Your first job, when done right, can be quite exhilarating and rewarding because it teaches you not just the skills you need to do your tasks well but also gives you real-time insights into the unwritten rules of the workplace. For the same reason, it can be daunting: after all, being thrown into “the real world” after a life of protection and order is not a piece of cake. As a new graduate, you’ll have unique concerns about what the workplace will be like and your place in it. But there are ways to navigate all this and build support systems — that’s what this article is all about! Here are all the things you need to know before starting your first job.
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What mindset you should have as a new graduate
Even though you’re just applying for your first job, it might be a good idea to start thinking about what that job will mean in the long run. Your first job makes a huge impact on your career, so even if you’re rushing to get one, thinking about its relevance in your overall career goals will give you some perspective on what field you’ll specialise in and what general direction your professional life will go in. You’re likely to have one of two mindsets about your first job:
- It could be a stepping stone to something bigger and better. Perhaps you’re taking this for financial stability, an interim gig during which you’ll work towards your dream job, or something that has a job package more suited for your needs. You may even want to make a career transition later on. In a job like this, it’s likely that you will stay for a year or a little more.
- This is a dream job that offers a lot of scope for growth, perhaps a promotion. You see great potential for your career growth, either in terms of growing your skillset or rising up the ladder. Here, you may be planning to stay for a few years and see how your career pans out.
Know that either case is alright. Each person has a unique career path, and both situations will only help you grow as a young professional. The key here is to identify the purpose of this first job: try to pinpoint why you will be taking it and what will keep you going.
Navigating job expectations
Regardless of what you’re doing, you should keep in mind that there are likely to be some deviations from what you’ve been told. This might happen for a variety of reasons and may occur through ad hoc tasks, a change in the job profile, additional duties, and so on. This is a normal part of work life.
The point of clarifying work expectations at the onset is to make sure you’re not surprised by what the job asks of you. And more importantly, so you don’t end up doing something that’s wildly different from what you pictured or were told about the job. An excellent time to clarify all this is during your job interview.
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What you should know before joining your first job
Before joining any organisation, regardless of whether it is your dream organisation or not, there are several crucial aspects to take into account. Before starting your professional life, you should make sure you understand the following.
- Your job profile
- Work hours
- The company’s vision and mission
- Finding work-life balance in your first job
Your job profile
One of the things you should be absolutely clear about is your job profile. Before you land the job, it’s a good idea for you to find out what a day at work will look like. While the job description you may have been provided with will give you a basic overview of what you will do, it’s always best to step into the role with a more clear understanding of your day-to-day tasks. This will help you assess if it’s a good work environment for you and also let you make sense of whether you’re being compensated sufficiently.
Work hours
Companies worth joining often have intense workflows and schedules. At a full-time job, you’ll typically work between 40 and 50 hours. You’ll usually be working five or six days a week. Understandably, this job will take up a lot of your week. Even if it doesn’t feel so, it’s likely to take up a lot of energy too, at least in the first few months. Knowing what you’re doing on a daily basis will let you understand how you can allocate work, whether you will have the opportunity to space it out and manage other personal tasks, and whether you’ll have autonomy in your job.
All these factors should also help you decide if a job is the right fit for you and how it will affect other aspects of your life.
The company’s vision and mission
Manageable hours and good pay are only a part of how well you will succeed at your job. What will help, above anything else, is knowing how you fit into the company’s vision and goals. Pay close attention to the company’s offerings, their philosophy, their goals, and the general work culture there. Examine these aspects closely and ask yourself if the organisation’s vision and mission resonate with you. Does it make sense, when pitted against your professional goals (temporary or long-term)? Will their philosophy get you motivated to get the work done?
If you believe in what the company or organisation stands for, then it’s a guarantee that you’ll be more invested in doing good, impactful work for them!
Finding work-life balance in your first job
We’re not going to lie to you. Finding a work-life balance is a little harder in the beginning. At this stage, when you’re just about to establish yourself as an efficient professional, you’re still finding your voice and purpose. And this is completely okay! These moments of uncertainty and over-working may seem like pitfalls in the beginning, but they’re really moments that challenge you to find the balance and stability that you eventually aim for in your career.
In the beginning, you may have to put in a little extra effort to pick up skills and more time to become more adept at them. This is the best time to give those extra hours to hone your skills — it means you’ll learn faster and work will eventually be fluid. Absolutely worth it, in the long run, because you’ll gain the expertise that you’ve worked hard for. This is especially true when you’re working in a company that promises scope for growth.
Bonus: What you can do to make work easier
No matter how many extra hours you put in the first few months, it’s with the aim of getting better at your job. Here are three things you can do to make work easier over time:
- Keep a cap on the number of hours you work. If your shift ends at 6 in the evening, aim to finish off all your tasks by then. If you’re working extra hours, keep a careful log. Space these hours out and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Timing yourself like this also motivates you to work faster and eliminate unnecessary tasks along the way. A foolproof way to eliminate procrastination!
- In any job, receiving regular constructive feedback is crucial for improvement. It’s even more important in your first job, where you’re probably testing the waters. Seek out the advice of peers, seniors, and your manager. Based on this, assess how you’re working; and accordingly, focus on improving work quality and optimising your workflow.
- The other thing that will help you optimise your workflow is to eliminate tasks that are unnecessary or counterproductive. Finding ways to improve, automate, and eliminate tasks with the aim of overall efficiency has two advantages: not only does it improve your work (therefore your team’s) but it also positions you as someone who takes the initiative to improve processes.
We hope these tips help you get a job that will enrich your career. Good luck!
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