Your first day in a new job can be a little daunting. Like your first day at school, there are lots of new faces, new places and new rules to get to grips with. What is important to remember is that out of all of the people interviewed, you were chosen. You are the best candidate for the job and so you should try not to be too nervous. Try and enjoy the change and learn as much as you can from your first few days to ensure you fit in seamlessly. Here are some top tips to get you started:

 

Punctuality

Get a good night's sleep and wake up early. Ensure you are prepared, have a good breakfast and choose an outfit that you feel comfortable in. Make sure you allow plenty of time for your journey and ensure you arrive a few minutes early to make a good impression. You may have received a welcome pack and you might have some forms to bring in, so ensure you have everything you need before leaving the house.

 

Get your Bearings

There is a lot to take in on your first day, but don't worry, no-one will expect you to remember everyone's names or know where you are going at all times. Try to take in as much of your new surroundings as possible, and ensure you know the basics; where do you exit/enter the building and where is your office/desk in relation to this. Finding out where the nearest bathroom is, where the tea room is and where the post room is would be a good start.

 

Make a Good Impression

You will spend the best part of every day with your colleagues so it is important to get off on the right footing. Be friendly, polite and respectful to everyone you meet, on your first day it is hard to know the extent of people in your new organisation that you will be working closely with, so ensure that you are not rude or unfriendly to anyone.

 

Take Instruction Well

You will inevitably have to receive training from a colleague or your line manager in tasks for your new job. Be respectful of the time that your trainer is giving up to teach you and ensure you thank them for all the work that has gone into putting your training notes together and for being on hand to answer your questions. Even if you may know more about a piece of software or system than your trainer, which may happen, ensure that you listen to all instruction carefully, do not interrupt or correct them; if you threaten or challenge their knowledge at this early stage, you may lose a key ally.

 

Get to Know your Boss

Getting to know how your boss works is invaluable. Observe his approach in the office; does he take a hands off approach with your colleagues or is he very vocal? Is the office a very focused, quiet environment or is there a relaxed, fun atmosphere? Does your boss enjoy a laugh and a joke, or does he maintain a professional distance from others? Finding out about the dynamics of the office and will help to ensure you take the right approach when forging relationships and will enable you to strike the right balance between friendliness and professionalism.

 

Your actions in this time will determine how others see you and how you are going to approach the role, so make sure you think about the impression you are creating for others. Remember also to relax and enjoy your first week, and congratulations on your new job!

1) Do your research. It may be tempting to ask for a lot more than your current salary, but you need to be realistic. Find out by looking at jobs websites and see what the salary expectations are of people in your line of work. If you feel that you have a lot more responsibilities and undertakings than those in similar roles, then this could be a good case for why you believe you deserve an increase in salary.

2) Don't be embarrassed. Salary negotiations are a normal part of business, and are nothing out of the ordinary. You shouldn't feel apologetic about approaching your employer, especially if you feel undervalued for the work you do. Even if your employer is not in a current position to give you a raise, it does not mean you won't be considered in the future. Remember, 'If you don't ask you don't get'- you won't lose anything from asking, and you never know, you could just gain something fantastic.

3) Be prepared to talk about flexibility. Think about the benefits you receive in the company. If you have a company car, but don't really need it, there may be a way of negotiating a cash equivalent instead.

4) Be realistic. You won't be taken seriously if you go into a meeting with your boss and demand a phenomenally high salary increase. You do not want to appear demanding, and by asking for too much, this could make it difficult to get any kind of negotiation going at all.

5) As an existing member of the company you will probably be very aware of this, but it is important to know how well the company is doing. If you are aware that the company have been having difficulties, cutting back on staff, etc, then it is probably not the right time to enter salary negotiations. If however the business is thriving, other people have received pay increases, etc, this gives you more grounds to negotiate your own salary.

6) Remain calm. This is a business meeting, and you are an employee. Therefore it is very important to ensure that you keep your cool. If you start demanding, behaving arrogantly or displaying displeasure at the outcome, this may have an impact on your future with the company. Remember to be polite, calm, and even if you are not offered anything, be gracious and thank them for their time. Your employer will respect your tenacity and confidence regardless, and they may remember this in the future. You don't want them to remember that you got angry and behaved arrogantly, do you?

7) When negotiating your salary with your employer you will definitely need to be prepared to argue your worth. Be aware of your strengths- what you have achieved in your time at the company, what you have brought to the role, any successful ideas that you have implemented and been responsible for. As well as knowing your strengths be aware of anything that you may need to improve on or previous mistakes you have made and work out a way to explain these positively, and show how you have taken steps to improve on your weaknesses. 

8) Any agreement that is made between you and your employer should be recorded on paper. Make sure that you have a written record of the agreement signed by both parties.

Good Luck negotiating your way to a better salary, you deserve it!

The idea of negotiating a higher salary is something that scares the living daylights out of most people. It doesn't seem likely that walking up to your boss and demanding a pay increase is going to come to fruition. However, you'd be surprised. Salary negotiation is a normal part of business and if it is conducted in the right way, you could be singing all the way to the bank.

