Your First Day at a New Job: 30 Things to Do Before You Leave

Your first day is part logistics, part psychology.

Getting the logistics right keeps you from feeling lost. Getting the psychology right—meeting people, understanding priorities, asking the right questions—sets you up for a strong start.

Here’s what to actually do on your first day.

Pre-Arrival (The Night Before / First Hour)

1. Confirm logistics with HR

  • Arrival time
  • Who to meet (usually HR or manager)
  • Where to go (building, floor, desk location)
  • Parking or transit info
  • What to bring (ID, forms, etc.)

2. Do a quick research refresh

  • Review the company website, recent news
  • Check out key people on org chart
  • Read the job description one more time
  • Remind yourself of the team structure

3. Plan your outfit

  • Professional but not overdressed
  • Business casual is standard (unless you know differently)
  • Nothing you’ll be uncomfortable wearing in after comfortable

4. Prepare your materials

  • Notebook and pen
  • Phone charger
  • Copy of your offer letter
  • Contact info (personal + references)

5. Set an early alarm

  • Plan to arrive 10–15 minutes early
  • You’ll be nervous and might oversleep
  • Better early and calm than rushed and stressed

First Hour: Logistics & Getting Oriented

6. Find your workspace

  • Walk around. Locate your desk/office.
  • Find the bathroom.
  • Find the kitchen/coffee area.
  • Find the meeting rooms.
  • Find the printer.

Why: You’ll feel more comfortable when you know where things are.

7. Meet your immediate team

  • If nobody is there yet, introduce yourself
  • “Hey, I’m [name], starting as [role]. Great to be here.”
  • Get their names and what they do
  • Don’t oversell yourself—just be warm and present

8. Get the IT orientation

  • Laptop, monitor, peripherals setup
  • Email/password reset
  • Access to systems
  • Ask: Which systems will I use most? Slack? Jira? Salesforce?

9. Get access to systems

  • Slack
  • Company drive
  • Project management tools
  • Internal docs/wiki
  • Ask: Is there an employee handbook or onboarding docs I should read?

10. Get the physical setup

  • Badge/keycard for building access
  • Desk keys (if applicable)
  • Parking spot or transit pass info

Mid-Day: Meetings & Relationships

11. Meet your direct manager (1:1)

This is your most important meeting of the day.

What to cover:

  • What does a successful first day/week/month look like?
  • What are the current biggest priorities for the team?
  • Who are the key people I should know?
  • What’s the communication style/rhythm here? (Slack vs email vs meetings?)
  • How often do we 1:1? When?

What to ask:

  • “What are the biggest challenges the team is facing right now?”
  • “What does success look like in this role in the first 90 days?”
  • “Who do you think I should grab coffee with in my first week?”

12. Meet your extended team (group or 1:1s)

  • Your direct colleagues (people on your team)
  • Adjacent team members (people you’ll work with)
  • Key cross-functional partners

Keep it simple:

“Hi, I’m [name], I’m new as [role]. I’m excited to be here and I’m hoping to learn how you work. What are you focused on right now?”

13. Visit your peer network

  • Other people in similar roles (peer managers, peer ICs)
  • People who report to your manager
  • Don’t be shy about reaching out

14. Find a “buddy” or informal mentor

  • In the middle of day, identify someone who seems approachable
  • “Hey, I’m new—would you be up for grabbing coffee tomorrow and giving me a tour of how things actually work around here?”
  • This person will be invaluable for informal onboarding

15. Eat lunch strategically

  • Don’t eat alone at your desk
  • Invite someone from your team or nearby
  • Or join a group that’s going out
  • This is relationship-building disguised as lunch

Afternoon: Learning & Positioning

16. Review the team’s recent work

  • Ask for links to recent projects, presentations, deck
  • Read through without taking deep notes
  • Goal: Understand what the team has been working on

17. Review the department’s org structure

  • Request org chart
  • Understand reporting lines
  • Understand budget/team responsibilities
  • Ask: “Who owns [key area]?”

18. Understand the current strategic priorities

  • Ask: “What are the quarterly/annual goals?”
  • Ask: “What keeps leadership up at night?”
  • Ask: “Where are we losing? Where are we winning?”

