Getting to know other people at work

Objective: To fit in and get to know people at work. "If you're active in the company you'll increase the chances of your name circulating where it matters", says Armand. Establishing good relationships with your colleagues is also a good way of keeping up to speed with what's going on. Besides, working with people you get on with and sharing a more than just an Internet connection is much more enjoyable as well!

How to go about it
Make a daily trip to the coffee machine and spend 5 minutes chatting with Sophie from Accounts and Alan from Purchasing. Accept offers of after-work drinks, and even if you don't feel like it, go for one round at least to show you're committed to being sociable and making an effort.

What not to do: Appoint yourself Social Sec and only show interest when there's a party being organised. It doesn't make a great impression if you're only interested in the social side of your job. And avoid bombarding your colleagues with joke emails all day. They blog up inboxes and don't always appeal to everyone's sense of humour.