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By , IT support technician

Quick Answer

During your first week, set up your email (Outlook), chat (Teams), file sync (OneDrive), MFA (Authenticator app), VPN (if required), and a password manager. Bookmark your company's IT self-service portal and note the helpdesk email or phone number.

Understanding Your First Week of IT — What to Set Up and Why ​

Applies to: Microsoft 365, Windows 11, macOS
Article Type: Informational
Last Updated: 2026-07-16

Summary ​

Starting a new job means setting up a lot of technology fast. This guide walks you through everything you need to configure in your first week — in the right order — so nothing falls through the cracks.

Prerequisites ​

  • A work laptop or desktop provided by your company.
  • Microsoft 365 credentials from your IT department.

Instructions ​

Why This Matters ​

Your IT department gives you a laptop, an email address, and a set of credentials. The rest is up to you. Most new employees miss at least one critical setup step (like MFA or OneDrive sync) and don't discover it until something breaks weeks later. This guide prevents that.

Day 1: The Essentials ​

Sign In and Change Your Password ​

Your IT team gives you a temporary password. Change it immediately.

  1. Sign in to your computer with the credentials IT provided.
  2. Change your password at myaccount.microsoft.com or when prompted on first login.
  3. Choose a strong password (12+ characters, mix of types). See How to Create and Use Strong Passwords.

Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) ​

MFA is your second lock on the front door. Without it, anyone with your password can access your email, files, and Teams.

  1. Download the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone from the App Store or Google Play.
  2. Follow the prompts to register your account. See How to Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for Microsoft 365.
  3. Do this on Day 1. Many organizations enforce MFA within 24 hours — if you miss the window, you may get locked out.

Open Outlook and Check Your Email ​

Your inbox already has onboarding emails, IT setup instructions, and meeting invitations.

  1. Open Outlook (it will be on your desktop or taskbar).
  2. Set up your email signature with your name, title, and contact information.
  3. Check for any time-sensitive onboarding emails from HR or IT.

Join Microsoft Teams ​

Teams is where your team communicates day to day.

  1. Open Microsoft Teams (it's usually pre-installed).
  2. Update your profile picture — it helps colleagues put a face to your name.
  3. Set your status message to something like: "New here! Onboarding this week." See How to Set a Custom Status Message in Teams.

Day 2–3: Get Organized ​

Set Up OneDrive ​

OneDrive automatically backs up your files to the cloud so you never lose work.

  1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray (bottom-right of your screen).
  2. Sign in with your work account if prompted.
  3. Enable folder backup for Desktop, Documents, and Pictures. See How to Set Up and Use OneDrive.

Connect to VPN (If Required) ​

Some companies require a VPN to access internal resources when working remotely.

  1. Check with your manager or IT if VPN is required.
  2. If yes, follow How to Connect to a VPN to set it up.

Learn the Key Apps ​

You don't need to master everything on Day 1. Focus on these:

AppWhat It's ForArticle
OutlookEmail, calendar, schedulingHow to Create a Calendar Event in Outlook
TeamsChat, meetings, file sharingHow to Schedule a Teams Meeting
OneDrivePersonal file storage and backupHow to Set Up and Use OneDrive
SharePointTeam file storage and collaborationHow to Navigate and Use SharePoint
Word / Excel / PowerPointDocument creationUnderstanding Excel Features

Day 4–5: Fine-Tune Your Setup ​

Set Up Your Devices ​

If you have a docking station, external monitor, or headset, get them connected.

Install the Mobile Apps ​

Get Outlook and Teams on your phone so you don't miss anything when away from your desk.

  1. Install Outlook and Teams from your phone's app store.
  2. Sign in with your work account.
  3. Complete MFA on your phone.
  4. See How to Set Up the Outlook Mobile App.

Learn How to Get Help ​

When something breaks (and it will), know where to go:

The First-Week Checklist ​

Use this checklist to track your progress:

TaskDayDone?
Change temporary password1☐
Set up MFA (Authenticator app)1☐
Open Outlook and create email signature1☐
Join Teams and update profile picture1☐
Set up OneDrive folder backup2☐
Connect to VPN (if required)2☐
Explore Outlook calendar and schedule a test meeting3☐
Connect external monitor / docking station3☐
Install Outlook and Teams on phone4☐
Bookmark the IT helpdesk portal5☐

TIP

Save this page. You'll reference it during your entire first week. Bookmark it or save it to your browser favorites for quick access.

Troubleshooting ​

WARNING

The most common first-week problem is getting locked out because MFA wasn't set up in time. If you can't sign in, call the IT helpdesk the same hour — and if you don't have their number yet, ask your manager or the colleague sitting nearest you for it. Ask IT to reset your password and re-register your MFA, and say you started this week so they know the account is brand new.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Can't sign in to computerWrong password or expired temp passwordContact IT for a password reset.
MFA prompt keeps failingAuthenticator app not registeredRe-register at mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info.
Outlook won't open or load emailAccount not yet provisionedWait 1–2 hours after account creation, then restart Outlook. If it persists, ask IT to confirm your mailbox has finished provisioning.
OneDrive says "Your account doesn't have a license"License not assigned yetAsk IT to assign a Microsoft 365 license to your account — give them your work email address and your start date so they can match it to your new-starter request.
Teams shows "You're not part of any teams"Manager hasn't added you to team channelsAsk your manager to add you to the relevant Teams channels.