College graduation is a huge milestone. It is a significant achievement and an important event in anyone’s life. But graduation also means that it is the time to start your career. Even if you were working during your college years, you would probably agree that it is not the same as your first job after college. Someone might call it the first ‘serious’ job or the first full-time job. Nevertheless, many recent graduates look forward to being free from college studies and fully committed to their work duties. Learning about the mistakes and pitfalls you can omit to achieve better results and start your career in the best way is crucial. Here are the mistakes that you should be aware of.
#1 Not Researching the Company Beforehand
Every company is different; it is a whole world with its norms and standards, rules and goals, structure and incentives. In order to adjust in the best and the fastest way to the new environment, you need to conduct research and learn as much as you can about the company.
You can learn much from the company’s website or the office’s atmosphere. For example, you can get an understanding of how the company sees its place in the market, its values, and how it treats its employees. Not only is it beneficial for the impression you give during the interview, but it also might give you red flags if you see something shady about the workplace.
Another way to get valuable and truthful information about the work experience for a particular employer is to search for feedback from former employees on websites like Trustpilot, Seek, and Glassdoor to find out about possible pitfalls and mistreatment. Don’t waste your time on companies that do not appreciate or respect the people they hire – you need to focus instead on job opportunities that will allow you to learn and grow professionally and personally.
#2 Not Asking Questions
When you attend your first job interview or start working for the first time, you might feel slightly overwhelmed and anxious. This results in a typical newbie mistake – not asking questions when they are clearly needed. Don’t be afraid to seem unqualified, uninformed, or uncertain – you are there to learn. If the company wants a person who already knows everything and has no questions at all, they don’t hire a person fresh from college with no experience. Hiring you means having resources to coach you.
Write down the questions when you are heading to your job interview. Ask about essential things like days off, daily duties, additional bonuses, or even the closest cafeterias – it’s totally okay to be new to the spot and to the job.
Pay attention during the onboarding process, as you might learn a lot and gain valuable insights on what is expected from you or what useful options and perks you get as a part of a team.
#3 Omitting Active Networking
Networking is a significant part of anyone’s career growth. Meeting new people in your niche can significantly improve your knowledge, experience, and skills. Networking is also beneficial due to opening new opportunities, providing mentoring and guidance, etc.
In order to build your network and establish valuable contacts, communicating with people on your team and outside of it is crucial. You might not feel the need to do it right now or even be scared of it. However, it is an essential part of job experience that should not be omitted.
Active networking also implies attending niche events, company meetings, teambuilding activities, etc. All of these things help in establishing bonds between coworkers even if they don’t collaborate on a daily basis.
#4 Not Learning from Feedback You Get
Another critical part of teamwork is asking for feedback, testing your soft skills, and getting valuable lessons. Learning is a constant process that doesn’t end with graduation. Learning from your or someone’s mistakes is a part of the process of growth and development.
We highly suggest you pay attention to the critique you get. If you don’t get feedback, ask for it yourself. You should be able to understand what was expected from you and how well you could do your work. Feedback from your manager or team lead is helpful for your self-improvement process and your motivation. Being seen and appreciated is crucial to keeping your motivation high.
#5 Not Building a Security/Emergency Fund
Working your first job opens many financial opportunities that were not available before. Making more money indeed is tempting as now you can afford more expensive stuff, buy something you have wanted for a long time, etc.
However, spending the whole income without saving even some of it would be wrong. An emergency fund is crucial as circumstances might change drastically and quickly. Securing a proper sum would make you more confident about your future and possible unplanned costs.
It’s also time to take care of your student loans. Such a financial burden is never any good, so starting with basic calculations and the payment plan is what you really should do once you get your first job after graduation.
#6 Not Establishing a Proper Work-Life Balance
Recently finishing college and finding your first job might be very motivating and inspiring. You are a young adult with various opportunities and ambitions, so it is totally normal to be fully absorbed in the new work duties.
While trying to show that you are a great employee and deserve this place and future growth, you might be overloading yourself with tasks, working hours, and duties. But that would be wrong. You need to find the perfect work-life balance and remember about essential self-care and self-respect.
Being exhausted from your daily load will not help your career. It might even ruin it. You need to have proper rest and sleep each day to keep yourself energized and ready for a new working day. Having breaks and relaxing weekends will allow you to stay motivated and positive.
Another thing that you should not forget about is taking care of yourself. Exercising and finding time for hobbies, social life, and fun are crucial to support your mental and physical health, which should be your priority.
#7 Not Working on Your Soft Skills
When discussing professional growth, it’s important to understand that improving your soft skills is just as crucial as hard skills. There can be no personal and career development if you resist change and don’t work on time management, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, etc.
Soft skills are a big part of work ethic. Some employers might even pay more attention to the candidate’s personal traits and qualities than experience or achievements. It is crucial to be adjustable and understand what is expected from you. If you know, for example, that it is hard for you to cooperate and work in a team, you might want to work on the issue and challenge yourself to solve the problem. Even if you don’t see why you should do that now, it might be a huge deal later in life. So why not work on it now?
Conclusion
Putting your effort into your first job after graduation is all about learning and thinking critically. It’s crucial to embrace challenges and learn your lessons as you grow professionally.
Your first job after college is indeed a huge milestone, but there should be a healthy approach. Don’t neglect yourself and don’t make it all about only working as you have so many other aspects of life that you should take care of. Plan your day wisely, and don’t forget to stay positive even if you feel like it is a challenging period of life. It’s all going to be okay!