Congratulations! You’ve received the job offer, made it through the hard work and pressure of the screening process and interviews and are ready to start your new IT role. However, smart workers know that landing the job is only really half of the battle; now you have to make a great impression on your new boss and colleagues.

You may be feeling a little nervous, but nerves are not something that you cannot overcome. Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant (TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behaviour and Thrive in Your Job, believes that you can reduce your anxiety by being as meticulous in planning for your first day as you were for securing your new position. Here are 3 tips to help prepare for your first IT role.

1. Make connections

Often the fear of the unknown can be the most stressful part of starting in a new position, so doing a little bit of research and networking can take a lot of pressure off your shoulders.

You should start making connections in advance – use social media platforms such as LinkedIn and see if there is anything else that you can find out. Even someone within the same field may be able to give you a clearer idea of what the position is like day-to-day so you can prepare yourself.

Samantha Lambert, Director of Human Resources at web design agency Blue Fountain Media, adds that there is real value in checking out your new company’s online presence to get a clear image of the work environment and culture. “Do the best you can to get insights into their culture and history before your first day,” she explains.

2. Keep up to date

Whilst preparing for your new position it is easy to forget the wider company and market that it operates in. Regardless of if you are a software developer, an IT technician, or a director, everyone’s end goal is to make sure that the business is successful and in order to do that it is important to understand where it is currently positioned in the market and how it is performing.

Keep up-to-date on the company by having a good look around its Gradcracker Hub. You may also like to follow their social media accounts, sign up to their blog, read their press releases and annual reports, etc; and keep an eye out for news that may happen between you being hired and your first day on the job.

Also, understanding the company as a whole will give you a greater appreciation of everyone within the company, making it easier to become part of the team and to make friends quickly so you feel comfortable in your new environment.

3. Clarify expectations

Make sure you know exactly what is expected of you by having a conversation with your line manager in your first few days. That way you can evaluate your own performance on a weekly or even daily basis and find out what you have done well or where you need to improve.

Alongside the expectations from your boss, you should also set yourself challenging but attainable targets to meet throughout your first few weeks which help you keep motivated.

Best of luck in your new role!