Your first day
You’ve done the interviews. You’ve signed all the papers. You’re ready. Congratulations!
Take a breath.
Hopefully, the job will challenge you and motivate you. You may find some of the most talented and brilliant engineers you will ever work with. You will find your way through the ebb and flow of the company. There will be fires to put out, and times that are oddly quiet.
Starting a new job, even within the same company, is a big change and with that comes a lot of questions and uncertainty.
So, what do you do now that you’re here?
Your First Week
Try to take in as much of the culture as you can, both of the company and of your individual team. Read through the company handbook (and this guide!). Understand the company’s core values. Lean on your new coworkers to help you get on your feet (we were all new at one point).
Introduce yourself to everyone and figure out what they do. Set up a few meetings with your mentor during your first week. Chat with managers and leaders. Above all, ask questions! Starting any new job, especially with a new company, means learning new processes, tools, technology, and how that company and team operates. Everyone knows you will have questions and are here to help you answer them.
Your First Month
Depending on your experience you’ll probably be doing a lot of training and learning throughout your first month. You’ll get into coding soon enough; really take the first few weeks as an opportunity to slowly figure out how to work with the team, with the tools your team uses, and how you can use your skills to help drive the team forward.