Your first day at work is probably going to be a mix of very different but equally powerful emotions. Excitement because you’re starting a new chapter in your life. Anxiety because you’re not quite sure what to expect. And a dash of stress to round things off—because you want to leave the best first impression possible. Both on your boss and all of your new coworkers.
Alas! Starting a new job doesn’t always go as planned. Redditor u/Mr__Roomba sparked an interesting discussion online after asking folks to share their very worst first days on the job. And the stories range from deeply demotivating to downright awful, with a dash of bizarre hilarity sprinkled on top. Scrol down to see just how unlucky some people have been.
Bored Panda got in touch with workplace expert Lynn Taylor who shed some light on the importance of first impressions at work and shared some practical tips on how to leave a positive impact at a new company. "The phrase, 'You only get one chance to make a first impression,' certainly applies to the first few days at work. And that can be daunting for anyone," she told us. Taylor is the author of the book ‘Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant' and the founder of a popular blog on Psychology Today. Read on for our full interview with the expert.
#1
True story.
**I got mugged on my first night as a pizza delivery guy.**
It was my second delivery of the night. I parked the car, and had to walk a little bit to get to the apartment building. During that walk, two guys came up, hit me in the head several times, shoved me down, and took the money bag and the pizza and ran.
I went back to the pizza shop and quit on the spot.
The pizza shop owners sent me to the emergency room to get checked out, they paid for the bill, they made sure I got home safe and sound. So they were great.
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212points
Workplace expert Taylor noted that we're all being evaluated more closely when we first join a company. Whether we like it or not, that's human nature for you. "No hiring manager wants to feel like they made a mistake. And they do want you to succeed. So a thorough onboarding process can benefit both sides. The flip-side of course, is that bosses must avoid any tendency to micromanage their new hire," she explained to Bored Panda.
"When you join a company, managers generally want to make sure that you have all the tools you need. Training is a priority—so by definition, you will be more in the spotlight. Since first impressions are critical, this is a good time to be aware of your work ethic, enthusiasm, and establishing your personal brand."
Meanwhile, good managers are bound to be "somewhat empathetic" to the extra pressure that new hires are under. "They should give you a little slack—knowing it’s a challenging time for most mortals," the author of 'Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant' said.
#2
I was hired as a party host for a children's playland. I was the only adult who was allowed in the playground area so half of it was coaxing children out when their time was up. The slide was wet, and the lower half of the ball pit was socks and diapers. We had staff meals from the on site cafe and mid afternoon we realized everyone had food poisoning when the character in the large fluffy suit vomited in the head of the costume. And I had to guide them out, with vomit pouring out of the mesh face hole.
I stayed another week after that and the next person in the character suit vomited because of the smell already in the head. They then chemically cleaned the head, and the next person to wear it vomited then passed out from the fumes and I had to drag an unconscious 6ft rodent from a room of screaming and crying kids.
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184points
#3
got hired on as a prep cook at a longhorn steakhouse as a second job to make some money before i moved. started in december. during orientation the general manager said “if you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late, and if you’re late you don’t deserve a job.” fair enough, i usually arrive at least 15 minutes early to anything, work included. my first actual day of work i get dropped off at 7:45 for an 8:00 am shift. it’s like 30 degrees out, starting to snow. 8 rolls around and nobody else shows up. 8:10 nobody. finally 8:20 rolls around and the other two prep cooks show up. i asked them what the deal was and they said the GM was always late. then at 8:30 the GM finally shows up to unlock the doors to let us in. i looked at him and said “if you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late, and if you’re late….” and just gave him this look. he told me it wasn’t gonna work out so i walked 2 miles home in the snow. was probably a good thing honestly
175points
The expert was kind enough to share with us a few ways to "put your best foot forward in a genuine way" during your first day at work, while also steering clear of trying to overly impress others.
"Demonstrate your strong work ethic and dedication. You want to let your manager and others know you’re a team player and care about the results you deliver. You don’t need to go overboard and work at the office until midnight, however. If you work crazy hours, you may set false expectations, or convey that you have no life outside of work," Taylor told Bored Panda. "However, if you lean toward one side of the work ethic pendulum, putting in the time to learn the ropes in the first few days is a better career option."
Something else that can leave a positive impact is asking questions. "No employee is expected to know all the nuances of a new job on the first day. Asking thoughtful questions as you’re being onboarded will demonstrate your desire to do your best, and expedite your success," she said.
