First day of work could at all times be a nerve-wracking experience. It is even worse if you work abroad; odds are there would be culture differences that might become your cause of anxiety. Hence, here are the tips for first day of work and how to find friends at work:
Do not be late
We all know that Indonesia especially Jakarta is well-known for their habit of jam karet (rubber watch), which means people who frequently come late to work. Nevertheless, there is rather high number of offices that instigate punctuality, so do not consider about coming too late.
Wear suitable clothes
Wear clothes agreeing to your place of work’s dress code. Given that you work at a company with formal dress code, therefore wear formal clothes. On the other hand, if you are not certain, wear a t-shirt and blazer. If the company turns out to have casual dress code, you can remove your blazer, but if it’s formal, then wear you blazer for the rest of the day!
Smile
Indonesia is famous for its welcoming people, they are very friendly so do not be frightened to smile first, and do not be shocked if there are many unfamiliar people who smile at you first. You will never know maybe you could be good friends!
Never give complaints
On the first day at work, work optimistically and do not whine, specifically about little things. Or you could be branded as a whiner.
Do not be shy to ask questions
Indonesians usually like to lend a hand to other people, so do not be nervous to ask questions and do not worry! It is best to ask than making errors, right? But still be careful with fake people, there are many out there as well.
Find friends and invite them for lunch
At least get familiar with your teammates. Meet them and present yourself first. They are more expected to invite you to lunch together. Review your work environment first.
Westhill Consulting Career and Employment gives advice to job seekers from Australia who aspires to work in the cities of South East Asia like Jakarta, Indonesia, Beijing, China, KL Malaysia and many more.