How to handle first day on the job

The first day on the job can be overwhelming, with unknown co-workers, customers, new responsibilities and a new work space.

Career coaches offer tips on how to handle the first day.

• Be open and friendly: Present yourself well to co-workers in an effort to form bonds. Walk around and introduce yourself to everyone. Keep conversations brief and polite, and listen more than you talk. Ask questions about workplace operations and culture.

Follow "the rules that they teach us in kindergarten. Play nice, share, be cooperative," said Paul Bernard, an executive coach with his own consultancy in New York.

Being friendly and asking questions also helps new hires figure out how the office works and what their role should be.

"There are informal power brokers in all organizations," said career coach John McKee. Learning the unofficial structure of the workplace can help you achieve your goals.

• Dress the part: Overdressing on the first day can appear arrogant, McKee said. Underdressing, on the other hand, is just as bad: It looks sloppy and disrespectful.

Still, slightly conservative is more appropriate than too casual, said career strategist Daisy Swan, the owner of Daisy Swan & Associates in Los Angeles. "Don't go overboard with anything: jewelry, perfume cologne."

• Adapt and stay positive: Often the reality of a new job will include more responsibilities than were presented during the interview process, especially since companies cut costs during the recession. If that's the case, the new hire needs to be ready to grin and bear it, Bernard said. It is "dangerous to complain ... people mess themselves up by being negative," he said.