Whether you are starting a new job or have been employed for a long time, there is always an opportunity to negotiate your salary. Today my blog will focus on negotiating salary for a new job, but I will also be providing advice for those currently in employment at the start of next week, so check back soon!

And remember "If you don't ask, you don't get!"


Negotiating your salary for a new job

1) The most fundamentally important tip when negotiating your salary in a new job is that you don't discuss salary until you have a job offer. Remember, the job market is currently an even more competitive place than in the last few years, so if you go into the interview all guns blazing about your need for a high salary- the interviewer will automatically write you off. Wait until you have a job offer on the table before you even begin to discuss salary, and make sure to approach this in a realistic and sensible manner.

2) Do your research. A key factor in establishing your price when asking for a pay rise has to come from some old fashioned research. Use jobs websites and whatever information you can get your hands on to see what other companies are offering candidates with your job title and skill set. If other businesses are offering much higher, then fantastic, you have a case for negotiation, but if you are after a sum that is just not paid in your current role, then don't shoot yourself in the foot by asking for an unrealistic number. Remember, salary is not the only thing that may be up for negotiation, there are also perks and benefits that you could discuss to make the job offer more favourable to you.

3) Before even going for an interview it is important to work out your minimum. This is the figure that your interviewer absolutely must meet at all costs. You should take into account previous earnings, any travel costs you would incur in the new job, and how much you need to live comfortably and pay all of your usual bills. You need to be aware of this figure so that you can negotiate successfully, as it is no use taking a job offer that will mean you are unable to pay all of your bills.

4) You may be asked at interview what you previously earned. Now it may seem like a good idea to lie here, because you may think it gives you more chance of receiving a higher salary. DON'T- this is a big mistake. You should never lie about your previous salary as this is easy for an employer to find out. Your P45 will tell your new employer exactly what you were worth in your last employment, so however tempting it is to boost your numbers, it won't be worth it in the long run.

5) Know your circumstances. When you go to an interview you already know how important the outcome is to you. You may have already got another job offer, and if this is the case it allows you to turn down any offer you are made that you aren't happy with. Alternatively if this is a job that is most likely to be your only current option, then be more careful, as you don't want to talk your way out of the job.

6) If you are unsuccessful in your salary negotiation, remember not to panic. 'No' now doesn't necessarily mean 'no' forever. If you are offered less than you were hoping for, dust yourself down and find out about the review structure of the company. Ask about how salary rises are assessed and whether there is a chance in the future for further negotiations. Just because your employer is saying no now, doesn't mean it will be a no in a few months time.

7) Your interviewer is probably going to ask you some question about what you think your role is worth or ask what is your desired salary. Remember if you haven't got a job offer on the table then this discussion should be approached with restraint. Instead of reeling off some fantastical number, why not turn the question around to the employer, so that you can get an idea of what they may offer you. You could ask the employer "What kind of salary range do you have in mind for the position?" or to avoid being forthright you could just answer by saying that you "hoped to make as much as other employees with your skills and qualifications". This puts the ball firmly back in the employer's court, which will enable them to give you an indication of the type of salary on offer.


Remember, you might be lucky enough not to need to negotiate salary at all. You may be perfectly happy with the salary on offer, and if this is the case, great! Even if you don't get the salary you want right off the bat, your employer will not think badly of you for asking. With the right approach, it shows that you are confident and not afraid to go after what you want. One unsuccessful negotiation should not put you off asking in the future- In the words of Only Fools and Horses... "he who dares wins, Rodney..."

There were two job related stories that caught my attention in the news yesterday, and both coincidentally were regarding sick days.

 

The first story was one I heard on my way to work yesterday morning on Radio 1. New research carried out for the government has found that NHS workers average a total of 10.7 sick days a year, compared to an average of 6.4 days per year for workers who aren't employed by the government. The research went on to highlight that amongst the reasons for the increased number of sick days taken by NHS staff were 'stress' and 'aches and pains'. To read the full news story as reported by Radio 1's Newsbeat, you can click here.

 

The story has gathered a lot of attention from employees of the NHS, who I imagine would feel quite perturbed by the broadcasting of this research, which has an air of criticism over the increased number of sick days taken, when compared with non government workers. I can't imagine any of us would like our workplace to broadcast the average sick days taken, as there is never going to be anything positive to be achieved from this knowledge.

Even though the statistics for the NHS were noticeably higher compared to the 6.4 average noted elsewhere, one wonders just how this data is calculated, and secondly- when you look at your own sick days, can you, hand on your heart say you have never taken a sick day that was perhaps slightly unnecessary?

We've all done it at some point or another- had one of those days where you feel slightly under the weather- nothing life threatening, but the idea of putting on your office clothes and heading out the door at 8 is just too much to bear, forcing your slight under the weatheredness to spawn into a full-blown horrendous illness, and this is what you tell your boss when you call in sick.

