Who better to advise you what to do on your first days than people who have experience dealing with new employees? Here are a few tips gleaned from hiring veterans across the country.
Tips for starting a new job that come directly from employers
“I always like to see someone who shows initiative…someone who likes to keep busy. Sometimes when you start a new job, you’re nervous, you’re not sure what to do, you’re uncertain. It’s nice to see someone who can finish a job at hand, bring it to (his or her) supervisor and say, ‘I’m done this now, is there anything else I can do.’ It’s nice to see.”
– Wendy Wells, a St. John’s, Newfoundland-based office administrator for Maritime consulting company SGE Acres Limited.
The importance of having the right attitude
“The first and most important thing is to smile. I hire nice people and train them to do the job, as opposed to trained people who have the wrong attitude. If managers aren’t smart enough to realize that, they’re going to be in trouble. Human relations are not taught in school. They teach math, English, all the rest of that stuff, but they should be teaching human relations.”
– Arnold Asham, president and owner of Winnipeg, Manitoba-based manufacturer ASHAM Curling Supplies.
“Punctuality, effort, communication, (being a) team player. All these things are good to see. As to the way a person works, you can tell if someone wants to put their heart into it, or if they’re going through the motions.”
– Bruce Zacard, vice president of Litho Quebec, a Pointe-Claire, Quebec-based printing firm.
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