Be on time

You’ve got to be on time your first day. Make sure you have everything planned out, including things that can happen unexpectedly (like new traffic patterns), so that nothing stands in the way of you being at the office (or online, if it’s a virtual position), at the time you are expected. If you show up late, it sends a bad message to the people who have newly hired you that you don’t care enough about your job to even show up on time.

Know a bit about your company

Just like for an interview, you should have some knowledge of the company that you are now working for. Do a little bit of research online to learn a bit more than you already know and use that knowledge to contribute during onboarding or training sessions.

Dress appropriately

Even though many startups don’t have a dress code and are happy for their employees to wear jeans and a tee-shirt, you should still dress appropriately. So, if it’s a start-up that encourages jeans and a tee-shirt, awesome: wear jeans and a tee-shirt. A casual dress code is not permission to wear inappropriate or risque clothing to the workplace. Leave your daisy dukes at home.

Take notes

During any sessions for training that they have you sitting in on or participating in, be sure to take notes and interact with the presenter. If you take down notes it will help you better remember the information in the long run, and it will make you appear engaged and interested in the presenter.

Ask for help when you need it

It’s really easy to want to appear like you already know everything and are on top of your role — that’s why you were hired, right? But everyone knows that you are fresh to the job and likely expects for you to be curious or have questions. So, if there’s something in a training or that someone says that you don’t understand, ask about it. You are new and should be curious, and this will help you either confirm something that you already know or get new information on something that’s important for you to know.