Frills 'n' Spills

* Wear an old favourite on your first day- you need to look professional but feeling comfortable is so important! Originally I was going to wear trousers but I always feel more comfortable in a dress so I went for a navy Tesco dress (which sadly I didn't manage to get pictures of). I am contradicting myself slightly here as I only bought this dress in the charity shop a few weeks ago but both the colour and shape felt classic Maria so it was hardly out of my comfort zone! So far I have worn my smarter dresses and trousers with blouses rather than t-shirts and have only had positive feedback which is good!

* Be led by your colleagues on dress code- this will save any embarrassment, for example I found out on day one that jeans were a big no no (except on dress down Fridays) so I had to mentally revise some planned outfits as a result. I did find out that brightly coloured hair was OK though so that gave me some food for thought ;) This also means that you won't go out and spend unnecessary money on clothes that won't be suitable, whilst giving you an excuse to buy 'stuff for work'!

* Neutral make-up is key for your first few days. I am a massive fan of bright lipsticks but my first day was probably not the time to be worrying about whether it needs reapplying or if I have smudged it. I went for soft peachy lipstick and kept the rest pretty simple. You want people to remember your face, not just your make-up! Now I am in week 2 I feel a lot more comfortable and I am back to my usual colourful self!

* Take plasters, paracetamol etc. but don't overpack your bag- I am very accident prone so being prepared is key but there is nothing worse than having to heft a huge bag around, especially on an unfamiliar commute!

* Take in a water bottle- this at least means you can stay hydrated until you know what the situation is on tea and coffee. There's nothing worse than having a dry scratchy throat, especially as you will be doing a lot of talking.

* Food- luckily my diabetes means I have an excuse for carting around so much food (ahem) but I can guarantee that you will be absolutely starving. Nerves and adrenaline are a lethal combination and if you're anything like me, you will be ravenous by 10 o' clock so making sure you have a bag filled with food is always a good idea...

* Take a notebook and a pen in with you- I took the one which I had used for interview prep and was able to refamiliarize myself with all the notes I had made previously, whilst waiting for people to arrive etc. It gave me something to focus on and I felt slightly less out of my depth as a result.

* Bring something to do- Until you know what the deal is with your training schedule and lunch tomes, it is probably best to not go wandering off at lunchtime. I normally have a book or something to do in my bag and so far I have read The Talented Mr Ripley in my lunch break and have nearly finished The Secret History so far. I never seem to get much reading done at home so my desk is an ideal spot to catch up on my 'to read' list...

* Chewing gum- this is pretty self explanatory but I am always super paranoid about my breath, especially if I am meeting lots of new people.

*Take up opportunities to make friends- I am super shy when I meet new people and being the newbie is always hard, especially when you are moving into a close knit team but I have found that gestures like going out for lunch or offering to make tea or coffee will go a long way towards endearing you to your new colleagues. Obviously you are all lovely people but it doesn't hurt to remind people of this! ;)

* Ask lots of questions- you may feel awkward about it but it is better than going wrong and having to explain that to your new boss or team. They will want to help you and you can get away with pestering people a lot more easily in the first few weeks!

* Write everything down: I am a keen note-taker anyway but your induction means taking in a lot of information and having things written down makes it a lot easier to go back over them when you have time.

* Don't be afraid to push for training or to be included in meetings- when you are new, people can forget to include you in an an email or add your name to a list. I gave found that being perky and inviting myself along to things I think are relevant or helpful for my job has been really useful and things have slotted into place a lot quicker.Being pushy can be hard but it saves scrabbling to catch up later!

* Give yourself time to get used to the change- moving jobs is a big deal and you will probably be massively overtired and emotional for your first few weeks. Make sure you take care of yourself and don't beat yourself up if you haven't got your routine settled yet. I am not ashamed to say that ready meals and chippy runs have kept me going this past fortnight along with long showers and plenty of early nights...

* Sort out your routine- I am someone who thrives on structure in their life so finding a new morning routine has been important, if a little tricky. I found that the easiest way to do it was work out how long it would take me to get to work, and then work backwards to see how long I needed to get ready in the morning. It's not quite set in stone yet, but I'm getting there!

This gorgeous necklace was a purchase from the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry (well worth a visit by the way) and it is one of my favourites. I am pretty rubbish with accessorizing (unless belts count) and always worry that I have overdone it on the jewellery stakes but luckily this necklace is delicate enough not to be overwhelming...

I have had these boots for a while now but every time I came to wear them out of the house, I chickened out. They just seemed like too much of a statement but the bad weather seemed like the perfect opportunity to bust them out and oh boy am I glad I did! This has to be one of my most complimented work outfits EVER (and it couldn't be more different to this one!) and I felt great in it. It just goes to show that a little sartorial experimentation never hurt anyone! I was a bit worried about looking stumpy but a good pair of black tights helped to avoid that (I hope!) and I will definitely be wearing another variation of this outfit sometime soon, I have plenty of jazzy jumpers to try with it! 

I knew they would be perfect for work and they are, equally nice with both my omnipresent loafers and a pair of black heels (another rare attribute for trousers) I know there are more exciting ways to style these (just look at the lovely Miss Cohen for proof of that!) but sometimes keeping it simple makes it much easier to get out of the door in the morning! I never thought this top would become such a wardrobe staple but it is so comfy and skims over my stomach- winner! 

Just look at how awesome the print is on these! You all know that I am quite the fan of bright colours and jazzy prints but I know not all of you are as keen, so a subtle print in a fairly sober colour is ideal if you are trying to ease yourself out of wearing all black outfits to work, February is grey enough already!