New grads are entering the workplace this summer, and they have mixed feelings about how prepared they are.
Two in three recent college grads say they feel “fully ready” to communicate with their colleagues through email or instant messaging at work, while 59% feel good about making conversation in person, according to the latest Handshake report on the class of 2025.
But one area they’re less ready for: participating effectively in meetings, where just 35% of 2025 grads say they feel confidently prepared.
Figuring out how to show up well in in-person meetings, especially as a new hire and even more so as a junior employee, can be tough, says Daniel Post Senning, etiquette expert with the Emily Post Institute.
Here are some of his best tips to help corporate newbies feel more at-ease in the room:
1. Know your role
First, get a clue in terms of what role you’ll play in the meeting, Senning says. Are you part of the team hosting or leading the discussion? Or are you a guest and simply there to listen to the information that’s being presented?
If you’re part of the organizing group, Senning says to get clear on the agenda. What information is being presented, and who’s presenting? Talk with your manager and team members to get an understanding if you’re expected to contribute to the preparation and facilitation of the meeting.
“If I’m part of the group that’s leading the meeting, I’ve got a series of questions or agenda items that we can move through,” Senning says.
If you’re showing up as a participant, Senning advises asking your boss if you’ll be expected to prepare in any way, like reading up on certain materials to be ready for a discussion.
2. Be on time and ready to engage
This goes for everyone: Show up on time, if not a few minutes early.
Senning likes to follow the rule of visiting someone’s house: Never show up empty-handed.
In a meeting, that can mean bringing something to take notes on and being ready to contribute ideas if that’s what’s expected of you. Taking notes not only helps you remember what was discussed, but also sends a message that you’re actively listening and engaging with what’s being presented in the room, Senning says.
If you know you’ll be late or cutting it close on time in any way, let your boss or the meeting host know in advance, Senning says.
3. Say hello and goodbye
If you’re part of the team hosting the meeting, Senning says it’s good practice to greet people as they come in, and be prepared to make introductions for yourself or your colleagues.
“Introduce yourself if no one’s making introductions, or to introduce people to each other if they don’t know each other already,” he says.
You can also break the ice by helping people figure out where to sit.
For example, you might guide attendees by mentioning if you’ll be looking at a presentation for the meeting so they can sit where they can see the screen. Or maybe a VIP is expected to enter the meeting at the half-way point, so you could let people know to leave a seat for them near the front of the room.
On the flip side, if you’re an attendee and you’re not sure where to sit, it’s fine to ask the host for their guidance, Senning says.
Even if you’re not expected to contribute much to the meeting itself, Senning says you can ease pre-meeting jitters and make a good impression by showing up early and introducing yourself to the host (if you haven’t met them yet) and your colleagues in the room.
That way at the very least, Senning says, you’ll have contributed to the meeting by letting people know who you are, and you can start building your work relationships from there.
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