Now that you’re done celebrating the fact that you just landed your dream job, it’s time for the hard (but still very exciting!) part — actually starting it. Between figuring out what you’re going to wear to learning everyone’s names, first days are usually pretty intimidating. But your first day can set the tone for how the rest of your time there goes so it’s important that you make a great first impression. Below are just a few of the ways you can guarantee your boss takes notice of you (for good reason, of course!) on your first day.

Follow the rules of your new office.

Especially if you’re coming from a similar past job, it can be tempting to compare your new job to your last — especially if your old job had rules you liked more. But your first day (or even month) isn’t the time to be suggesting changes to the dress code or processing systems used.

Own up to your mistakes.

Every new person (heck, every person) is bound to make mistakes at work. Instead of shifting blame to someone else or denying you did anything wrong, own up to the mistake and learn from it. This will show that you can take responsibility for your actions and grow from them.

Stick to “work-appropriate” conversation topics.

Politics, religion, personal issues, and health problems shouldn’t really be spoken about with your colleagues, unless they absolutely need to know something (like that you’ll be out for a few days because of a medical procedure).

Dress to impress.

When in doubt, it’s always better to dress more professionally than less. However, if you’re really unsure of what to wear, you can always email the person you interviewed with and ask for more information regarding what their company’s dress code is.

Offer to help wherever needed.

Most people who start a new job don’t get a full workload on their first day, since they’re still learning the ropes. Because of this, you may have more downtime than others. If you notice someone is swamped with work or just needs a quick errand run, offer to help them. People will see right away that you’re a team player!

Looking for advice like this, as well as much, much more? Debra Solomon is a professional life coach for adults on the autism spectrum. To inquire about details, including fees and scheduling, please contact Debra Solomon at [email protected] or at 516-510-7637. Or complete a brief form so we may contact you.