Never Do These 7 Actions On Your First Week At A Job

During your first week at a job, what you do or say can leave a lasting impression on your new colleagues. And you want to make sure it’s a good one.

That’s because, while you may have gotten the job, the evaluation is not over. Your new boss, your new department — there will be many eyes carefully assessing how you fit with the team.

HuffPost asked career experts about the actions and strategic missteps that will make you memorable in a bad way as a new hire and what you should do instead to ensure you’re received positively.

It’s normal to get lost in a new building or to underestimate your new commute, but if you’re late to meetings on your first week, you will make a bad first impression about your time management skills.

“You don’t want to be showing up to meetings three or four minutes late … you want to be respectful, be punctual,” said Mary Abbajay, president of the leadership development consultancy Careerstone Group.

To account for time you may spend lost, give yourself at least a half hour more than you need to get to work or a meeting.

When you’re a new hire, people will be evaluating your competence, commitment and compatibility, said Gorick Ng, a Harvard career advisor and creator of the “How To Say It” flashcard series for professional communication.

You may think that pointing out what is wrong or what does not align with how you’ve seen things done before will show your competence. But being overly confident in your own expertise will win you more enemies than allies.

Even if you privately believe that your new employer’s way of getting work done is outdated, be open-minded and curious.

You can show that curiosity by asking polite questions. So, “Rather than say, ‘This isn’t how we did things at _____,’ try saying, ‘This is interesting! Could you help me understand the thought process behind _____? It’s a bit different from what I’m used to, but I’m excited to learn your way of doing things,’” Ng said.

You also want to show that you’re a quick learner who is dedicated to getting up to speed. When in doubt, try saying, “I know you said earlier that _____ is important. Would this be an example?” Ng suggested.

Patricia Schwartz, an executive coach who works with new hires, said playing the new card is a strategic advantage new hires should leverage.

“You can interact with people that you might feel more…