Goodbye Student Life, Hello Working Reality: What to expect from your first professional job.

Congratulations! You did it! You’ve made it through all the late-night study sessions, endless essays, tough exams ... GCSEs, A Levels, University ... and now the moment has arrived that you have been preparing for. It’s time to face the big bad world and start your first professional job! 

 

While education provides a strong foundation for entering the working world, nothing can fully prepare you for that realisation that you can no longer binge Netflix series till 2am, go out for brunch with friends during the week, or go on last-minute, spontaneous adventures whenever you feel like it ... spending your student loan wisely obviously. However, don't worry, your first graduate job is also an exciting new chapter full of opportunities for growth, learning, and yes, even fun!

 

But first, let me get real with you. It’s time someone shared what is in fact the realities for most people when they start their first professional job.

 

I’ve been through the nerve-wracking first day of work ... the plan is to act confident. Oh boy, if only it was that easy. Sorry, I don’t mean to burst your bubble ... I really don’t, however reality is for the majority of people (including myself) standing awkwardly by the doorway not knowing where to sit or what to do. You watch people rushing around, answering phone calls, typing on their computer and you suddenly think ‘what have I done?’ 

 

Yes, you will most likely feel like a ‘lost puppy’ for a while hoping someone will take pity on you. The first few weeks especially will consist of following people around, trying to learn the ropes, all the while thinking that you are asking too many questions and getting in everyone’s way. 

 

Before I started my first graduate job, I knew that I would need to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities ... however, I didn’t expect this process to take as long as it did and at times, I started to doubt myself ... ‘Am I good enough for this role?’ I suppose if I want you to take away anything from this blog post it is that adjusting to any new job, especially if it is your first graduate job, usually takes longer than just one week. In fact, it can take months before you fully understand your role and feel comfortable in it! So, please don’t be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes or have moments of uncertainty as it is all part of the learning process and will help you become more knowledgeable and confident in your role. It’s important to have patience with yourself and remember that it is only the beginning of a learning process. 

Another heads up ... after the first week of your new job you will most likely feel tired and drained. Starting a new job can be both mentally and physically exhausting, after all, you are trying to adjust to a new routine, present your ‘best-self’ to a bunch of new people, and absorb a lot of new information all at once! It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed and worn out at the beginning. However, don’t let all this scare you, it is important to give your new job a chance!

Few things in life turn out exactly as we expected.

 

It will take time to reconcile the idea of what you thought your new job and working life in general would be like with reality. Remember this when you feel like giving up three weeks in. Trust me when I tell you that as time goes on, you will start to feel more comfortable and before you know it, you will see progress and be able to do things you couldn’t do at the beginning. It just takes time! So, I encourage you to keep a positive attitude even while you find yourself struggling to keep up with the pace or feel like you don’t know anything –a growth mindset and celebrating the small victories is key to pushing forward!  

 

Now, I don’t know if what I’m going to say next will make you feel better or worse, however hear me out! Despite your best efforts, not everything will go to plan and that’s ok ... this is the same throughout life and not just during your first week of a new job. You might make a mistake, say the ‘wrong thing’, or do something embarrassing that makes you want to crawl under your desk and hide forever ... but 9/10 times you will get over it. 

 

During my first week of work, I was so nervous that I forgot where I parked my car. Trust, me I wish this was a lie... The sheer embarrassment I felt when after 5pm, I was standing in the multi-story carpark with my work colleagues and had to explain I’d lost my car. Thankfully, after what felt like 2 hours of searching for my car, and just before I was about to call the police to report it being stolen, I remembered I had parked it in a different area altogether as I had missed the entrance to the usual carpark that morning. 

 

While I managed to embarrass myself on the VERY FIRST WEEK of my new job, my work colleagues and I had a good laugh about it, and it helped diffuse any awkwardness associated with being the ‘new’ person. So, if you end up having an embarrassing moment during your first week of work, don’t lose too much sleep over it ... remember it is just one small blip in the grand scheme of things. In fact, you may find that it helps you bond with your work colleagues!  

 

Ok, I’ve been writing for a while now, so I hope I haven’t lost you just yet!  

 

I have decided to end this blog post on a brutally honest note. 

 

Nobody really warns you about how your first graduate job can bring about feelings of loneliness and sadness, especially for those who are living with friends who are still studying or have more free time than you! The transition from student life where you have lots of free time to suddenly working long days and having to fulfil job responsibilities and adhere to a set schedule with specific start and end times can be tough! During this time, it is important to remember that you are not alone! Making weekend or evening plans with friends, joining clubs, going on walks after work, and building connections with new people who have a similar schedule are all things that really helped me navigate the student to working life transition. 

 

I know it is scary entering the big bad world and starting a graduate position that is all so completely ‘new’. However, the working world is changing all the time and people are constantly being forced to step outside their comfort zones, whether you be a recent graduate or a person who has been working for years. Look at the recent Covid-19 pandemic for example! This changed working environments entirely and many people had to adapt to new routines and responsibilities. So, I encourage you to keep a growth mindset, remain positive and embrace new challenges and opportunities in the face of change. This is key to being able to enjoy your first job, but also the constantly evolving world of world. Trying new things and making mistakes are all part of growing and development, especially in working life. Success takes time. Personal and professional growth takes time. 

 

Starting your first graduate job (and any new job) will be an exciting and challenging experience, but with the right mindset and approach, you can thrive in this new environment. While you may miss your student (or previous) routine, the working world has so much in store for you! So, be proactive, be open to new experiences and make the most of new opportunities to learn and improve! 

 

Remember, we are all navigating this working world and all its changes and challenges together. 

 

Chat soon, 

                   Katie x     

(PS. I love reading your post comments and Instagram messages! If you enjoyed the blog and can relate to anything I have shared let me know! Also, if there is a topic you would like me to write about, just send me a message!)