#4
Dairy Queen queen I was 17.
The layout was such that I had to repeatedly walk past the grill where the floor was so covered in grease that it was like trying to walk across oiled ice...super dangerous because if you slipped, you were likely to hit the grill. I got yelled at for mentioning that the floor needed to be cleaned (I even offered to do it but was told no).
I was scheduled for an 8 hour shift, so by law, I got a 20 minute unpaid lunch break, which I was made to take about 45 minutes into my shift. I got yelled at for asking if I could please take my break closer to the middle of my shift.
I was left alone as the only cashier and ice cream preparer, even though I hadn't even been told what everything on the menu was yet, let alone how to make it. I kept getting yelled at for not knowing when I went to the back (past the slip-n-slide of death) to ask for help.
About 3 hours in, I was absolutely certain this would be a horrible place to work, so I told the owner that it was dangerous there, I was being yelled at by the manager for not knowing how to make things I had never even heard of, and the job was a bad fit for me so I was quitting and leaving.
He told me it was unacceptable that I wasn't giving two weeks notice and yelled at me about it until I cried.
It's been over 20 years, and I've never set foot in a Dairy Queen again.
153points
#5
In the first few months of the pandemic, I got hired at a dog daycare and the owner told me I’d be making $9/hour as their receptionist. I go in to fill out the paperwork and she tells me that she actually filled the receptionist position, but she has a dog handler position open for $8/hour. I was hurting for money, so I accepted it. She told me I’d start right away - literally on the spot. She didn’t tell me that before coming in, so I wasn’t wearing proper clothes for it (capri pants) and she berated me for it and said next time I do it, I’ll get written up.
As she was showing me around, I realized the entire play area for the dogs was inside. There were no outside areas for the dogs to run, and as a result, the whole place smelled like dog waste.
She then threw me in a gated area alone with a pack of large dogs without any formal (or informal) training. One dog was pretty aggressive and kept trying to bite me. She’d yell at it from the other side of the gate, and all that would do was get the dogs riled up. I’m not scared of dogs but I was scared that day. She yelled at me for not being assertive enough with the dogs, but I didn’t know the dogs personalities yet and I didn’t want to start a fight between them or get attacked. The dog that was trying to bite me kept picking fights with other dogs and she got mad at me for telling the dog “no.”
After my shift was over, I never went back. I had an interview at Target the next day and got hired there at $15/hour.
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142points
#6
My first job was at a new buffet in a small town when I was 14. They mass hired everyone that showed up to the interview.
I was supposed to be a dish washer but when I got there for training they handed me a ladder and told me to install the dry wall ceiling tiles in the kitchen. I, obviously, had no idea what I was doing and had a tile fall on my back, which caused me to slip off the ladder and fall on the ground.
The owner was upset that a 14 year old kid couldn't do the non-dishwashing task correctly and chewed me out and sent me home and to never come back. I had to pester them for months to get my ~$6.50 for the hour I was there. Shockingly, they went under in just a few months.
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140points
"Highlight your upbeat, can-do personality. It’s often said that managers hire attitude. All things being equal, given two candidates with identical skills, the most positive, professional person will always advance more quickly. Offering to help out and being a resource to others is also a good way to demonstrate your level of commitment," the workplace expert said. What's more, being friendly really does count.
"It sounds basic, but since attitude matters, try to become acquainted with key team members, while still accomplishing the day’s tasks. Take notes on those you meet… their names and responsibilities."
#7
I was a supervisor in a technical support department for "professional" support, but was one day unceremoniously moved to "personal" support. (The former was expensive and for IT and experienced clients. The latter for regular home users.)
When I arrived in my new department, they were short 3 supervisors, so I was assigned all 3 teams, and the place was like Lord of the Flies. I was given a printout of schedules and names, with no way to find the people. I started tracking them down to find that nearly 1/3 of them had left the company, but previous supervisors didn't notify HR/payroll, there were no files on what people were trained on, nothing.
End of the day my new boss asked how things were, and I told him people needed to be fired. He laughed, and said, "We're understaffed already."
I replied, "No, I mean the other supervisors who aren't doing any job I can identify, and you for letting it get like this."
Things with him were a bit touchy after that.
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129points
#8
When I arrived on the first day, there was an eviction notice on the door and a cop looking for the business owners. Bullets dodged, that day!
