It’s never a good idea to be late on your first day. 

First impressions matter, especially in the workplace. It’s a competitive market out there, and you need to have every edge you can as a job-seeker. Even if you have all the qualifications and are a ‘culture fit,’ you could still blow it all through something small. Lateness is a huge problem, especially in certain industries. At an office job, you might be able to get away with strolling in 10 minutes late and staying 10 minutes after work. It probably doesn’t affect your productivity for the day, and barely interrupts your communication with your coworkers. But in the service industry, lateness is make-or-break. It can mean your coworkers are drowning in tickets, and it can mean lost business quickly. That’s why everyone who works in that industry knows just how important it is to arrive on time. This is especially true on your first day.