Kaitlen gave good advice, so I won't repeat what she said (too much).

That being said, make sure to read the tool tip on your abilities as you get them. Also, don't be afraid to use your cool downs effectively. They help you keep hate and take less damage. Not that you don't- just I've met tanks who literally didn't read any of their abilities and were suffering for it.


One thing I do differently than Kaitlen is I always number the mobs before I pull (when I mark). I have markers for 1-3 on my hotbar since rarely you pull groups that have more than x4 mobs.

Kaitlen touched upon it briefly, but don't be afraid to cycle through mobs to maintain hate on everything. You may find yourself doing this if you have a lot of AOE damage in the group.


Lastly, always look to having the best gear for your level. For a tank this is especially true. It can be a bit tough if you're buying off of the MB so I would look to maybe leveling a craft or hiring a crafter (if you can get the mats).

Ultimately, your group has to work with you- you could do everything right but if the group is working against you then there isn't much you can do about it. Do your best to work past those situations.
I've found that most of the misunderstandings in DF can be avoided if people just took the time to type a few lines before the run begins.
Let people know you're new or if you're after a particular sort of a run- full clear for max exp or loot for example.
Also, don't let yourself be pressured into running a dungeon in a way that you are uncomfortable with.
Just keep doing your best and you'll do fine. You may run into a few bad apples but by and large most of the players in FFXIV are good people. ^^