New Job Jitters

Gecko Hospitality

New Job Jitters The first day at a new job may seem scary but don’t panic! New job jitters are common and are easy to overcome. Following these steps, you should feel more prepared for the new job ahead. Preparing

You just got the hospitality job you wanted and you want to celebrate, just don't drink too much. On your first day of work, you do not want to be too tired from the night before, your jitters may exemplify and you may not feel as confident. Make sure you get enough sleep to charge yourself up for the next day. If you really want to get a head start on your morning, lay out your clothes and place all of your belongings that you need for the next day in an area where you won’t forget about it. Dress to impress, but dress conservatively until you get a feel for what style and culture your workplace is. Plan your route for the best possible way so you can plan ahead for traffic and detours that might get in your way of getting to work on time.

Arriving On Your First Day
Always arrive 10 to 15 minutes before you start your work day. Arriving late is not a great first impression and will set you up to fail before you walk through the doors. On your way to work listen to music that will pump you up for the day. This will help your confidence while walking in. Make sure to take a breath before, to relax yourself. Before going into your new workplace, make sure you keep an open mind and prepare mentally for the plethora of information headed your way. Working at a restaurant, there will be many rules unsaid. Make sure you take the initiative to do your part.

Learning The Job

The first day will feel like everyone is throwing an immense amount of information your way. Keep a notebook and pen handy to make sure you write down all the information needed to complete a task. Just remember that it does take a few weeks to really understand the information you’ve been given. Try not to feel like you need to know everything the first week on the job, as that will overwhelm you. Another thing to remember is that everyone in the restaurant was also a newbie at one point. The same mistakes that you made, someone else most likely did the same thing. Do not be afraid to ask questions to your fellow peers.

Remaining Confident (On The Job)
While your job jitters can get the best of you, just remember that the company compared you to other candidates. Keep reminding yourself that you are the most qualified for the job. They hired you because they saw that your qualifications and your personality would fit in well with the company’s atmosphere. Many people in the restaurant business make multiple mistakes and while you may feel defeated after your own mistakes, you just need to remind yourself that in the beginning, it’s okay to make mistakes.

Meeting Co-workers

During appropriate times, it is nice to go up to your co-workers and make small talk. Everyone needs to eat, so an idea to get to know a fellow co-worker is to ask them to eat lunch with you. Something to keep in mind if you are going to bring a lunch from home is do not bring foods that stink up your workplace or breakroom area. This can give you a bad reputation as the stinky co-worker. While you work in the hospitality industry, not everyone you will work with is hospitable.

Knowing The Unwritten Rules

One of the common unwritten rules is to never ask to leave early. While you may have come in early, your fellow co-workers only see when you leave. Your boss or co-workers may think you’re lazy for leaving early constantly. Never assume food in the break room is up for grabs. To be safe on your first day bring your own snacks to make sure you don’t take someone else’s food. Never be the person to take the last of something that is shared. The best way to learn these unwritten rules is to observe what goes on. After you have established a friendly relationship with a co-worker, you can ask for a more detailed list of the unwritten rules. Each workplace is different, so working at a restaurant before may help you , but the unwritten rules change from place to place.

Working in the hospitality industry is very stressful, but can be rewarding at many times. Your new work jitters will disappear after a few weeks and your confidence in what you are doing will skyrocket.