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4 Questions To Ask On Your First Day Of Work

What 4 Questions To Ask On Your First Day Of Work

The first day of a job may be intimidating, but it is also an invaluable opportunity for learning. This is the perfect chance for you to meet and stand true to the expectations of your employer. In order to prove that you were indeed the best candidate, you have to ask the right questions. These questions are what could help you smoothly transition into your new work life.

If you’re confused about which question to ask for the best impression, we can help you out. You would find a list of questions below that can help you greatly as well as impress your boss and coworkers:

1. What To Focus On

When you and your manager start working together, you need to know what his expectations are. Don’t just start working on assumptions, even if you’ve been in a similar position before. Every workplace operates differently. Being a newbie, you may not be given certain responsibilities until you prove yourself as a reliable and trustworthy worker.

On the other hand, you need to take some initiative and ask what you’re supposed to do. Sitting like a robot waiting to be given instructions is again not the best way to meet expectations. Show that you can be part of a team to both the HR department and your manager. Stay active, alert, and on the go.

2. Who To Meet

Being in a workplace means you have to go to certain people in order to get certain jobs done. You hence need to know whose signatures are required on documents; whom you need to see about your schedule, and so on.

Additionally, you could also ask HR or your manager about the main people you need to know in order to stabilize your position. There are always a few key players who can best guide you around your new job, even if they’re not in the senior most positions. At this point, you can foster the relationships that would best help you advance in your new workplace. This would spur your career to new heights much more quickly than otherwise.

   

3. The Second In Command

There may be days, weeks, or even months when your manager is not on duty. Times like these could be a hassle, especially for the new person. Even if the manager is present for the day, he would have several meeting or conferences to attend. In such cases, who do you report to? You may run into a problem at any time or have to take permission for something. Doing it your way when the manager is not there may cause a lot of snags and conflicts later on.

Plus, having someone to guide you in the first few weeks at least is a huge way of relieving the stress upon you. This is the time when you have to get your bearing, so the more support you have the better.

This would help you to remain in a clear and calm state of mind, and not become disorganized in the beginning. Hence, the rest of your time with this company would be smooth sailing by consequence.

4 How To Communicate

Your office network may have its own LAN, or they may prefer to use a more generic form of an email. Whichever the case, you need to ask around and find out how to get your voice heard. It may or may not be appropriate to reply to an email from your manager at times. For instance, if you have a problem with the meeting time, you may have to take it up in person. Then again, many offices rely on electronic communication for the best and most inclusive discussions.

Interview questions and answers

Wrap-Up…

You may have a chance to ask these questions on the first day of your job. Even if you don’t, ask your manager or a superior for a few minutes of their time. Jot down any other burning question you may have so that you can get your answers all in one go with wasting too much time.

Author Bio

Teresia Clark is an Educator, Career Counselor, and a Blogger. In addition, she is known as a credible source for students who think “Can anyone do my assignment for me?” In her blogs, she discusses various topics related to education, career management, and professional life. She is a technology buff and has a collection of gadgets that she uses for different purposes.

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3 Questions Never to Ask In a Job Interview

Never to Ask These Questions in a Job Interview

 The one question all interviewees are asked, no matter what the job sector or the position you are applying for is, “do you have any questions for me?” This is a crucial time for any interviewee, and you must ask at least 2 intelligent questions.

But people can be stupid. This stupidity comes out in the questions they ask their interviewer. Here are 3 questions you should never ask a potential employer.

Questions You Should Never Ask an Interviewer

“Do the team socialise after work?”

Questions relating to external work activities are a big no, no.

The interview is a workplace discussion, any questions relating to meeting up in a bar, going for weekends away or any social activities can leave a question in the employer’s mind about what you value.

Employers look for employees who value work over play, an employee who cares for the role, someone who puts the organisation first.

Ask questions instead on the company projection, new potential contracts or investments. Ask them about the future of the business not the business of socialising.

“How do I get your job?”

People wrongly believe that all employers want you to be ambitious.

The truth is, employers, want you to be dedicated not ambitious. Think about imagine interviewing a highly skilled worker who you know wants your job, would you recruit them, potentially putting your position in jeopardy.

Instead ask questions of personal development opportunistic, internal training and how you can showcase your innovative ideas.

“What package can you offer me?”

You do need to ask about the offer, as your salary is a key factor when deciding if you should take the offered position or not. But you need to wait for the job offer before negotiations.

Again, employers want an individual who thinks about the position, the company, the business.

They can be easily put off someone with all the required skills and experiences if they believe they only care about what they can get from the deal.

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What Questions Do You Ask at the Job Interview?

Interview coaches teach interviewees to prepare for the job interview.

It can be hard to prepare for the job when no one really knows what questions will be asked by your future employer.

One question you can prepare for is the most commonly asked interview question, the one question you will always be asked “do you have any questions for me?”

Interview Question Do you have any questions for me?

Interview Video Tutorial “do you have any questions for me?”

Explanation of the Question:

Most interviewers ask this question and generally towards the end of the interview. Remember to prepare for this, as asking questions will be a great end to an excellent interview.

Don’t ask about salaries or holidays etc until you have been offered a job position.

Example Questions to Ask

  • “Do you have any future plans to expand the company?”
  • “Does your team work well together?”
  • “Have you put in any new bids for any new contracts?”
  • “What is the company’s policy on personal development and training?”
  • “Where do you see the company being in 5 years time” 

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5 Key Questions To Ask Before You Accept the Job Offer

5 Key Questions To Ask Before You Accept the Job Offer 

It is a tough job market out there. The economy is improving, but there is still a long way to go before employers try to outbid each other on new hires. You may have spent weeks or even months sending out resumes, networking on LinkedIn, attending job fairs, and then, finally, someone makes you an offer.

But wait. Don’t say yes just yet. If you can afford to be a little discerning now, you could save yourself a lot of trouble later. Here are 5 key questions to ask yourself before accepting that job offer.

5 Key Questions To Ask Before You Accept the Job Offer

1. Are the company’s books in order? 

While you can’t ask them to open up their Quick-Books for you, there are some steps you can take to ensure that the company isn’t going to go belly-up in a year, leaving you back where you started- looking for a new job. The internet is your friend here. Look them up. Check out their stock prices and any associated analysis. You’ll know after looking around for a half an hour or so if the firm is in trouble.

2. How likely is a move?

Many companies have multiple locations, and those that don’t will often relocate to take advantage of tax incentives, or a better workforce. If your current location is important to you due to a strong school systems, family connections etc, then ask how likely a move is in the next 2 years.

3. How much do you know about your boss-to-be?

The one individual (other than yourself of course) who will have the most influence over whether you succeed or fail, enjoy your job or hate it, is your direct supervisor. Do your best to get a good read on your future boss. Do your personalities click, or clash? How happy do the other employees seem?

4. What can you realistically expect from the company? 

This question goes beyond simply salary and 401K. Look into their health insurance offerings. Is there dental? What kind of time off can you receive? Does child care or flex time mean something to you? The time to ask and learn about these options is now, before you sign the dotted line.

5. Can you deliver? 

Of course your resume glowed and you said all the right things in the interview. Now look yourself in the mirror and be completely honest with yourself. Does your skill set and experience match what the company needs? Can you be a problem solver in this situation? Are they expecting the impossible? It doesn’t help anyone to over-promise what can realistically be achieved. Better to admit a poor match now, than have to deal with a poor performance review later.

Hopefully after asking yourself these questions you can accept that offer with the full confidence of a decision well made.

  Steve P Brady

This week our Guest Blogger is Steve P Brady – executive resume writer, teacher, and blogger