Have We Met?


Written on August 15, 2010 – 1:01 am | by Justin Fraser

I remember when I started my first job out of college. I had just moved to the Washington, D.C. area—literally, the first interview was conducted over the phone in the back of our moving van—and I was getting married in a few weeks.

“Are you sure you want me to start before the wedding?” I asked. “I’ll only be there for one week before I leave for 10 days.” They wanted me right away.

My first week before leaving to attend my wedding in Jamaica and stay for my honeymoon was fantastic. I had great co-workers and an even greater boss.

The problem? The only person’s name I could remember upon my return was my supervisor’s. I spent a long time feeling like a complete idiot that everyone knew me, but I couldn’t even recognize their faces. Had we actually been introduced my first week, or had we not met yet? I’m certain my confusion was obvious, and to this day, I don’t go anywhere without a notebook!

Starting at your first full-time job can be daunting. You want to make a good first impression. You want to understand your role, but you also don’t want to become overwhelmed. You’re bound to feel uncomfortable and make mistakes. But you’ve finally made it through the door—so, what should you do now?

During your first few days on the job, you will likely go through some sort of training period. This involves being shown your areas of work, where to find important resources or specifics on things such as how to work the phone lines, and learning more than you thought possible.

There are many pieces of advice people will give you when starting your first job. The obvious ones are to dress appropriately, learn everyone’s names and roles, show up on time and, overall, to make a good impression.

But some of the less obvious aspects of starting at your first job are the ones that can really set you apart from your co-workers. I’m talking about going above and beyond your duties. That official job description you received with the rest of HR’s paperwork? Plan to add a full bullets of your own.

How can you do this? Overdeliver on your first assignment—if your boss asks for three examples, give five. Try to become the go-to person for something, such as building PowerPoint presentations or using social media.

A good first impression is, well, good, but a great first impression is even better. Always strive for great. You want to show how capable you are by taking initiative with projects, impressing your boss—making your boss look good, er, great, always makes you look great—and coming up with new, innovative ideas.

—Heather R. Huhman

Heather R. Huhman is founder and president of Come Recommended, a career and workplace education and consulting firm specializing in young professionals.

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