkup, your car needs servicing soon, or you need to order anything that will require you to wait in for, get it done now.

Hopefully this will not only offer a small sense of achievement, but it will also allow you to focus purely on your new role when the time comes and reduce the potential for any additional stresses.