Your first day at work

The first day in a new job can be a strange mixture of excitement, anticipation and dread. Here are a few tips to help it go more smoothly…

Hearing that you've got a new job can be an exhilarating and satisfying experience - actually starting it can be terrifying.

After all the letter-writing, phone calls and interviews, you finally find yourself at reception and somebody comes to show you where you will be working.

And the fact that you're starting in a hotel, restaurant or other catering business is likely to bring a few added pressures:

• A universal shortage of staff means you're more likely to be thrown in at the deep end

• Many of your new colleagues will be too busy to help you settle in

• You'll probably have immediate contact with customers, and they'll expect you to help them.

So here are a few suggestions to help you survive the first day:

Prepare yourself the night before

• Make sure you know how to get there. Sounds obvious, but it might be a different from where you had your interview.

• Make sure you know how long the journey will take you, particularly at the time you'll be travelling. A 20-minute trip at 3pm could take you 40 minutes during rush hour.

• Get a good night's sleep. You'll need to be alert and raring to go when you start.

Before you get there

• Pick your clothes well. If you've been specifically told what the dress code is then there's no problem. Many restaurants and hotels will have a uniform or general dress code that you'll be given. If you don't know, don't be afraid to call and ask.

• If you can't find out, dress smartly and conservatively, just like you hopefully did for your interview. The last thing you want to do is draw too much attention to yourself by suddenly turning up dressed in some spectacular outfit. If you walk away from your first day and your new colleagues are asking each other if they saw "the new guy dressed like Krusty the Clown" you've got your work cut out in the weeks ahead.

• Turn up early and make sure you know exactly who you're meeting and, if appropriate, their contact number. You'll be walking into a busy environment and the first person you see probably won't know who you are.

Write things down

• Buy a small notebook and take it with you and make notes of everything. Hotels and restaurants are made up of lots of small teams working around each other and there'll be a lot of information to take in. What's the extension number for housekeeping? Who's in charge of maintenance? What's the password on my computer?

Meeting colleagues

• You'll meet a lot of people on your first day, so there's no shame in not remembering all of their names. Use their names as much as possible in conversation: that should make them stick in your mind a bit better.

• It's more important to try and remember what they do. Who is the general manager? Who is the head chef? Who do you report to?

Meeting guests

• Hotels and restaurants are all about the guests and customers who come through the door. Unless you have a totally back-of-house job it's inevitable that you will encounter them and they will ask you something you don't know. Don't ever say "I don't know I only started today" as you'll look unprofessional. It's better to say "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure, I'll find out for you."

• Before you begin, make sure you know where the main points of information are - the concierge desk for example - so you can at least point people in the right direction. Ask for a phone list so you can call reception, housekeeping etc to get answers on customers' queries.

• Above all, be polite and helpful. Most guests and customers won't mind a brief wait to get the information they need.

• Talk to the guests. You'll get some good feedback about the hotel or restaurant that will help you understand the business better.

Ask plenty of questions

• Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem a bit stupid. It's better to look foolish than do something wrong, especially if pressing the wrong button could wipe out all the reservations for that week or accidentally order 5,000 lobsters for the 25-seat restaurant.

• Ask constructive, sensible questions, even if you know the answer. You'll be making dozens of first impressions on your initial day and it'll make you look interested and keen.

Don't get cocky

• There's a difference between "giving your input" and "being a smartarse". It's better to ask questions on your first day than tell everyone they're doing it wrong. Wait until you have a much better knowledge of the way the company works before you start making suggestions.

Be useful and look busy

• You won't be expected to know everything straight away, and the first day is usually a waste of time from a practical point of view as you won't get much done. But offer to help other people, volunteer to make the tea, pick up the post, anything to look busy and, as pathetic as it sounds, make people like you.

• Don't sit there sighing to yourself because you're bored. Ask if there's any company literature you can read, or ask if someone is available to give you a tour. Your boss will love that.

Be politically correct

• It's better to be thought as boring than potentially offend people with your hilarious joke about the Rabbi, the lesbian and the black man visiting a mosque.

Explore other areas

If you're not busy, then get out of your chair and have a proper look round. Imagine you're a guest and try and pick up the information they might need. Where are the nearest toilets to reception? Where are the public phones? Which way to the bar? What time does breakfast finish? Where can I get a snack?

Don't expect too much

No one will expect you to walk away from your first day knowing everything about the company and everything about your job. You will have a period of induction so don't rush yourself, make a good impression but don't go overboard. Above all, enjoy it. You worked hard to get the job so relish the fact that you're finally there.