What was your first day at your first job like? I'm really nervous. 1

[jeancb]

I start my first ever engineering job soon and I'm incredibly nervous. I have no experience, plus I've been out of school for years. I feel like I've been given a great opportunity, considering how long I've been out of school, but I'm really nervous about failing.
So I was hoping you could give me your stories of your first day (or month, or year) so that I had a better idea of what to expect. If you have any tips on how to do well.
I've been trying to review as much as possible and find out as much as I can about the product, but there is still so much I don't understand and it feels like it's basic stuff that I should understand.
I really am just so nervous and scared because I have no experience. All I have in school. And the more I think about it the more I realize it was like they were teaching us to swim without actually putting us in the water. I'm really scared of sinking.

 

[Gymmeh]

My first day on my first engineering job was different.

My supervisor showed me the web site WOOT and how to get around the IT system to track fantasy football.

I was also instructed to take a pointless task to the receptionist because everyone in the engineering department wanted to see me fumble over my words because the receptionist was super cute. I cant remeber all the details but I left quiet read in the face.

 

[IRstuff]

My first day at my first job during college, I show up and there's no one there and doors are locked. So I go back to my apartment to ponder how to get another job. I get a phone call from the guy that hired me asking, "WTF are you doing, you're late for work!" So, I says, "The doors were locked and there was no one there." " Oh, yeah, we moved this weekend and the company's name was changed (This is a portent of things to come)."

So, on it goes. One Friday, I get my paycheck and am told that I've been laid off. Following Monday, I get a call, "WTF are you doing, you're late for work!" So, I says, "I was laid off." "No you're not, get you butt in plant."

So, on it goes. One Monday, I show up for work and my sup tells me that I was laid off on Friday, but, everything is fixed up and I'm still on the payroll.

September, I beg to get laid off for real; couldn't wait to get back to school. It was otherwise a fun job; we had a "bone-pile" of dead Pong games and most of the summer, I was tasked to fix the boards, which required HOURS of playing Pong. There was a free Wolfpack game in the breakroom, and I got to play Nightrace before it got to the arcades.




Go to bed early. Fear not, despite your educational and work history, or lack thereof, they hired you, didn't they?

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[KENAT]

Tip for your first day, try and do some research/find the answer before asking questions.;-)

There are plenty of relevant posts if you dig around a little, for instance thread731-216033 although you did ask for stories not guidance.

So as to first day stories, on my first day I got caught up in some internal politics with my Bosses Boss, the guy that hired me, assigning me work without clearing it with my direct boss. One of the other young engineers filled me in a bit and suggested I go check with my direct boss and see if he had anything for me.

So I go over to ask if he needs me to do anything and he basically told me to go away, leave him alone, he was busy. There may have been an expletive in there somewhere, I don't recall.

You can imagine I wasn't looking forward to my second day!

All turned out more or less OK, my direct boss was always a bit cantankerous but actually a pretty decent guy, just very rough around the edges. He was very knowledgeable and I learnt a lot from him.


KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[drywall]

jeancb,

I don't know you personally but it's a pretty safe bet that if you have the abiltity to get through school, you have the capability to do the job. As others have said before, there are incredibly important things like ambition, manners, attitude and sincerity and if you have them I think you will succeed. You are not the first person to be afraid...so was I, thirty five years ago. Good luck.

 

[SomptingGuy]

Ivymike,

Your story doesn't surprise me one bit. The turnover rate was pretty high back in those days in the engineering teams.

My first few days in that office (1995) were a bit of a joke too. The recently hired software boss was a complete mis-hire (didn't know anything about software). He was booted out few weeks after I started. We had a technical director pulled in from the UK to put a plan together. I remember the first meeting really well, he took off his glasses, put his head in his hands and announced: "f*** me, we're right in the cack here!".

It took about three weeks to work out who I reported to as well.

- Steve

 

[JRLAKE]

graybeach hit it on the head. No job is ever beneath you. Put effort into everything you do. We look carefully at new engineers to see what kind of attitude they have. If they can't or won't do the small things, how can we trust them to do the difficult things?

