Welcome Cards – Because First Impressions are a Two-Way Street

There I was….My first day….Extremely anxious….I mean who wouldn’t be? I am beginning my first real job in the corporate world at a Fortune 500 company. Anything could happen….I could screw up bigtime. I hope not…..but I could.

I am dressed in my brand new business suit with hair up in a neat little bun and a subtle touch of make-up, yet my nerves are making me a little shaky. I walk in and go straight to the Human Resource Department. After completing all the initial paperwork, I am escorted to my new desk with my stomach still fluttering. The first thing I noticed was an envelope with name on it in the cool little inbox that was set up on my desk.

When I opened it, I was delighted to see a Welcome card with the signatures of everyone in my department including my supervisor’s, the President’s and the Vice President’s. What a wonderful thing to do for their employees. My stomach calmed down and my nerves mellowed out. This was a great way to make me feel right at home in my new position.

This is when I realized that even though I was making my first impression, the company was also make their first impression. Making a first impression in the professional world is a two-way street. Welcome cards are a great and easy way to do that. I know working for this company will be a terrific experience for me because it is run by thoughtful, considerate people.

24 thoughts on “Welcome Cards – Because First Impressions are a Two-Way Street”

  1. Welcome cards are great on the first day, I was also surprised to see a welcome sign in my cubicle where I work.

  2. They do the same here at my company; and, also, baby and bridal showers, birthdays, company anniversaries–you name it!

  3. It is very thoughtful when a company makes an effort to welcome a new employee. Always appreciated to see a card waiting on the desk.

  4. They make such a good first impression. It is a really simple way to brighten someone’s first day.

  5. It really made me feel welcome at my new job when I found a card sitting on my desk. All the top execs had signed it along with my direct coworkers. It was so nice.

  6. We put up a little welcome sign and leave a card for every new employee. It is nervous to start a new job and this is just a simple way of calming their nerves.

  7. I was so nervous the first day of my first real job. I had no idea how to act, how to talk to people, etc. I would have appreciated a card or some token of welcome. I hope they’ve improved on their welcoming skills since then- I quit there after only a year.

  8. You can’t measure good will or good feelings. You just know when things are right. I was given a card signed by the rest of the girls in my department and a jar of mints my first day on a job I started a few years ago. And I’m still there.

  9. I’ve never received a Welcome card on the job. It would have done a lot to calm my nerves, especially on the all important first day!

  10. That Welcome card is like the Welcome mat at your front door. For a new employee it says a lot-we’re friendly, we want you here.

  11. I think a Welcome card can really break the ice on your first day at a new job. More companies should do this.

  12. It’s a little thing, a sign that you are wanted. It’s hard to fit in to the dynamics, the “pecking order” so to speak. That little card says so much.

  13. Uncle Sam didn’t leave one of these cards in my bunk when I went in the Army! However, I think it’s a nice way to say hello to someone new on the job. P.S. Slip in a copy of the department’s favorite restaurants for eat-in lunch orders.

  14. The best new job I ever had – my first day there the welcome committee started me off with snacks! Oreos, peanuts and some mints! It was a great welcome, even though the card wasn’t there.

  15. I never thought of giving out welcome cards. We hire lots of teens during the summer and this small gesture would make a winning impression, make them want to come back next year.

  16. I have never been given a card or anything acknowledging my first day. I also never liked any of my jobs so far so maybe that says something!

  17. I think every new employee would feel better seeing a Welcome card their firstday at work. Kind of calms the jitters.

  18. It’s a shame to see everything goig so casual today. Emails instead of letters, texts instead of speaking, etc. These Welcome cards are great for the office. Get back to the personal touch.

  19. When I received my welcome card after returning this season and noticed all my supervisors had signed, it definitely made me feel valued as an employee. Definitely a nice gesture.

  20. You have to be honest – the first day at a new job is a strain. That Welcome card is an ice-breaker. It let’s you know you are wanted & needed. It made my first day a lot easier when I was just out of school and starting fresh.

  21. I saved my Welcome Card. When I look back at it from time to time, I remember the feeling of being “new” and how I felt like I knew nothing! It’s a great reminder of how far I’ve come.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *