Making a Great First Impression 👀
🌀 A guide with proven actionable steps to impress your team, build trust, and showcase your value from day one.
Starting a tech job can feel like stepping into the deep end of the pool, especially when you’re new to the corporate world.
But don’t worry because making a great first impression isn’t about perfection - it’s about showing you’re eager, reliable, and ready to learn.
The #1 thing people love seeing is your drive to keep learning and improving yourself.
Start with a few simple steps and watch as the team recognizes value in your actions. Let’s dive in! 👇
Get the lay of the land
Start by understanding the team’s goals and dynamics.
🤝 Who’s who? Find out who makes decisions, who can mentor you, and who your teammates are.
⚠️ What’s important? Focus on the team’s immediate priorities rather than trying to solve every problem.
🗣️ How do they work? Pay attention to communication norms, meeting styles, and unwritten rules.
📝 HQ Tip: Take notes! Jot down processes, acronyms, and people’s names during your onboarding—it’ll help you avoid asking the same questions twice, and it shows people you care and that you hear them. I’ve noticed that people tend to take you more seriously when you put that extra effort, and they feel heard.
Nail the daily stuff
First impressions are often shaped by how well you handle small, everyday tasks.
⏱️ Reliability is key: Show up on time, follow through on promises, and communicate consistently.
🙋 Be curious: Ask thoughtful questions to understand the “why” behind things your team does - it shows you’re listening and eager to learn.
💪 Own your mistakes: If you slip up, acknowledge it, learn from it, and move on.
📝 HQ Tip: If you don’t know the answer to something, try: “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out and get back to you.”
Get to know people around you
Your network within the company is as important as your technical skills.
🤝 Schedule 1:1s: Reach out to teammates and leaders to introduce yourself and learn about their roles.
🫡 Be approachable: Smile, be respectful, and show genuine interest in others’ work.
🧑🏫 Look for mentors: Find someone who’s been in your shoes and can guide you as you grow.
Bring Positive Energy
Having a can-do attitude goes a long way. Don’t show attitude, and don’t frown when something does not go your way. It comes across as immature.
🔼 Stay curious: Frame challenges as opportunities to learn.
🙌 Celebrate others: Acknowledge teammates’ efforts and successes.
😌 Stay calm under pressure: Even when things get stressful, focus on solutions rather than problems.
Now, as you may have noticed, I try to make these posts as actionable as possible. I want to use my learnings to leave you with three things to implement to make that amazing first impression:
Learning 1️⃣: Building rapport with teammates early on sets a collaborative tone and shows that you care about the team’s success.
When I was a new grad, I asked a senior teammate about their background and how they tackle the challenges in their job. That one chat turned into a mentorship that helped me thrive in that role and future roles!
Action Item: 🤝 A simple step you can take tomorrow is to schedule a 15 minute 1:1 to introduce yourself and learn about a colleague’s role. Ask questions like:
“What’s your favorite part of working on this team?”
“How do you balance the different parts of your job?”
“What are some challenges you encounter your role?”
Learning 2️⃣: It turns out, keeping people in the loop early on builds trust and ensures alignment.
In my first job, I held back from sharing updates, assuming no one cared about the "small stuff." But at my second company, I learned I was completely wrong. Keeping people in the loop made a big difference—and even helped me stand out.
Action Item: 💬 Pick one task or project you’re working on, and send a brief update to your manager or team tomorrow. This shows you’re proactive and keeps everyone on the same page. For example:
“Quick update: I’ve set up my local dev environment and successfully ran the project. Next, I’ll start reviewing the onboarding tickets. Let me know if there’s a priority I should focus on first!"
Learning 3️⃣: It’s not about solving everything right away—it’s about showing that you’re thinking critically and want to contribute.
Your fresh perspective as a new hire is more valuable than you think.
Action Item: 💡 Tomorrow, spend 10 minutes observing how things work in your team or tools you use. Is there something that feels clunky or inefficient? Write down an idea to improve it, even if it’s just a minor tweak, and share it with your manager or a teammate.
For example: “I noticed the onboarding checklist doesn’t mention setting up tool X. Should I add it?”
Proving your value isn’t about being perfect - it’s about showing up every day with curiosity, effort, and a willingness to learn. These small actions might seem simple, but they send a powerful message: You’re here to make a difference.
If you try even one of these tomorrow, you’re already on the right track!
Start small 🌱,
stay humble 🙏,
and keep learning 📚
That’s it for today! I hope this was a helpful guide to understand how to make a great first impression. Let me know what you think about this post or if you have something particular you are struggling with by simply replying to this email or leaving a comment.
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I wish you a great week!
Until next time,
Sonika