 

[MechAZ3000]

No matter how hard you worked in school to get the degree, that is all out the window, and you are now at square one again.

You are again 16 and at your first job bagging groceries.

You have to work hard and show your eagerness to learn, prove that you will be an asset to the company.

Don't step on anybody, or act like you know better (even if you do, keep it to yourself until you have the proper avenues to express your ideas).

It may be anti-climactic, or even boring, and you probably won't be trusted with anything truly important for a long, long time.

But, over time, you will earn respect and get more responsibility, they will start coming to you for the answers (believe it, or not).

 

[MikeHalloran]

I asked my mentor (they never called him that, just said ask him any questions) where my assigned parking space was.

He replied "If you're that XXXXing important, you damn well better be here first!"

That put things in perspective for me.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[GonzaloEE]

My first day was quite the same as those described before: meeting new faces, knowing the job details, learning how to use the desk phone, and taking some thick books to home. I really didn't slept the first week, studying by nights, I was very nervous as I didn't have any strong background on microcontrollers.

But that third day was a very-very freak experience. Suddenly we hear a big noise like someone dropping a washing machine from top of the building: an oldman had commited suicide jumping down from the 13th floor, and his head broke through a plexiglass roof near our window, leaving a big mess on the sidewalk.

The guys at the office joked at me the entire month saying I was The Antichrist

 

[TenPenny]

"a big noise like someone dropping a washing machine from top of the building"

I love reading things like this....how would anyone come up with the analogy of dropping a washing machine from the top of a building, unless they'd heard that sound before? Now, you've got me all curious about what that would sound like. The washing machine, I mean, not the suicide. I don't need to think about that.

 

[AMN4]

To me, the fact that you're nervous is a good sign. It means you care a lot about succeeding and doing a good job. Relax, you'll do fine.

My first day and week were okay, but the first year was miserable. My supervisor was of the sink-or-swim mentality, and I was sinking because I had no civil engineering background. He used to sigh at me when I asked questions. What really helped was finding a good mentor.

Now I'm the supervisor. The negative experience turned out to be a plus because I learned how NOT to manage new employees. Below is a scaled-down version of a checklist I use when a new employee comes on board and it might give you an idea of what to expect (as well as the hoops your supervisor will have to jump through getting you started).

-Arrange for desktop computer, hookup to network.
-Provide employee with vehicle and keys if applicable.
-Provide cell phone, digital camera, accessories, maps.
-Prepare inbox with name label.
-Prepare employee work objectives and evaluation paperwork. Go over with employee.
-Provide copies of administrative policies, health and safety SOPs, phone directory. Have employee familiarize.
-Arrrange for health and safety training, respirator fit test, and baseline medical exam.
-Employee orientation in HR office (about 1-hr duration)
-Small tour of office. Meet senior staff, show lunch room, bathrooms.
-Take digital photo of new employee to email around office.
-Have employee record phone greetings, passcode and notify HR to update phone directory.
-Provide corporate credit card.
-Have employee apply for picture ID tag.
-Have employee order business cards.
-Order equipment/ take employee to store for safety equipment.
-Etc, etc.

Familiarize yourself with office policies and procedures, and go out in the field as much as you can.

Best of luck!

 

[GonzaloEE]

LOL, this deserves a detailed explanation:

- The credits are for a technician who said it at lunch time that day.
- I've heard TV screens crashing down, and this wasn't anything like that.
- A car falling sounds best for Hollywood.
- The oldman bent some steel bars from the roof, breaking off almost all the plexiglass, leaving a very gore movie scene down at the building door. Next day we estimated he hit the roof at some 80mph.

BTW, I've never heard any washer machine crashing

 

[Senselessticker]

There is a great deal of good advice above... read it...

Here are a few things that will suggest and/or reinforce:

1. Expect to have very little to do for while.

2. Use that time to learn about the company and snoop around in the company intranet to hopefully find an org chart to learn who is who. Then read about the company's history, mission, etc... If you can find procedural documents (a.k.a "training")... read it!!!

3. If you recieve direction to assist with task(s) that seem extremely boring and/or degrading... be thankful.. you are getting paid well to do the easiest work you will ever do... (I cut drawings for 4 hours one day during my first week)...

