How to transform smoothly from school to the employment world

So you have been sending applications, attending rigorous interviews, and taking tough online tests, and now you have landed your first job! You are exited but you feel somehow overwhelmed with all you need to do to get ready for your first day in the employment world. We understand. Getting a job after trying for a long time can be exiting and can raise your anxiety to an entire new level. However, this is not something that should interrupt your normal thinking. You are not different from how you used to be. The only thing that has changed is that you are now a tax paying citizen and your mind will be working more and thinking in a more responsible manner than it used to back in college. While this change may be difficult, it is the first step to building your career. We have prepared a quick guide on how to transition from student to employee in order to make the process less intimidating for you. Let’s get started!

It goes without saying that for the first few weeks, you will feel extremely exhausted because this is not something you have done before. Your mind and body is still trying to adjust from your previous schedule. Waking up early will be intimidating. Honoring your alarm will be a struggle. There is nothing wrong with this because we all start from somewhere but there is a way you can work your schedule around it. Avoid making many plans in the evenings. Eat healthy and sleep early. Exercise as much as you can. This will help you feel less fatigued and you will wake up feeling fresh and ready to go to work.

In the employment world, you will be held responsible for everything you do. Thus you will have to learn to do things pretty much by yourself, as you will be paid according to your productivity. Say goodbye to those college days where you used to outsource services like coursework writing help and have everything done for you. As an employee, so many things will change so you will need to calmly embrace the changes as they come.

You will forget about your comfortable tracksuits and hoodies for a moment. Your appearance must be as professional as possible. Remember you will be rubbing shoulders with prominent individuals, attending executive meetings, and mixing with high end clients so you must budget for a good official wardrobe. If you are not sure what attire is appropriate for an office setting, think about the interviews you have attended and what the employees were wearing. If you can, visit the company one more time before you officially join them to know whether you need to budget for suits and ties or just smart shirts and trousers. How you dress will affect how the rest of the staff perceives you and how you work. If you are smartly dressed, you will have a positive attitude too.

Transitioning from college to the workforce is not easy, as there are so many things that you might be familiar with in the corporate world. You will be issued with duties you haven’t performed before. Knowledge doesn’t come automatically and instead of just sitting there and struggling in silence, it would be best to ask someone for help. It is the work of your supervisor to guide you in areas you are having challenges with. Ask questions whenever you can so that you won’t have to ask the same question several months down the line. Sure, you may feel like the question is stupid but it is better to have things cleared out early enough so you don’t end up making mistakes in the future.

Just as like your office, your online accounts should be professional. You are not a student any more so those pictures from college parties will have to go. Create a LinkedIn account if you don’t have one already and grow a professional network. Ask others to recommend your skills. If you just completed your internship, add this as work experience to your profile.