 

Over the years many people have researched the reasons behind sick days, and surveys have shown that it is not uncommon for the working public to have such sneaky 'sick days' as: hangover induced sick days, sick days for the world cup and other major sporting events or just because you don't quite feel like working. The best example of the UK's lack of enthusiasm for the workplace has to be the phenomenal number of closed offices during February's freak snowstorms. It was reported that over 1/5 of the national workforce had been 'unable to get into work', but how many of these people were merely opportunists rather than with actual logistical difficulties? I would like to take this opportunity to say I personally braved the weather and was one of only a few members of the office that actually did make it in that day. (Although I must also admit that this was only due to a colleague giving me a lift into work; thus I was unable even to try and use the old snow excuse!)

 

The problem is, when this goes too far- if you have to force yourself into work every week, and are wondering if you can 'get away' with another sick day so soon after the last, it is perhaps worth thinking about whether you are in the right job. Which leads me onto the other news story:

The BBC News website reported that a man who claimed assault to avoid going into work has been found to have made the whole thing up, and even inflicted nasty injuries upon himself to back up his tale. This has got to be one of the most elaborate and ridiculous methods of having a day off I have ever heard! Not only did he waste police time, but he actually took to major self harm, just to avoid his hotel cleaning job.

 

So I urge you, before you ask your friend to run you over just so you can have a week off work- ask yourself why you are doing this? Why are you taking unnecessary sick days, and feeling discontent with your job? I'd say it means that it's time for a new one, and that can be as simple as logging on to a jobs website- not attacking yourself with a boulder. So go on, start that job hunt, and find the job you actually want to go into work for.

 

I'd like to encourage you all to let out your guilty confessions in the comment section- have you ever taken a cheeky sick day? if so, what for? We won't tell anyone...

Ok so the media would have us believe that while the big R word is still implanted in everyone’s heads, (that’s recession, for any of you lucky ones who have managed to avoid the media horror stories) that no one could possibly find a new job in the ‘current climate’. However for those of you lucky souls that are about to embark on your new job, here’s a checklist of things to ensure you make the most out of your first day.

1)       Dress for Success- It’s a sad fact of life but the way we dress really influences how people respond to you. Avoid looking scruffy at all costs and make sure you dress for your environment and are aware of the dress code. If you are allowed to dress casually, don’t embarrass yourself by wearing a suit, alternatively if it is a smart environment, perhaps trainers and shorts might not go down particularly well. If you were too excited at interview to ask what the office dress code is like, make sure you call them beforehand so you can be prepared.

2)      Be Punctual- Ok so it’s an obvious one, but getting ready for your first day might just mean you end up faffing too long, and don’t allow enough time for the traffic on your new work route. Get up bright and early, make sure you are aware of how long it will take you to get in the office, and get there early to make that stellar first impression. Of course it would be advisable to keep this up, as there is no point making a special effort on your first day and then strolling in at twenty past nine every other day!

3)      Notes, notes, notes- You are most likely going to be bombarded with a lot of new information that people expect you to absorb instantly. But let’s face it, we’re human and sometimes we need a bit of help. Make notes as you go, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s nothing worse than nodding along as if you understand and then asking people weeks later for help on something they think you should know. People will be much more understanding if you ask for help on your first day, no one expects you to be a superhero. Unless that’s your job...

4)      And You Are?- Your new colleagues are lucky and only have to learn one new name, but you are surrounded with a sea of faces and about as much chance of remembering them as memorising the periodic table in an hour. So my advice, make a sneaky table chart- and jot people’s names down as and when you know them. Yes, it might be sad, but find a way that works for you. People will appreciate the effort you’ve gone to by remembering their names, and you don’t have to tell them about your chart!!

5)      Throw yourself into Office Life- If your work colleagues invite you for a coffee at lunch, don’t hide behind your computer and eat your soggy sarnies by yourself. Make a discerning effort to bond with your fellow colleagues and get to know them, you will have to work with them day in, day out, so take the opportunity to find out what they are like and what they do, rather than being left on the sidelines. If you refuse their company it may make it just that bit harder to infiltrate the office banter.

6)      Be Friendly/ Take Initiative- You don’t have to suck up to fit in, so I’m not suggesting you put a shiny apple on the boss’s desk, but why not offer to make everyone a coffee? Just a small gesture will show you are amiable and willing to fit into your new environment, something that everyone will appreciate. If the photocopier is out of paper or the water cooler needs changing, don’t just walk away, ask where the paper/ water is, and show that you are a team player in every respect.

7)      Avoid Disputing Office Protocol- Whether you disagree with the office rule that you can’t take cigarette breaks, or you think something could be done more efficiently, you are not going to be popular being the one to say it. ‘At my old work we...’ or any derivative of this phrase should be avoided at all costs. Just accept things are going to be different from your old job and find a way to accept any new customs or ways of working which you may be unfamiliar with.

Good luck on your first day!!