You’d be excused for making the odd blunder in your first week at a new job. It’s happened to us all.
But there are some pretty career-limiting moves we suggest you never make, or if you do, never repeat. We’ve listed these from worst (so far past the point of no return that you can count on being fired to the spot) to dammit (that was embarrassing and I’m going to try hard not to do it again!).
1. Nudity, drugs, and neck kissing
That’s a big ‘no’ on all three counts. And yet, they all seemed like reasonable acts at the time to the now incarcerated US man Carl Gamby on just his second day of work at Econo Lodge.
To note: Carl is currently appealing his conviction, but we’re not hoping out too much hope for his success. We understand there was video footage involved.
2. Bad language
Language is contextual; we get that. But your choice of words is critical when you front up to the public. So, when A.J. Clemente, on his first day on the job as an anchor at NBC’s affiliate in North Dakota, US, accidentally said “f—— sh–” live on the air, you can imagine how that went down. Straight down to the unemployment office, that is. (Full marks to his co-host through who barely missed a beat. She’s still got her job).
Out of interest: While AJ went on to become a viral video star, his ‘fame’ was short-lived, and he returned to his job as a bartender, then retrained as a teacher.
3. Ghosting
You may expect it on Tinder but at a new job? Indeed reports on a scary workplace trend — that of the no-show! While a relatively new example of poor behaviour, 83% of employers have already experienced it over the last two years. Of those surveyed recruits who put their hands up and admitted to ghosting their new or potential employer, 22% of them didn’t show up for the first day of work.
Beware all you ghosters though, 71% of employers keep you on record as a no-show. So, if you ever apply for another job with them – it’s likely to be a ‘no-chance’ scenario!
4. Arrive late, have a staff carpark accident, or wearing inappropriate clothing
All seem obvious, right? And if it’s the boss’s new car you’ve clipped in the carpark, we hope you have well developed communication skills. Yet the Independent reports that these are among the biggest blunders made by employees on their first day at work. A survey of almost 3000 workers in the UK revealed that close to half of them made a bad first day impression. None of these are exactly firing offences, but they don’t bode well for the future.