250 Quotes for First Day at Work to Start Your New Job Right

This collection of 250 quotes for first day at work is built for exactly that morning. You’ll find short confidence boosters, motivational lines, funny one-liners to break the tension, warm wishes to send a friend, and polished messages for a new colleague. If you’re curious how companies actually structure day one, you can read more about employee onboarding on Wikipedia.

Pick the line that fits your situation, copy it, and walk in ready. Day one only happens once. Make it count.

Editor’s Picks: Best Quotes for First Day at Work

Eleven favorites from the collection above, each copied word for word.

Short Confidence Boosters for Your First Day at Work

1. “Well begun is half done.” — Aristotle
2. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
3. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson
4. “The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost
5. “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” — Steve Martin
6. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
7. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
8. “The expert in anything was once a beginner.” — Helen Hayes
9. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” — Zig Ziglar
10. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Attributed to Theodore Roosevelt
11. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
12. “If you can dream it, you can do it.” — Attributed to Walt Disney
13. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” — Attributed to Henry Ford
14. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
15. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Attributed to Winston Churchill
16. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
17. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
18. “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” — C.S. Lewis
19. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Attributed to Albert Einstein
20. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” — George Addair
21. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Attributed to Winston Churchill
22. “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” — William Butler Yeats
23. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” — Chinese proverb
24. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Attributed to Wayne Gretzky
25. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson
26. “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” — Chris Grosser
27. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder
28. “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” — Thomas Jefferson
29. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — Attributed to John D. Rockefeller
30. “Light tomorrow with today.” — Elizabeth Barrett Browning
31. “First days are for fresh starts. Make this one count.” — Unknown
32. “Walk in with confidence; walk out with pride.” — Unknown
33. “New desk, new dreams, new determination.” — Unknown
34. “Today is day one of everything you want.” — Unknown
35. “You were hired because you belong here.” — Unknown
36. “First-day nerves mean you care. Use them.” — Unknown
37. “Show up, stand tall, start strong.” — Unknown
38. “Every expert was once a nervous new hire.” — Unknown
39. “Your first day is a promise, not a test.” — Unknown
40. “Confidence is your best first impression.” — Unknown

Motivational First Day at Work Quotes

1. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” — Attributed to Confucius
2. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.” — Steve Jobs
3. “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — Theodore Roosevelt
4. “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” — Aristotle
5. “There is no substitute for hard work.” — Thomas A. Edison
6. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” — Thomas A. Edison
7. “Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” — Conan O’Brien
8. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” — Vidal Sassoon
9. “Nothing will work unless you do.” — Maya Angelou
10. “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” — Dale Carnegie
11. “Work gives you meaning and purpose, and life is empty without it.” — Stephen Hawking
12. “The future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi
13. “Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso
14. “Well done is better than well said.” — Benjamin Franklin
15. “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” — Jim Rohn
16. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Attributed to Walt Disney
17. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” — Stephen King
18. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau
19. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” — Will Rogers
20. “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” — Booker T. Washington
21. “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” — Attributed to Karen Lamb
22. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Attributed to Mark Twain
23. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” — Henry David Thoreau
24. “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” — Ralph Marston
25. “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” — Bo Jackson
26. “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” — Attributed to Plutarch
27. “Learning never exhausts the mind.” — Leonardo da Vinci
28. “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” — Steve Jobs
29. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
30. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Attributed to Zig Ziglar
31. “Your first day is the first page of a great chapter.” — Unknown
32. “Bring your best today; the rest will follow.” — Unknown
33. “A new job is a blank page. Write it well.” — Unknown
34. “Determination turns first days into milestones.” — Unknown
35. “The badge is new; the talent is proven.” — Unknown
36. “Walk through that door like you own your future.” — Unknown
37. “Day one is your launchpad, not your ceiling.” — Unknown
38. “Good things come to those who show up ready.” — Unknown
39. “Let your work ethic introduce you before you speak.” — Unknown
40. “Start strong, stay humble, keep growing.” — Unknown

First Day at Work Quotes About New Beginnings

1. “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” — Seneca
2. “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” — Attributed to Carl Bard
3. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” — Plato
4. “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” — Lewis Carroll
5. “Beginnings are usually scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s what’s in the middle that counts.” — Sandra Bullock
6. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — Attributed to C.S. Lewis
7. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
8. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” — Audrey Hepburn
9. “The doors will be opened to those who are bold enough to knock.” — Tony Gaskins
10. “And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” — Attributed to Meister Eckhart
11. “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” — Attributed to Lao Tzu
12. “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” — Joseph Campbell
13. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” — Norman Vincent Peale
14. “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” — Lyndon B. Johnson
15. “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” — J.P. Morgan
16. “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” — Attributed to Meister Eckhart
17. “A new job is a new beginning. Welcome to yours.” — Unknown
18. “Don’t be afraid of new beginnings; they hold your greatest victories.” — Unknown
19. “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” — Josiyah Martin
20. “Start today, not tomorrow.” — Unknown
21. “New job, same driven you.” — Unknown
22. “Fresh start, full heart.” — Unknown
23. “Turn the page. The next chapter is yours.” — Unknown
24. “Beginnings are proof that endings can be beautiful.” — Unknown
25. “This new beginning is your second chance to do it right.” — Unknown
26. “Pack your courage; you’re starting a new adventure.” — Unknown
27. “Let this first day open doors you never imagined.” — Unknown
28. “New keys, new doors, new dreams.” — Unknown
29. “The best chapters start with a nervous first page.” — Unknown
30. “Begin boldly; the middle will take care of itself.” — Unknown
31. “A new role is a new story. Make it a good one.” — Unknown
32. “Start as you mean to go on.” — English proverb
33. “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
34. “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” — L.M. Montgomery
35. “Celebrate endings, for they precede new beginnings.” — Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Funny First Day at Work Quotes

