Before day one

Close the loop on the search

Tell the other employers you were in process with that you have accepted elsewhere, briefly and gratefully. Tell your referees, and thank them. Update your tracker so your record of the search is complete; you will want it next time. Pause your job alerts rather than deleting them.

Paperwork

Return the signed contract and any onboarding forms by the dates asked. Have ready the documents HR will need: ID, KRA PIN, NSSF and health scheme numbers, bank details, passport photographs if requested, certified copies of certificates, and your clearances if the role required them. Ask HR for a list rather than guessing. If you are moving from a consultancy or informal work, sort out any tax matters so your first payroll is clean.

Resign well

If you are employed, resign in writing with the notice period your contract requires, and work it properly. Hand over in writing: what you were doing, where things are, who to contact. Leave your desk and files in order. Collect your testimonial, your final payslip, your certificate of service and any pension statements before you go. Your former employer is a reference for the rest of your career.

Learn the organisation

Read what is public: the website, annual reports, strategy documents, recent news, the organisation's social media, the profiles of the people you will work with. Understand the structure: who your manager reports to, which teams you will deal with, who the customers or beneficiaries are. If your manager is willing, ask for any documents you could read before starting: a team plan, the last quarterly report, the job's priorities.

Prepare the practical

• The route and travel time at the hour you will travel; do a trial run if the place is new.
• What people wear there; ask HR if unsure.
• Childcare, transport money and lunch for the first weeks before the first salary.
• A notebook for the first month. You will be told more than you can remember.

Set your own expectations

The first weeks will feel slow and confusing; that is normal. Nobody expects results in week one. They expect you to arrive, listen, learn names, ask good questions and be reliable. Decide now that you will not judge the job, or yourself, until the end of the first month.

Rest

Take a few days off between jobs if you can. Arrive with energy.