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"Congrats on landing your first gig! It's not easy out there, and getting your foot in the door is cause enough for celebration. But now that you're starting to settle in and the first-day jitters are wearing off, you might have noticed there are some things that weren't covered in your orientation packet\u2014stuff that's a little more confusing than setting up your work email account. Have no fear: We've mapped out all the etiquette rules everyone seems to know but you.\n\nThere are office hours and then there are \"office hours.\"\n\n If you're routinely getting in at 9 a.m. and everyone is already at their desks, we're sorry to say that you're late\u2014yes, even if HR breezily told you that most people get in at 9:30. The same goes if you're leaving right at 6 while other people are still plugging away: It doesn't look great. Figuring out when need to be in the office is key to managing the perception that you're pulling your weight. We recommend asking a coworker who's at your level (they'll have the best understanding of what you should be doing and when!) or even circling back with your direct supervisor to confirm the hours you should be working. When in doubt, get an answer over email: It's always good to have a written expectation to refer back to.\n\nWhat you wear matters.\n\n Yes, it really does\u2014just not in the \"keeping up with the latest trends\" way. What should you be wearing exactly? Unfortunately it's one of those learn by example things. That said, just because your boss wears a blazer every single day doesn't mean that you have to! But it does probably mean your college uniform of skinny jeans and Converse isn't going to cut it. Look to the people who are your peers (i.e. also assistants), figure out who you think is doing it best, and then start to emulate that in your own wardrobe. The longer you've been somewhere, the easier it gets to feel like what you're wearing is \"right,\" but as the old adage goes, it's always better to be a little overdressed than wildly underdressed (especially if you work somewhere that routinely involves interacting with people outside your company).\n\nLunch breaks are basically a myth.\n\n This is also one of those tricky perception things. Daily (and honestly, even weekly) hour-long lunches are not a possibility for most people. Even if you technically have the time to kill, that's not a great vibe to give off. There are occasional exceptions: If your mom is in town and you ask in advance if you can pop out to meet her for a midday meal, that's fine \u2014as long as you make sure your productivity for the day doesn't suffer. But just because you don't have a tried-and-true lunch break doesn't mean you can't take other (shorter) breaks. If you want to head out for 20 minutes to pick up coffee, run a quick errand, or take a walk around the block, go for it. Anything longer than that really needs to be run by your boss though.\n\nThe office holiday party isn't required.\n\n And neither is the cocktail hour, or your coworker's annual barbecue. However, showing up at these functions most of the time is a goodwill gesture, and people will notice if you never make an effort. Maybe it won't directly factor into whether or not you get an eventual raise or promotion, but it does help keep your presence top of mind to the people you work with every day.\n\nYou don't have to buy your boss a birthday present.\n\n Chances are, they aren't expecting anything! Unless you're especially close, it's not really something you need to worry about. But if a colleague asks you to go in on a gift for your manager (or anyone else on the team!), the answer always has to be yes. Trust us: It's going to be weird if you don't, so cough up the $15 bucks and move on.\n\nYes, you can check Facebook.\n\n It's just the way we live now! Unless your boss explicitly mentions that you should stay off social media during the day, it's acceptable to check in every so often. The same goes for any other kind of so-called extracurricular internet use. As far as how much is too much, if you're on the web for personal reasons while you should be doing actual work, you've stepped over the line. Taking a quick five minutes to check what's up on Twitter? Fine. Spending 30 minutes virtual window shopping the Topshop sale? Save it for later.\n\nAnd wear headphones.\n\n Listening to music (or really anything) during work has become somewhat of a norm, though this wasn't always the case. Thanks to apps like Spotify, not to mention all those podcast options, people have gotten used to having a soundtrack to their everyday lives now. It's totally cool if you want to turn on the tunes, but make sure you're giving some thought to the sound level: It shouldn't be loud enough for anyone around you to hear, and if someone says your name, you should be able to notice.\n\nEmail etiquette is a thing unto itself.\n\n This is one of those \"know your audience\" situations. Maybe your company is pro-GIF chain\u2014or maybe there's a no reply-all rule. And you'll probably send a different kind of note to your boss than you would to a work BFF, right? Pay attention and figure out what's cool and what's not. Think about it like moving to a foreign country and needing to learn the ins and outs of the way the locals communicate with one another. And, as always, err on the side of caution, at least in the beginning.\n\nCute coworkers aren't totally off-limits.\n\n That guy or girl you've been having lunch with every day asks you out to drinks after work: What do you do? Go for it\u2014as long as you keep some things in mind. Your budding relationship cannot creep into your daily professional life, dating someone you report to is always a no-no, and things can definitely get awkward. If you're seriously seeing someone you work with, it's not a bad idea to speak to HR about whether or not the relationship has to be on record. If it's casual, keep it to yourselves and do your best to treat daytime hours as a flirt-free zone. And if things go bust? Keep things professional and off the radar.\n\nLooking for guidance about an office issue we haven't answered here? We're all ears! Tell us what you want to know in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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