1. “I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by leaving early.” — Charles Lamb
2. “The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.” — Robert Frost
3. “Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” — Edgar Bergen
4. “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” — A.A. Milne
5. “I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.” — Jerome K. Jerome
6. “Work is the curse of the drinking classes.” — Oscar Wilde
7. “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” — Attributed to Bill Gates
8. “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” — Vince Lombardi
9. “Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said couldn’t be done.” — Sam Ewing
10. “By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day.” — Robert Frost
11. “If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you.” — Steven Wright
12. “Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves?” — Robin Williams
13. “The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.” — Stanley J. Randall
14. “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” — Stephen Covey
15. “My keyboard must be broken: I keep hitting the escape key, but I’m still at work.” — Unknown
16. “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.” — Steve Martin
17. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison
18. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas A. Edison
19. “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.” — Oscar Wilde
20. “Work to become, not to acquire.” — Elbert Hubbard
21. “First day tip: learn where the coffee machine is before you learn anyone’s name.” — Unknown
22. “Smile at everyone on day one; figure out who to avoid on day two.” — Unknown
23. “New job rule number one: never be the first to leave the meeting room.” — Unknown
24. “They hired you for your skills; they’ll keep you for your snack drawer.” — Unknown
25. “First day goal: remember three names and find the bathroom.” — Unknown
26. “Act like you’ve been here for years; Google everything in the bathroom.” — Unknown
27. “Day one: nod confidently and write everything down.” — Unknown
28. “Congratulations on the new job! The meetings are free and endless.” — Unknown
29. “Your new commute is just a podcast with extra steps.” — Unknown
30. “First day success means no one realizes you’re new until lunch.” — Unknown
31. “Dress for the job you want, nap for the job you have.” — Unknown
32. “The printer only jams for new employees. It’s tradition.” — Unknown
33. “New job, who dis? Your future favorite coworker.” — Unknown
34. “Pro tip: the Wi-Fi password is the real first-day test.” — Unknown
35. “I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.” — Unknown

Encouraging First Day at Work Wishes for a Friend

1. “Wishing you a fantastic first day at your new job!” — Unknown
2. “Wishing you a first day that feels like a warm hello.” — Unknown
3. “Cheers to new beginnings and your bright future!” — Unknown
4. “You’ve got this! Enjoy every moment of your first day.” — Unknown
5. “So proud of you! Go show them what you’re made of.” — Unknown
6. “Here’s to your first day — may it be as amazing as you are.” — Unknown
7. “New job, new adventure. Wishing you all the best!” — Unknown
8. “They’re lucky to have you. Have a great first day!” — Unknown
9. “May your new role bring you joy, growth, and success.” — Unknown
10. “Congratulations on the new job! Your hard work paid off.” — Unknown
11. “Wishing you confidence, calm, and a wonderful first day.” — Unknown
12. “Go get ’em! Your first day is going to be great.” — Unknown
13. “A new chapter begins today. Make it a bestseller.” — Unknown
14. “Sending you good vibes for your first day!” — Unknown
15. “You earned this. Now go enjoy your first day!” — Unknown
16. “May your first day be filled with warm welcomes.” — Unknown
17. “New team, new goals, same incredible you.” — Unknown
18. “I believe in you — have the best first day!” — Unknown
19. “Here’s to day one of your dream career.” — Unknown
20. “Wishing you success on your first day and every day after.” — Unknown
21. “Your talent got you here. Your heart will take you further.” — Unknown
22. “Enjoy your first day — you deserve this opportunity.” — Unknown
23. “May today be the first of many great days.” — Unknown
24. “Knock ’em dead on your first day, friend!” — Unknown
25. “To new beginnings and big wins — have a great first day!” — Unknown
26. “Your journey to greatness starts today. Enjoy it!” — Unknown
27. “First days are exciting — soak up every minute!” — Unknown
28. “Wishing you friendly faces and easy wins today.” — Unknown
29. “Go shine! Your first day is just the beginning.” — Unknown
30. “Proud of you today and always. Have a wonderful first day!” — Unknown
31. “Wishing you a new job that feels made for you.” — Unknown
32. “Here’s to fresh starts and fearless first days!” — Unknown
33. “You’ve worked so hard for this. Enjoy your first day!” — Unknown
34. “Wishing you a first day as bright as your future.” — Unknown
35. “New office, new colleagues, new victories. Go get them!” — Unknown

