You are a career starter. Just passed out of college and am excited to land in the corporate world. The time when enthusiasm is on cloud nine with a zest to learn and outperform just like you did in your college degree. The shift from college to work is a 360 degree transformation for individuals. It takes time to realise the terms and conditions applicable in and around the organisation, grasp the existing processes and guidelines, and come to terms of the hierarchy and people along with the culture and engagement ratio of the workplace.
It's your first day. You patiently wait for team members to join in. You are at your best. An enthu-cutlet willing to learn and adapt. Taking on work more than you possibly could because hello, there's three new team members who have joined in on the same day and you want to have a kickass first impression. But, there are things which you won't realise on your first day, things no colleague or manager will tell you.
Here's a list of 5 things you should know if you have just started your career:
1. You will be grilled- Never hesitate from proposing an idea. Someday if you find yourself amidst board members of the company seeking for ideas, never stop yourself thinking about the number of questions you are about to face by posing an idea. Be fearless and confident. Avoid the thought of just dropping the idea.
2. You should know what you're stepping in– Gone are the days when we would just read up the summary during degree college and appear for exams. Before accepting the terms and conditions, ensure you have read every page of your offer letter to not be amazed in future. It's wise to browse through the company's LinkedIn page as well to get a better understanding about the leadership and employee engagement initiatives undertaken by the company.
3. Your team is what defines you– Does not matter if you were the O grader in your college days and almost every teacher knew you for your mind-blowing college assignments. It's time to face the real world. The success ratio at the workplace is no longer about how you perform but also measured by how your team performs. Be nice to your team and avoid working in silos. At the end of the day, it's all about teamwork.
4. You will face difficult questions – Being a new employee, your moves will be questioned, you will be kept in tricky situations and thrown up with challenges time and again. Be it with multiple assignments or candid and genuine feedback. It's also important to understand that office politics and favouritism will exist. Be ready to learn and adapt as this is a stepping stone to your growth curve.
5. You will have to be patient – Late night working hours, meeting all the deliverables for the client who made your life miserable with last minute changes, winning quarterly awards, you have done it all. Be patient champ, you don't have a promotion lined up as you are not the only one in the game. Patience is the key to success at every level in such scenarios.
While this does sound scary if this is your first job, trust me it's worth everything. Because at the end of the day you need to start from somewhere. First job is always memorable. Make friends and cherish every day. You never know where it will take you.
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