The first day in a new job may feel exciting the night before. What should I wear? How can I make a good first impression on my colleagues? Will my workspace be ready?

You can ease your excitement by reminding yourself that you are the person selected for the job – you were the best candidate. You have just the skills and qualities that were looked for.

Recruiting supervisors were interviewed for this article. Instructions for the first day and week seem very ordinary, but here they are: greet everyone else, get to know them, drink coffee with others, talk to people, ask and ASK again!

Many companies go through a straightforward induction process for which several people are responsible. It’s only natural that not all parts of the machine work smoothly together. Patience is one of the best qualities of new employees. A good sense of humour comes next – you can always laugh off any mistakes.

During your first weeks, try to establish networks. Some people are easier to talk to than others. Start by approaching the former. Get involved in conversations during coffee breaks, say something about yourself, talk about your hobbies. Ask questions and show that you’re interested in what your colleagues are saying. Join your company’s football club or go to the gym at your workplace. Do something good like making the coffee in the morning.

Be humble when starting a new job. Although your colleagues know their tasks, you don’t know yours. If they expect you to set up new practices or policies, show your skills. However, you should obtain an overview of the organisation before changing the whole culture.

Making mistakes is part of the learning process. It’s not nice to step out of your comfort zone, but it makes learning quicker. Many of your colleagues have walked the same path, and they have already experienced your current challenges.

Listen, concentrate and ask for help. Remember the FAIL principle. If a child gave up after their first attempt to walk, we would all be crawling around. FAIL comes from “First Attempt In Learning”.

Don’t be harsh on yourself!