# Your First Week at a New Job: What Actually Matters
First days are overwhelming. Everyone tells you to “just ask questions” and “don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know.” That’s vague advice that doesn’t help when you’re sitting at a new desk with three monitors, a list of system logins you don’t understand, and a calendar full of people whose roles you can’t guess.
Here’s what actually matters in week one — in priority order.
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## The 5 Things That Matter in Week One
### 1. Find the Documentation (Before You Need It)
Before you email anyone, look for the shared drive, the wiki, the internal FAQ. Most companies have something — even if it’s messy. The goal is to reduce how many basic questions you throw at people who are already busy.
Check: shared drive folders, Confluence/Notion/SharePoint, Slack pinned messages, onboarding doc links from HR.
### 2. Identify Your Navigation Tools
You need to know:
– How to find internal org charts (who does what)
– How to locate project documentation
– How to request access to tools you don’t have yet
– Who to ask for what (the go-to person for each system)
Ask your manager: “What’s the fastest way to find X?” and note what they say.
### 3. Understand What Your Manager Needs From You
Don’t wait for this to be explained. Ask directly: “What are the one or two things you need me handling in the first 30 days?” This frames your priorities before you can drift into low-impact busywork.
### 4. Meet the People You’ll Work With Directly
You don’t need to memorize everyone’s name. Focus on the people whose work directly affects yours — your immediate collaborators, the person who signs off on your work, and whoever handles anything you’re dependent on.
A short 15-minute intro call with two or three key collaborators in week one is worth more than a company-wide welcome mixer.
### 5. Ship Something Small in Week One
Not a big project. Not a presentation. Just something tangible — a document, a setup confirmation, a question answered. The goal is to establish that you can contribute, not to prove you can do everything.
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## What to Skip This Week
– Trying to “optimize” anything you just learned
– Sending lengthy intros to people who won’t remember you
– Taking notes on everything (you won’t review them)
– Forming strong opinions about what should change
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## The Simple Week One Checklist
– [ ] Get all system logins and access requests submitted
– [ ] Read any onboarding docs or team wikis you can find
– [ ] Have a 15-min intro call with your manager
– [ ] Meet your immediate collaborators (2-3 people)
– [ ] Send one small work item by end of week
– [ ] Note anything that’s confusing and check if it’s documented
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## Keep the Follow-Through Simple
First week done right means you’re set up to be useful, not just oriented. The Office Email Templates Bundle includes a first-week checklist template and scripts for the intro emails you’ll actually need to send: team introductions, access requests, and the follow-up notes that make you look organized from day one.