I wish that when I was younger, there was a guide to how to make it in the real world. I feel like when I graduated college, I wasn’t prepared for what was ahead. Granted, I did graduate a year after the economy crashed, so I didn’t really luck out with that. Since we are getting closer to graduation time, I wanted to write a little list of tips for any young professionals graduating. I want you to know that it will be hard (unless you know someone at a higher level), but you will make it. You have to tell yourself that you will make it. Which brings me to the first thing on my list.
Don’t Give Up
It’s so easy to give up. I have it embedded in my head to never give up because of my parents. That’s probably why I never do. Sometimes I may get really upset and think about giving up, but I don’t. The only time that I would suggest giving up, is if you are in a toxic environment. You can read all about a toxic environment in this post. Working in a toxic environment can not only affect you mentally, but physically as well.
Confidence is Key
There is a huge difference between being confident and being cocky. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a professional or personal environment, make sure to stay confident, not cocky. Employers like to see confident people because it shows them that they are going to be successful in their organization, and that they won’t need to hold their hand.
Ask the Right Questions
If you aren’t sure what to ask in an interview, there are so many articles out there that tell you exactly what to ask about. Make sure that you prepare all of this ahead of time so when it’s time for the interview you don’t blank. Bring a small briefcase that has a pad and paper in it so that you can take notes about the job. Especially if you are interviewing at multiple places, this will give you a good comparison on if you think the culture/manager is the right fit.
Educate yourself for the company you’re applying to
I can’t believe that some people don’t do this. When you go for an interview, the interviewer will ask you if you’ve ever heard of the company or know anything about them. When you say why yes, I know it was established in this year, and how you manufacture this. Companies like to see interest. This shows that you went the extra mile, even if it is only just logging into their website and reading their about us page. It shows that you are truly interested in not only the job, but the company.
Open up a LinkedIn account
This is how my last job in NJ found me. I wasn’t actively looking for a job, but they saw my credentials and were looking for someone and they asked me to come in for an interview. Then, I got hired. When I first graduated college, I didn’t think that LinkedIn was even worth it because when would I ever go on there. However, I am glad that I opened up an account, because quite a few companies have contacted me through LinkedIn asking for me to come in for interviews, unfortunately most of those times I wasn’t actively looking because my job at the time was a great job.
GET EVERYTHING DOWN IN WRITING
I put this in caps, because at one of my jobs I was promised a managerial role in my interview/offer, but not in my offer letter. This was the reason why I left my present job at the time. I didn’t see advancement due to the culture of the company (seniority above quality of the employee), so I left. Just to start at this new company, do the work of more than 1 person, on top of managerial work, with no pay increase, and no change in my position. Eventually I ended up turning my email notifications off on my phone because I would work from the moment I woke up, to the moment I put my head down on the pillow. Needless to say, I never got that promotion that was promised to me. I left that company. I was very upset about this, because I left a REALLY good job for a position that never happened. The worst part is that HR and my manager promised me this position.
Tomorrow is a New Day
I know that sometimes you can have a really rough day. This kind of ties into never giving up. always remember that tomorrow is a new day and you can start fresh. Don’t get down on yourself.
There’s a difference between a Leader and a Boss
Companies need to start looking into this. I feel like each company should have some kind of training for all of upper management. People tend to react and work better with a leader rather than a boss. A boss can be on a power trip and that is not inspiring to anyone below them. A leader helps an organization thrive. When the people who are “at the bottom of the food chain” see that their direct supervisor or manager are relatable and are willing to hear new ideas, this boosts morale. When you have a manager who is just on a power trip, it can create a lot of tension, and this can also cause them to lose extremely valuable players on their team.
Leave work at work, and home at home
This is one thing that I was really good at in the beginning of my career, however as I started working more I started having issues leaving work at work. I don’t bring my personal issues into work and I don’t let it affect my quality of work, however I have had a really hard time not bringing work home with me, LITERALLY. At my last job I was bringing my laptop home and after working a 9 hour day (while also working through lunch and coming in early), I also worked after hours at home because of how demanding my job was. Then I decided that I was not going to do that anymore. I was so burnt out, and I finally had enough.
Fight for what you deserve
If you think you deserve a higher raise, or if you think you deserve a better position, then fight for it. Don’t just sit back and let your job take advantage of you. You may think that your manager won’t like this, but a good manager will see your fighting spirit and see that you value your work and that you know you are willing to work for that raise.
You are not entitled to anything
Ok, so I know that I said fight for what you deserve, HOWEVER, you are not entitled to anything. Always remember this, and stay humble. Just because you went to college, does not mean you are better than someone else. You have to have a personality and a drive. You have to be able to work hard for what you want. You can’t just sit back and expect opportunities to come knocking at your door because you have a piece of paper, while the person next to you is busting their ass and proving themselves worthy.
Toxic Work Environment
For more on this topic, just read this post about the warning signs and how to deal with a toxic work environment. I highly recommend reading that post.
Always have a back up plan
Life is hard, and sometimes things don’t work out. Sometimes a company can close, or you can get laid off. ALWAYS have a back up plan. Make sure that you have a savings account. You really never know what will happen.
Since we are nearing graduation season, I wanted to write this post to help some of you younger people be able to be prepared for the real world. Of course companies are always looking for fresh faces and younger generations because you know what is on trend. You can bring new ideas to the table. Some businesses like to do things the old fashioned way, but unfortunately, once the older generations retire the newer generations will take over. There needs to be diversity in the workplace.
xoxo Monica
