It’s your first day at the office – you're home alone and in pyjamas from the waist down. On your screen, a flurry of pixelated faces whose handy Zoom usernames you’ve already mixed up.

In the absence of handshakes and coffee breaks, becoming settled in a new WFH team can be tricky to navigate. After starting two fresh remote roles over the course of the pandemic, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks that might come in handy if you land yourself a job in the virtual working world.

Ask questions

Asking for help can be daunting – with the luxury of quick-fire IRL questions removed and replaced with arduous calls or time-consuming messages, the process can easily become even more stressful.

But actually, being able to ask questions is even more imperative from home – your team are there to help, and they want you to become immersed in the work just as much as you do. There’s no point suffering in silence – show off how proactive you are and fire away.

Make time to talk

It can be easy to let digital conversations dissolve into work, work, work. Although organic, off-key catchups might be off the menu, you can still make time for virtual chit-chat – speaking about things that aren’t always work-related is great for settling yourself in and feeling comfortable in a new team.

No one’s asking for another Zoom quiz, but just having some natural conversation like you would in a usual office environment will make all the difference in your interactions and relationships.

Be kind to yourself

Starting a new job is tricky enough, but trying to learn new processes, new workloads and new faces through a screen and on your own can be challenging.

It can be tempting to throw yourself into any task that comes your way in a bid to prove your worth and make a good impression, but this can easily lead to overwhelm and burnout.

Although it might take a bit more time to process the information overload, you will get there – allow yourself the extra space to get to grips with everything.