Congratulations! Starting a new job with a new company is always exciting. It’s a chance for a fresh start, an opportunity to have a positive impact and make a difference.

What should you bring for your first day? How should you prepare? This is mainly common sense, but maybe one or two of these tips will be helpful. Here’s a very quick guide, from an experienced logistics recruiter.

What to Bring?

1. Social Insurance Number and Void Cheque. Some of our client companies ask for these in advance, but the majority expect their new hires to bring these on their first day so they can set them up on their payroll.
2. Notepad and Pen. Your new employer will likely have these ready for you to use, but it’s a good idea to bring your own anyways. It shows initiative and puts you in a learning mindset before you arrive.
3. Timbits.  Timbits?  A friend gave me this tip over a decade ago, and I’ve used it ever since. Pick up a box of Timbits on the way into your new office. This may not necessarily be right for your first day, but certainly a good idea in your first week. It makes it easier to walk around the office and introduce yourself to your new co-workers if you can offer them a Timbit.

What to Wear?

If you’re working with a recruitment consultant, they will help you plan what to wear on your first day. Otherwise, just think back to your interviews with the company. How did people dress? Use that as a guide. When in doubt, dress up just a little more than you think you need to. You can always remove a jacket or tie partway through the day.

Because we specialize in logistics recruitment, we place a number of people in distribution and warehouse operations management roles, where safety shoes are often needed. Again, check with your recruiter, but if you’re not sure just leave a pair of safety shoes in your car.

How to Prepare?

If you did an effective job preparing for your interviews there won’t be much research left to do ahead of your first day at the new job. By now you should know all about your new company: history, culture, values, competitors. And you should have a good sense of what challenges they are facing as it relates to your skillset. You also should know what problems they are looking for you to solve and have a clear picture of what the job is that you were hired to do. If you have any lingering questions about any of these topics, have your questions written out and look for answers during your first week or two on the job.

Review your notes about the job and the company before your first day. Check the company website and check LinkedIn to see who works there. Think about how you will bring value to the company, how you will address the challenges you uncovered during the interview process.

Good luck, and have fun!