Adulting: Beginning a New Chapter

Transitioning from school like to working life may not be easy, but you don’t need to be a nervous wreck about it. Embrace the thrill of adulting, and it can be a very rewarding and hopeful experience!

As you take your frst steps into the working world as a young professional fresh out of school, keep this in mind – you’re entering a new phase in your life.

Working life is more than just surviving the day-to-day hustle. There’s no beter tme than now to take life by the reins and adopt the best life routnes in order to get the hang of adultng in the working world as quickly as possible.

How do you start? Well, here’s a quick guide on how you can set the foundaton to excel in your next stage in life!

Start your career like a boss

1. Prepare your wardrobe

It doesn’t mater whether your frst day is going to be physically in the ofce or over a virtual platorm – dress well for work, but do keep in mind that it’s functon over form. Depending on the nature of your work, look afer your personal grooming and dressing to ensure it fts your needs and the image you should portray at work, be it in the ofce, a virtual platorm, or when you’re facing external associates.

Think about what your recruiters or future colleagues were wearing during the recruitment process and plan your outits accordingly. As a general rule, it’s always best to err on the side of formality on your frst day.

3. Respect everyone

Be friendly and approachable to everyone, whether they’re the managing director or janitor. Treat them with respect and kindness even as you get to know them through observaton and interacton.

2. Make a good frst impression Plan your commute to work in advance with the morning rush in mind. Take the tme to also get to know what it takes for you to be alert and functoning in the morning, whether it’s a cafeine fx or power breakfast.

More than that, remain humble and show enthusiasm and commitment to your role and every given task – even if that means compiling documents to be kept in the right folders or manning the photocopier for a while.

4. Never stop learning

On-the-job training is commonplace, so keep an open mind and be fearless when it comes to picking up new skills and taking on new projects. In this era, job scopes frequently change and employees are expected to be agile in thinking to deliver results.

It’s never too early to consider ongoing professional development. Make it a point to understand what resources are available at your disposal for further training and improvement – who knows, you may even fnd new professional areas of interests!

Thrive!

Even if you’re working from home, there are ample opportunites to start your career on the right foot. Know what’s expected of you in your new role and ensure you are fulflling expectatons as required, whether it’s for meetng deadlines or working well with your team.

Take care of your fnances like an adult

1. Figure out your new budget

Calculate your monthly expenditure and set aside some funds to cover these. That doesn’t mean that the remainder of your fnances goes into your next shopping bonanza, though! Instead, start building your savings in case a rainy day comes by. You’ll be glad for it once it does.

2. Consider taking up insurance

Look through your current health insurance plan if you have one, and ask yourself if you need a more comprehensive one. If you do, conduct thorough research into which plan suits you best, and take steps to buying your new plan.

Alternatvely, you can consider long-term investments.

3. Live within your means

Although the struggle is real, what with common fash sales on shopping platorms, strive to not spend more than you earn! If you don’t build your discipline now, it may be harder to control your spending habits in the future.

Thrive!

As long as you contnue to stck to your budget and build your emergency funds while maintaining relevant insurance plans, chances are that you’re on track to being a successful, responsible adult. At the end of the day, the goal is to make the most of your salary so you don’t need to depend on your parents or anyone else fnancially.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

1. Find a diet that works for you

If you’re working from home, instead of getng food delivered every other day, consider cooking. If you’re back in the ofce, you can bring homecooked food instead. A side beneft is that it tends to be easier on the wallet too!

2. Stay active

This is especially important if your role is deskbound. Find a way to stay actve and exercise on a regular basis. If you dislike the very thought of jogging with a mask on, setle for a brisk walk. If you don’t want to go out, you can work out in the comfort of your living room instead with some Zumba classes over Zoom.

3. Keep your friends and family close

As you undergo this life-changing transiton, you’ll need your loved ones’ support and encouragement. Make the efort to spend tme with them. If they have more experience than you in the area of adultng, don’t be afraid to ask them for advice, too.

Thrive!

Being a working adult doesn’t end at the workplace. If you’re not taking care of your health, fnances and mental well-being, it’ll be harder for you to be an excellent employee. Take some tme to plan your schedule so you can ft in a fulflling life outside of your 9-to-5, so once it’s tme for work, you feel energised and happy to give your all. That’s when you know you’ve cracked the adultng code!