4. Pay attention to what goes on around you and observe how the folks you will be working with interact with each other.

5. If someone engages in casual "get to know you" conversation... be friendly and don't be afraid to be yourself. The folks around you may actually be more nervous by your presence than you are about being there.

6. If folks appear to be avoiding you.. its not intentional... they are most likely VERY busy and simply don't have time to engage in conversation for more than a quick hello....

7. AND.. if folks keep avoiding you, rememeber if he/she is an engineer... he/she is most likely somewhat dull and horrible at social interaction...

8. Pay attention to whoever takes the time to engage in conversation with you within the first few days of work if he/she is trying to learn about your life... it is those people who will be the ones who help you and who will need your help in the future...

9. Understand that virtually NOTHING is expected of you at first!!!... and don't take offense if/when a co-worker or your boss tries to explain something to you that you may already understand. Just smile and nod and perform whatever task he/she is asking...

10. DO NOT be afraid to ask questions. It is likely that you will ask a VERY good question!

Good luck!!!!

 

[BillBirch]

Don't be hard on yourself to expect to remember everybody's name. I usually explain that I may ask to be reminded of their name because the existing workforce only has to remember a one new name - yours, while you have to remember everybody elses.

Senselessticker, over the years (particularly in expat postings), I have noticed that you sometimes have to be careful with the "welcoming committee" types because you eventually find out that they have been ostrasized by the rest of the community for some reason and are relying on you to be their new best friend. Cynical? I know.

 

[vulcanhammer]

My first day, the company was closed due to snow, so I had to come back the next day. This created permanent confusion as to my service date.

My group was in such a hurry to get me up and running they skipped much of the "mandatory" orientation items, which I had to backtrack and pick up later. They threw me into a good deal of computer based work, which at the time was an event in engineering (but not in aerospace, where I was.) That experience has proven invaluable.

IMO, the two things that made my first job easier were a desire to establish contact with a wide variety of people and activities and an attempt to be cooperative, something that wasn't always reciprocated. I'm still corresponding with my old boss thirty years after I left, so I did have a little fan club at least.

http://www.vulcanhammer.net

http://www.vulcanhammer.info

 

[Senselessticker]

I agree somewhat with BillBirch's statement that the "welcoming committee" may sometimes be motivated to be friendly for reasons that may not be obvious... I wish I could say that it's easy to know the good guys from the bad guys right from the beginning... But knowing that is perhaps the biggest engineering challenge of all.. and there is no end to it...

 

[vpl]

Has anyone noticed that the OP only visited the site once to ask the question, and then has never checked back to see any of the responses?

Patricia Lougheed

Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of the Eng-Tips Forums.

 

[KENAT]

Well you don't have to log in just to read them so we can't be sure they didn't come back.

If nothing else, some of the first day stories are interesting/amusing.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[rtmote]

Oh I am blushing to remember this! On my first day in my job, I was smoking a cigarette. I was sort of daydreaming and thought I had blown the match out, but it was really too bright to be half sure. The match went into a paperbasket.......A few minutes later, big ball of fire and a quick thinking chap grabbed the bin and extinguished it properly.... I am am now in the Chief Engineers office being carefully observed. He asked me... are you a pyromaniac? Should I be worried? Who are you? First ten bloody minutes into the job!

Well, I took my lumps, I paid attention very sharply after that and succeeded. I would still like to rewind the clock and rescript the whole thing!

You won't be asked to do anything you can't do, just watch and learn. My advice, try not to daydream and don't smoke.

Robert Mote

http://www.motagg.com

 

[uGlay]

My first day I spent the whole day upgrading the computers many programs and drivers, organizing old files and shorcuts, keystrokes, etc etc, cleaning the cubicle, organizing the wiring and moving the computer to the other side of the cubicle (the unlit side). Also ordered a bunch of supplies I needed and filled out tons of paperwork. All in all i got nothing productive done except computer setup.

SW2008 Office Pro SP3.1
Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
2.2GHz, 2.00GB RAM
QuadroFX 3700
SpacePilot/SpaceNavigator