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110points
#9
My first day as a medic was terrible. We got a call from a babysitter, she turned her back for what she said was a minute and the little guy she was watching fell into the pool. We got there and she was doing CPR, we took over and I don't know how but we got that little guy to start breathing again. We got him ready to transport to the hospital and my partner decided I should get some experience so he left me in the back of the ambulance with the kid. Everything was going well until it wasn't. We chatted a bit and things seemed okay. Then he looked at me, said my name and just flat lined. I did everything I could. S**t still hurts today when I think about it. Messed me up for a good while, got all of August off and got set up with a therapist. Being a medic can either be the greatest job in the world or the absolute worst. I wish I was still a medic sometimes.
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106points
Meanwhile, the expert suggested avoiding the 'superhero' temptation. "In one’s zeal to impress, it’s easy to go overboard. Pitfalls include:
- Acting like you don’t need as much training because you already understand the job very well.
- Indicating that you did things differently at your former job or intimating your way seems superior.
- Being too vocal at meetings, posturing, or challenging others. This is a good time to be in more of a listening mode in general.
- Biting off more than you can chew. Suggesting you have the skills to do much more than required could backfire later."
Moreover, your first days at work can be a great opportunity to "establish a strong foundation of your personal brand." Workplace expert Taylor advises being aware of how you interact with others, what your presentation is like, and how you want to come across.
"Substance, meaning the work you deliver, will always be paramount. But savvy business professionals know, for example, that it’s important to remain professional at all times for optimal career advancement."
#10
This wasnt a bad first day but sure was funny. New job site building a reststop for parks Canada. My boss and i are just surveying the site when he slips on a slope and slides down into a bog. Hes down there on all fours soaking wet and muddy and i dont want to help in case i fall in too. Searching for aomthing to say i muster out uh did you mean to do that? He replies ofcourse i didnt f*****g mean to do that god damm it. He crawls out, says well ive had enough for today, how about you? And im like ya sure we can call it a day. We drove three hours to have a look at the site for ten minutes and three hours back home. The ride was pretty quiet when he says, did you f*****g mean to do that, you f*****g guy! We dont work together anymore but he was an absolute gem of a guy, still consider him a friend.
96points
#11
Happened in the Navy on my fourth ship.
I had to fly to meet the ship on deployment. Flew from Virginia to Spain. Everyone left the plane to refuel it on the tarmac. We boarded after refueling. Turns out too much fuel, had to deboard everyone to remove fuel. Several hours delay.
Don’t remember where it landed next, but it was delayed there too. All said and dine, we were supposed to land in Bahrain around 11pm local time after flying halfway around the world. Didn’t get there until about 3:30am.
Upon arrival, turned out the ship didn’t bother to send anyone to pick up the 60+ sailors who were transferring to the ship - most of which were 18-19 year old men and women straight out of boot camp. I was the senior person there, so made a phone call to the person in charge of picking us up. He said to wait where we were and someone would be there at 6am. After a very quick conversation, the guy agreed to send someone there right away.
A half hour later someone shows up with a clipboard, a list, and hotel keys. Turns out everyone had a room already reserved except for me. After a few more phone calls, I found out that the ship wanted me to fly out as soon as possible. So I had to wait in the hangar until the flight departed about 6 hours later. By this time, I had been traveling for well over 24 consecutive hours.
Flew out to the ship on my first and only COD flight (carrier onboard delivery). Guy in front of me threw up in the floor and got it all over my shoes. Made me sick. I almost threw up too, but managed to hold it in.
Plane landed. Went to the hangar bay to pick up my bags. Normally, when transferring to a new ship they assign a sponsor to help with the move. Normally the sponsor is there to meet the newly reporting person to get off in the right foot and help carry bags. I had a sponsor, but they didn’t meet me in the hangar bay. Not a big deal. I’d been on an aircraft carrier before and knew my way around. So I carried my bags down to the office where I knew I would be working, only to be met with a “Who are you? Oh, we weren’t expecting you.” Okay, definitely not a good first impression.
As an officer, my sleeping arrangement on ships was a stateroom (kind of like a smaller, crappier version of a college dorm room). After traveling for forever, I just wanted to go to sleep. Since they weren’t expecting me, they didn’t have a stateroom for me. So I waited several more hours until I could finally get a bed and get some sleep sometime on Thursday afternoon.
