13 “Fun Facts About Me” to Share with New Colleagues

Meeting new people at work may be overwhelming or even awkward at times. While you can always small-talk with your new colleagues, it may not help you know a lot about each other. In most cases, people in your new team would be keen to learn more about you and sharing information can be a great idea to build rapport.

Additionally, these initial conversations may also allow you to identify your go-to people or work friends. So, engaging in interesting interactions can be a great way to kick-start these valuable relationships at work. In this article, we will list some interesting facts that you could share with your new colleagues to help them know you better.

Work-related facts

While your new colleagues will work with you directly, it may be interesting to share some fun experiences from your past career with them. Here are some examples that you can use.

Before I started my career as an X, I worked as a Y

When sharing a fact like the above, focus on fun stories. To put it differently, don’t talk a lot about the conventional jobs that you have done in the past. For example, if you are currently a data scientist, don’t tell them about another data-related role you had in the past. Instead, you could talk about how you were a part-time art therapist before entering this line of work or share that you worked as a DJ by night for a couple of years when you started your career.

If I could do anything, my dream job would be…

If we were asked about what we wanted to be as kids, the answer may be different from what we do today. Some of us wanted to be superheroes while some others wanted to explore space by being an astronaut. While we may have decided not to take those paths as adults, we do think about them sometimes, right? Your childhood dream job could be a great story to share with your new colleagues, perhaps listening to your career plans as an 8-year-old would be fun.

My first job ever was…

Another interesting fact that you can share about your career is your first job. While some of us may have started our careers as a trainee, intern, or apprentice with an organisation, a few may have been involved in some not-so-corporate jobs. For instance, a bagger who bags groceries in a supermarket, a pet carer, a lifeguard, or a nanny. If you also had a similar job, you can talk about it with your colleagues and share some fun experiences with them.

Hobbies, Interests, or Personality-related topics

Talking about your hobbies and interests is another way to have engaging and fun conversations with your new colleagues at work. Here is a list of some things you could share.

The scariest thing you've ever done

Some of the scariest things you have done in your life can result in some of the best conversations. Whether it is going bungee jumping, trying shark-cage diving, or touring a haunted house, these stories can spark curiosity, laughter, and questions. With this in mind, it can be a great topic for discussion during lunch or after work in the pub.

Your go-to comfort-binge TV show

One of the easiest conversations to start is about your favourite TV show series or movies. Recommend some of your favourite TV shows and movies to your colleagues and ask them about theirs. You will get closer while it may help you discover your next favourite Netflix series. Win-win.

Collection of…

Do you have a habit of collecting stamps, coins, or artefacts? Tell your co-workers about it and share the story behind this habit. Especially if your colleagues are also collectors, it can be a solid topic of conversation.

A contest you won

Remember high school when you won a beauty pageant? Well, you may find some of the pictures embarrassing now but the story is always fun to share. You could even talk about the time you won two free tickets to your favourite Ed Sheeran concert. Don’t forget to show your colleagues some pictures and videos, too.

Your weirdest fear

As human beings, we all have some rational and irrational fears. While some of them may be heavy for you, we are sure some of these fears are funny. For example, are you scared of roaches or spiders? If yes, you definitely have a story or two to share there. Let your coworkers know about your weirdest fears and see how many people you share them with.

Travelling story

Travelling stories are some of the best stories that you can share with your new colleagues. Tell them about your favourite road trip or the first time you went camping with your friends. If they are also interested in exploring the world, it can be the beginning of a friendship.

Unusual Talents or interests

Some other fun facts to share with your new co-workers could be the unusual talents that make you, ‘you’. In some cases, these could also be your go-to things when you are stressed or anxious personally or professionally. Some examples of unusual talents that you can talk about are:

Family-related topics

While topics around family may get a little personal, you can choose to share some fun facts related to you. However, make sure to only talk about things that you are comfortable with. A few of these could be:

Your nickname and its story

Stories behind nicknames are usually funny. So if you are okay sharing your nickname at work, you might as well tell everyone why your friends or family call you that nickname. However, remember some of your colleagues may end up calling you that for fun.

A prank you played on your sibling

Childhood stories are so fun to talk about. If you have any stories of how you successfully pulled a prank on your sibling, your new coworkers could be a great audience. In fact, you could end up hearing about so many stories of different pranks from others (and may want to remember some of them for the future!). 

Your children’s stories

You may get a chance to work with a lot of parents around you. And one of the things that parents can bond over easily is their children’s stories. You could talk about a prank your kid pulled on you or how they ended up making everyone laugh with their dining habits in a restaurant. This could be a great conversation to help you find people playing similar work and personal roles as yourself, helping you make some amazing friends at work.

Fun Fact Questions

If you’re expecting new colleagues to join you at work soon, here is a list of some fun fact questions that you can ask them to initiate conversations and make them feel at home. You can use these as part of a team activity or during a casual conversation.