Tips for starting work

Do

• Come prepared - do some research.
• Dress smartly.
• Be early.
• Be enthusiastic, smile etc.
• Listen attentively.
• Use people's names when you’re talking to them in order to help you remember them.
• Ask questions but not too many!
• Be friendly to everyone.

Don’t

• Interrupt.
• Tell others how to do their job.
• Get drawn into office politics.
• Join in if your colleagues criticise people or the company.

• "Be on time!"
• "Confidence is important."
• "You need lots of common sense."
• "Dress to suit the environment you’re working in."
• "Be willing to learn and be taught — you don’t know everything."
• "Sometimes people are too quiet and afraid to speak their mind because they are scared they are wrong. Don’t worry — you probably are wrong! But you’ll need to get used to your peers reviewing your work, asking you questions, correcting your mistakes. Understand that this is how you learn."

• "An essential skill is to have an open mind, really listen to people and understand where they’re coming from."
  Kim, BCom (Finance & Economics), GDCom (Accounting) — Auditor
• "Be friendly to everyone. No one likes an arrogant graduate. Try to find a mentor, not your direct boss — someone from outside your direct sphere of work."
  Trevor Chua, BA Hons (French & Sociology) — Relationship Manager, National Bank of NZ
• "Even after completing your degree it’s important to continually learn and grow. This can be achieved by becoming a member of a professional organisation and/or attending seminars/lectures about industry related topics/issues."
  Adam Morris, BE Hons (Chemical Engineering) — Project Engineer, Woodside Energy Ltd, Australia
• "Endeavour to keep abreast of developments in your field and what is happening in the industry."
  Rajneal Hit, BCom Hons (Information Systems and Accounting) — Business Consultant, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Next: Being successful in your new job.