After a few hours of sleep, I was awoken to the sound of talking and running water. Turns out the communal bathroom right next to my stateroom had a clogged toilet, which resulted in an overflow of s**t water into my room, soaking everything that was in the floor.
That marked the end of my first day. The rest of the time onboard got worse from there.
Turns out that after waking up around lunch I’m Friday after a few hours of broken sleep. I found out that the ship was pulling right back into the same port I had flown out of 12 hours earlier.
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95points
#12
First day at work, a library. I’m 18 years old, I look like I’m 12. My very first patron comes storming up and I ask, “Hi! How can I help—“ and he starts cursing up a storm at me because his card had been deactivated a few days before.
“And I want to know why and I want to know now!”
“I… this is my first day here, let me get someone for you…”
His whole attitude changed and I guess he thought I was like a baby library page or something because I’m sure I looked like I had just witnessed Jesus curb-stomp a puppy.
It was a weird way to start a new job. Then I got chastised for not know what had happened last week at a job I didn’t work at.
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83points
Like it or not, first impressions really do matter. Especially in a workplace setting. And that goes for both new employees and managers alike! A good first impression means that you’re someone who’s memorable and will stand out from the crowd. You should strive to find a balance between being professional and friendly.
‘Indeed’ notes that you want to be remembered if you have ambitions to rise to a leadership position. Ideally, you want to appear confident, charismatic, intelligent, and empathetic—no matter how small the interactions with your coworkers or clients. In short, you want to show off your positive (potentially) managerial qualities, no matter how much of a greenhorn you might be.
Appearances are very important when it comes to leaving those lasting initial impressions. You want to take the time to really focus on your appearance—from your clothes to your hygiene—and body language. Try to maintain eye contact, smile lots, and exude confidence through your body language.
#13
Not my first day but my second. I had just hired on at a steel fabrication plant. My boss gave me a broom and told me to keep the sidewalks clean, keep my head up, watch what everyone is doing and stay out of their f*****g way. Its dangerous working with this heavy steel and we don't want you to get hurt your first week out here. It was about 7am. Around 8am a stack of steel fell over trapping another employee and I had to hear him scream bloody murder for about 3hrs while they worked to get the steel beams off of him. He lived. It crushed his pelvis, I worked there for 2 years, he never was able to come back to work.
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81points
#14
First day working as a chemist in a quality control lab. The person training me told me “just so you know every single person in this department has had to go on medical leave for a stress related illness between their first and second year on the job.” That definitely happened to me.
From there it only went downhill. I toured the warehouse and there were pallets of raw materials stacked so high and improperly they were leaning toward the walkway. There was a struggling rat on a glue trap and the warehouse guy said at least it isn’t squeaking anymore. Their walk in cold storage had liquid leaking out the door.
I went to lunch and it was like a scene out of “mean girls.” I was told I couldn’t sit at certain tables and wound up eating by myself. Someone stole the cupcakes out of my lunch bag too.
I realized I made a horrible mistake but I really needed the job and the money, plus the market was bad so I stuck it out for 19 months. The place is currently in the process of shutting down and will be closed by the end of the year, so they eventually got what was coming to them.
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78points
#15
I got hired at an insurance place. I was told business casual so my first day I was wearing Chinos and a sweater. I was still filling out paperwork when someone came in and told me I needed to go home and change. It was a half hours drive each way at the time but I was broke so I did it. Quit a few months later. Horrible place.
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77points
For instance, you wouldn’t want to keep your hands in your pockets or cross your arms while you’re hunched over and looking beyond scared. Be in control of your posture, slow down your movements, and actively listen to your new colleagues before speaking.
‘Insider’ suggests using your first day to be proactive. Introduce yourself to others and get to know your coworkers. The extra effort is going to be well worth it throughout your career, but you may need to go outside your comfort zone if you’re naturally a shy individual. Those connections are going to come in handy when you inevitably find yourself in a tough situation.
Though it’s important to ‘click’ with everyone at the company, don’t feel like you have to pretend like you’re someone you’re not. Be professional, but be yourself. Avoid creating the impression that you’re trying too hard to get everyone to like you. People admire authenticity, not pretense.
#16
Wasn’t my experience, but the experience of someone else i’ve heard:
He went to work at an ice cream shop for his first job at 16. He was filling out the application when the manager told him to forget the application and go ahead and come behind the counter and start working. They had him start by making waffle cones, and he did that for 6 hours.
