Make your first day count

What to prepare beforehand, and what to obtain during your first days. A probation period turns on these details as much as on your skills.

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Before day one

Before day one
Done	To do
	Confirm the arrival time, the exact location and who to ask for key In writing, a few days ahead.
	Ask whether there is a dress code A thirty-second question that saves an awkward day.
	Prepare the administrative documents requested key ID, bank details, social security, proof of address.
	Look up the people on your team Their names and roles. Remembering a name on day one leaves a lasting mark.

Day one
Done	To do
	Get all your access rights and test them key Email, tools, badge, VPN. Missing access discovered at 5 p.m. costs a day.
	Write down names and roles as you go You will meet twenty people and remember three without notes.
	Identify who to ask an urgent question, and who to ask a basic one key It is almost never the same person.
	Find the practical places Meeting rooms, kitchen, printer, exits.

The first week
Done	To do
	Ask your manager what success looks like at 30, 60 and 90 days key The answer gives you your real priorities, often different from the job description.
	Understand how your team communicates Chat, email, meetings: every team has its unwritten habits.
	Have a coffee with each member of the immediate team key Fifteen minutes each. It is the highest-return investment of the first month.
	Find one useful thing you can deliver quickly A visible contribution in the first two weeks establishes your legitimacy.
	Collect your questions rather than interrupting each time Group them into a short daily check-in.