Preparing to start work
First impressions are very important, so put time into creating a positive impression
You may want to think about the following things before you start work.
Getting to your workplace
As well as the cost of travel, you also need to plan your journey and routes to work. Traffic can be very different in the rush hour, so you might want to consider a practice run so you know what time you might need to leave home and also what time you’re likely to get home at the end of the day.
Lunches or other breaks
Decide whether you’re going to take lunch in, eat in the canteen or buy food locally. Make this decision based on the local facilities available and what you prefer to eat. Find out whether the people you will be working with take their own lunch in, go out to a shop or to a canteen to buy lunch. It can be helpful to go with them and choose something you like to eat. If you have a restricted diet, take in something you like from home until you have worked out the food options
Budgeting
Most jobs pay weekly or monthly in arrears which means you may have to work for up to a month before you get paid
Make sure you have enough money to pay for the following:
- Travel to and from work. Make sure you work out how much it will cost to get to work and home again at the times you need to be there. If you are doing shift work, the cost and time taken to travel at night can be different if there is not public transport at that time.
- Meals. You will need money to pay for food to make meals at home, or that you buy while out at work.
- Pension. It is compulsory for your employer to sign you up for a workplace pension scheme. Money will be deducted from your pay and placed into your pension fund. In some roles you are able to pay an additional proportion of your earnings into a personal pension, that will give you more money in retirement than the standard government pension. You won’t pay tax on any earnings invested into your pension, but your weekly or monthly pay will be lower.