New jobs can be exciting, but being the “new person” not so much. Being new in the workplace can be hard at first, especially if you’re not the most outgoing person. Since making new office friends doesn’t always happen right away, here are some tips to help get you started.
By far one of the easiest gestures is to smile at your coworkers and introduce yourself. It may seem silly, but unless you signal to others that you are open to socializing they could just as easily mistake you as a passing visitor.
Once you’ve established some acknowledgement, you can start to reach out and ask them if they’re interested in getting lunch together. Since you’re new, you could always ask for recommendations of places close by and extend an invitation to some of your peers. Lunch is a great way to learn a little more about your coworkers and allow them to get to know you a little better too!
Even without lunch, chatting with coworkers or making small talk to figure out common interests is helpful in getting more comfortable. An easy topic for finding common interests is asking how their day is going, or asking for suggestions for things like places to eat, books, or shows to watch. People love to talk about themselves and the things they like!
Once you find common interests, organize things that might be fun to do together, like a book club, a watch party for the Grammy’s, wine night, or an office soccer team. The best way to start being friends with people in your office is to be friendly, and at the very least smile. Most people will respond positively!
-Brianna Cochran
Photo Credit: caribb Breaking out via photopin (license)