Professional First Day at Work Messages for a Colleague

1. “Welcome aboard! We’re thrilled to have you on the team.” — Unknown
2. “Wishing you a smooth and successful first day.” — Unknown
3. “We’re glad you’re here — looking forward to working with you.” — Unknown
4. “Welcome to the team! Your skills are a great addition.” — Unknown
5. “Hope your first day is everything you hoped for.” — Unknown
6. “A warm welcome on your first day — we’re excited to collaborate.” — Unknown
7. “Wishing you a smooth start and great things ahead.” — Unknown
8. “Welcome! Don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything today.” — Unknown
9. “Great to have you with us. Enjoy your first day!” — Unknown
10. “Your experience is exactly what this team needed. Welcome!” — Unknown
11. “Wishing you a confident start and a rewarding journey here.” — Unknown
12. “Welcome aboard — here’s to a strong start together.” — Unknown
13. “We’re looking forward to great things from you. Enjoy day one!” — Unknown
14. “A warm welcome to our newest team member!” — Unknown
15. “May your first day set the tone for a fantastic career here.” — Unknown
16. “Welcome to the team! We’re glad our paths crossed.” — Unknown
17. “Wishing you a productive and pleasant first day.” — Unknown
18. “Your first day is just the start of great collaboration.” — Unknown
19. “Welcome! We can’t wait to see what you’ll achieve.” — Unknown
20. “Hope you feel at home quickly. Have a wonderful first day!” — Unknown
21. “We’re excited to have fresh talent on board. Welcome!” — Unknown
22. “Wishing you success as you settle into your new role.” — Unknown
23. “Welcome aboard! Let’s make great things happen.” — Unknown
24. “A new colleague, a new chapter. Welcome to the team!” — Unknown
25. “May your first day be the beginning of a long, happy career.” — Unknown
26. “We’re lucky to have you. Enjoy your first day!” — Unknown
27. “Welcome! Your journey with us starts today.” — Unknown
28. “Wishing you an easy transition and a brilliant first day.” — Unknown
29. “Great teams are built one great hire at a time. Welcome!” — Unknown
30. “Here’s to your first day and many successful years ahead.” — Unknown

Inspirational First Day at Work Quotes for the Road Ahead

1. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” — Robert Louis Stevenson
3. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — Attributed to George Eliot
4. “Every day is a new day, and you’ll never be able to find happiness if you don’t move on.” — Carrie Underwood
5. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Attributed to Peter Drucker
6. “Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.” — Robert Kiyosaki
7. “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities!” — Norman Vincent Peale
8. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.” — Helen Keller
9. “Keep your face always toward the sunshine — and shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman
10. “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
11. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” — Maya Angelou
12. “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” — Aristotle
13. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Attributed to Aristotle
14. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” — Attributed to Winston Churchill
15. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” — Jimmy Johnson
16. “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” — Aristotle
17. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” — Albert Einstein
18. “The road to success is always under construction.” — Lily Tomlin
19. “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” — Maya Angelou
20. “Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.” — David Frost
21. “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” — Henry Ford
22. “Teamwork makes the dream work.” — John C. Maxwell
23. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller
24. “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” — Henry Ford
25. “Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” — Steve Jobs
26. “None of us is as smart as all of us.” — Attributed to Ken Blanchard
27. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” — Michael Jordan
28. “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” — Phil Jackson
29. “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” — Harry S. Truman
30. “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work.” — Vince Lombardi
31. “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” — Amy Poehler
32. “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” — Dolly Parton
33. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” — Walter Elliot
34. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” — Japanese proverb
35. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas A. Edison

More to Explore

• Motivational Quotes for Success
• Mindset Quotes
• Short Inspirational Quotes
• Positive Quote of the Day
• Confidence Quotes
• Teamwork Quotes
• Never Give Up Quotes
• Ambition Quotes
• Courage Quotes
• Work Quotes
• Perseverance Quotes
• Inspirational Quotes for Work

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I say to someone on their first day at work?

Keep it short and warm: wish them a great first day, say you’re proud of them, and tell them the team is lucky to have them. The wishes section above has 35 lines written for exactly this: pick one and send it as is, or tweak a word to make it yours.

How do I wish someone good luck on their first day at a new job?

A simple ‘good luck on your first day!’ works, but a specific note lands better. Mention the role they’re starting, wish them friendly colleagues and quick wins, and close with confidence in them. A text sent the morning of day one beats a card sent a week later.

What is a funny first day at work message?

Gentle office humor is the safest bet: jokes about the coffee machine, the Wi-Fi password, or the classic challenge of remembering everyone’s names. Keep it kind and skip anything about the boss or the workload. Funny should relax them, not worry them.

How can I calm my nerves before my first day at work?

Prepare the practical stuff the night before (clothes, route, lunch) so your morning stays calm. Arrive a little early, smile at everyone you meet, and remember they hired you because you’re qualified. Reading a few of the confidence boosters above on the way in genuinely helps.