Afterward, when they were sending him home for the day, they said “we’ll call you”. He wasn’t actually hired. They had him work for 6 hours without pay and without hiring him. When he tried calling the next few days to see if he’d gotten the job or if they’d pay him for those 6 hours, they didn’t answer. He decided to drive to the location a couple days later and they were closed. Permanently. They shut down literally the day after they had him work those 6 hours. They knew they were shutting down and didn’t tell him.
When he finally did get ahold of that manager, and voiced his complaint about making him work without pay, she told him “well you don’t always get what you want”.
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72points
#17
My boyfriend of five years decided that a Monday at lunchtime was the perfect time to break up with me via text message. While I can't say the breakup was a complete surprise I really, really wish he had done it on the weekend when I could have private time to deal with it. He also could have had the balls to do so in person but, hey, that's asking a lot from him.
So, first day at a new job. I'm a teacher and it was a new school but in the same city. Morning was introductions. Everyone was lovely, happy, smiling and so was I. Then I sit down to eat lunch and my phone dings. Well, you can imagine what that was like. I hid in the bathroom a while trying to keep it together because the afternoon was the opening ceremony.
The whole ceremony takes about two hours with speeches, intros, information, video, taking pictures etc. All the teachers and I had to stand on a stage and give short introductions in front of 700ish children, their parents, school officials etc. So I was sitting on the sidelines trying not to cry or vomit or let my emotions be obvious. Probably didn't succeed. Then had to get up on stage in front of well over 1500 people and keep it together long enough to give my little intro about looking forward to the new year blah blah.
I could finally leave after the ceremony and bawled the whole way home.
Edit: Thank you all for your kind words. This happened many years ago but it still stings. It's amazingly cathartic to let it out though.
Calling him a Person Of Senselesness fits pretty well. I can't call him an a*****e, because he wasn't. But he was perhaps cowardly and didn't consider the emotional toll his actions would take.
In the follow-up talks he admitted that he'd known I wasn't The One from the start but he still thought I was a great person, fun, we got along etc. and decided Fake It Till You Make It was a great relationship strategy. Yeah. That's a stab to the gut, knowing someone was pretending to be happy with you. Those cuts run deep too, and affected my later relationship. How can I believe my new partner loves me? My ex said he loved me, and it was a lie. How can I believe my new partner sees a future with me? My ex said he did, and that was a lie.
If anyone out there is just not feeling it with a partner but can't think of a *good* reason to break up, please, just break up. They deserve someone who doesn't have to talk themselves into loving them. Yeah, they'll be sad, but every day you let them live a lie it will be even worse when you finally break up and pull the rug out from under them.
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71points
#18
I've got 2 but both jobs ended up being great and I worked there for a year plus
1. I worked at a flower shop in high school. The gal training me and I found this pink plastic gun thing. Obvi not a real gun but we barely touched the trigger and all of a sudden we were coughing and our eyes were watering. We had to leave the room and close up the shop early... It was some kind of pepper or bear spray.
2. Job in college was a group home for elderly women with mental disabilities. Since I was new I didn't know how to de-escalate situations yet. One woman had the mental capacity equivalent to a 3-year-old and tantrums were common. She had a tantrum my first day and not knowing how to deal I made it worse. Went outside to chill out and when I felt better to come back in the lady saw and ran to the door to CHOKE me and keep me out. No one else was around... I went to the other door to get in. Obvi I'm alive, but damn that was a night.
2. Job in college was a group home for elderly women with mental disabilities. Since I was new I didn't know how to de-escalate situations yet. One woman had the mental capacity equivalent to a 3-year-old and tantrums were common. She had a tantrum my first day and not knowing how to deal I made it worse. Went outside to chill out and when I felt better to come back in the lady saw and ran to the door to CHOKE me and keep me out. No one else was around... I went to the other door to get in. Obvi I'm alive, but damn that was a night.
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69points
#19
I work at a gas station and I accidentally hit the button that emergency stops all the gas pumps my first day lmao
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66points
#20
My MIL was buying a restaurant and asked me to go work there for a day and take a look see. She gives me the name, I look it up, then show up at 6 am. The ladies working seemed a bit confused but they let me in and put me to work. Two hours later, one of them comes to me and says "We think you're supposed to be at the OTHER Charlie Ann's" There were two unrelated restaurants five miles apart with the same name. Later she tried to hire me, lol.
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66points