Architect Daniel Libeskind

In Good Company is a refreshing comedy, rallying against corporate treachery and mass globalisation. Behind the laughs, the Hollywood blockbuster carries some important lessons for the first days on your new job!

Work Full Days

Carter Duryea has no friends, no family and no life outside of his job. Recently divorced from his wife of seven months, Carter plunges into his work like a man possessed. Or maybe his obsession with work led to his failed marriage, but which came first: the chicken or the egg? Either way, we roll over the popcorn-filled floor in laughter at his expense.

Unlike Topher Grace's character, we strongly suggest (read: forcefully demand) you DO NOT sleep in the office, overdose on caffeine, or substitute a flat-screen plasma TV in the cubicle for the great outdoors. However, we do recommend working full days, especially early on in the job. There's nothing like coming in late and leaving on the dot to kill any good first impressions you managed to make.

Mentor Freshness

Dan Foreman enjoys a wonderful, albeit peculiarly hilarious, relationship with his boss. This is insignificant - until you learn that the young upstart Carter Duryea is half his age, took over his position at the head of America's most respected sports magazine, and is dating his daughter.

While we cannot help but feel sorry for Dennis Quaid's on-screen persona, there is a warmth about the relationship that the two men share. Dan is the father figure, inadvertently guiding Carter despite the rift between them. Also endearing is Carter's attempts to protect Dan from being "let go".

If there is no formal mentoring programme in your organisation, find your own informal one! Connecting with a senior executive in your first days could prove invaluable. There is nothing like someone to show you the ropes and aid your assimilation into the corporate culture. But do remember not to "force" the relationship and do resist the urge to butter up your superiors!

A For Attitude

Do you jump out of bed each morning, ready to embrace your job and your day at the office? Or do you, like the rest of us, hit the snooze button on your alarm clock several times before crawling out from under the sheets and hauling yourself into through the doors of the company with less than 30 seconds to spare?

Remember how it feels - or felt - on the first day: full of excitement, and challenges. There's a great deal to learn, and so much to look forward to. You're raring to go! Now, repeat that experience everyday, and treat each day like it was your first.

There is no better remedy to any problem than a positive attitude. Show your team how enthusiastic you are to begin working, and inspire others with your fervour. As Dan Foreman puts it, the reason he is successful is that he believes in what he does. He wouldn't be doing it otherwise.

Do you believe in what you do?

About the author: Stanislaus Jude Chan is a Writer and Brand Architect. He currently plies his trade at Digital Snitch, a New Media company based in Singapore (http://www.digitalsnitch.sg).

Need a hired pen? Contact him at stanislausjudechan@gmail.com