19. Understand your specific role expectations

  • Ask: “What’s expected of me in the first 30 days?”
  • Ask: “What does good performance look like?”
  • Ask: “How do you measure success in this role?”

20. Get access to the knowledge base

  • Company wiki
  • Playbooks/processes
  • Templates (email, presentations, etc.)
  • Previous project docs
  • Goal: Know where to find information

End of Day: Wrapping Up

21. Summarize what you’ve learned

  • Write down names of people you met + their roles
  • Note down key vocab/systems/priorities
  • Jot down clarifying questions for tomorrow

22. Ask your manager for day 2 prep

  • Ask: “What should I focus on tomorrow?”
  • Ask: “Any prep I should do tonight?”
  • Ask: “When should we connect tomorrow?”

23. Send thank-you messages

  • To anyone who gave you significant time/guidance
  • Short and genuine: “Thanks for the warmth today. Excited to work with you.”
  • Sets a positive tone

24. Do a final walkthrough of your workspace

  • Make sure you know where your stuff is
  • Make sure your computer/setup works
  • You’ll feel calmer tomorrow

25. Plan your week

  • Check your calendar for already-scheduled meetings
  • Ask: “What’s the typical week like for my role?”
  • Block time for learning/documentation

Psychological Wins: The Non-Obvious Stuff

26. Smile a lot. Say people’s names.

  • It’s disarming and memorable
  • “Thanks, [name]” is a small gesture that matters

27. Show genuine curiosity, not false enthusiasm

  • Ask real questions about how things work
  • Don’t oversell yourself or oversmart the room
  • New employees who listen and ask do better than new employees who perform

28. Admit what you don’t know

  • “I don’t have context on this yet.”
  • “I’m not familiar with how that works.”
  • It’s more credible than pretending you know everything

29. Be on time for everything (or early)

  • Especially important first week
  • You’re building a reputation
  • It signals respect

30. Go home at a reasonable hour

  • Don’t try to prove yourself by staying late
  • You’re tired and absorbing a lot of information
  • Rest will serve you better than extra hours

Things NOT to Do

❌ Don’t try to make a huge impression

  • People understand you’re new and learning
  • Your job is to be present and observant, not perform

❌ Don’t make big suggestions/changes on day one

  • Know what you don’t know yet
  • Wait at least 30 days before suggesting changes

❌ Don’t overshare personal stories

  • You’ll make friends through proximity and time
  • One day is too early to be the oversharing type

❌ Don’t skip relationship building to work

  • You could spend day one with your head down
  • You’d be wrong. Relationships > task orientation on day 1

❌ Don’t show anxiety or negative energy

  • Everyone expects first-day nerves
  • But keep it in check. Anxiety spreads.

Checklist Format (Print & Bring)

FIRST HOUR:

  • [ ] Find workspace
  • [ ] Find bathroom, kitchen, meeting rooms
  • [ ] Meet immediate team
  • [ ] Get IT orientation
  • [ ] Get physical access

MID-DAY:

  • [ ] 1:1 with manager (cover expectations + priorities)
  • [ ] Meet extended team
  • [ ] Identify informal buddy/mentor
  • [ ] Eat lunch with someone

AFTERNOON:

  • [ ] Review recent team work
  • [ ] Understand org structure
  • [ ] Learn strategic priorities
  • [ ] Understand your role expectations
  • [ ] Get access to knowledge base

END OF DAY:

  • [ ] Summarize names/roles
  • [ ] Ask for day 2 priorities
  • [ ] Send thank-you messages
  • [ ] Confirm calendar for week

Key Takeaways

  1. Logistics first — Knowing where the bathroom is makes everything feel better
  2. Relationships second — Meet people, ask questions, show genuine curiosity
  3. Understanding third — Absorb the priorities, structure, and culture
  4. Performance fourth — You don’t need to prove yourself yet. Just be present.
  5. Rest matters — Don’t stay late. You’re absorbing a lot of information.
  6. Take notes — Names, acronyms, priorities—write it down
  7. Ask questions — Asking makes you seem engaged, not ignorant
  8. Be genuine — The best teams can smell inauthenticity. Just be yourself.

Your first day sets a tone but doesn’t determine your trajectory. What matters is weeks 2–12.

Next: Now that you’ve landed and settled in, focus on your first 90 days. Read 90-Day New Job Success Plan to chart your path to early momentum.