Transitioning from Studying to Working The term “welcome to the real world” has never been truer than in this case. It can come as quite a shock after having left the comfort of school/collegew to go into the working world. Going from writing essays, partying, taking exams and attending lessons/classes to a 9-5 job can be very hard to adjust to. But don’t worry, here are 5 tips and tricks to give you some guidance on how to transition from school/ college to work.
Punctuality equals professionalism! Being professional is part and parcel of any new job that you will have over the years. Unlike school or university, punctuality is expected and something you will not be praised for. Being late so many times could end up with you being spoken to by HR or management and a decision will have to be made on what to do about it. If you know that you have a partiality for being late, then make a schedule: A time for going to bed, a time for getting up in the morning and a time for leaving the house. If you know that you are not a morning person and struggle to get up, then try going to bed a bit earlier. It’s recommended that you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Don’t second guess yourself! You’ve finished your studies, started your new job and now the overwhelming sensation starts to set in. It won’t be like this for everybody, but some people are going to find it hard to 20
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transfer the knowledge and skills they have learnt from university and apply it to their job. The trick is don’t doubt yourself; you were hired for a reason. The manager believes that you have the skills to efficiently do your job better than the other people that were interviewed. So be confident and stick with it. Besides, no one ever stops learning in life: everyone makes progress. College/School may not fully not prepare you for everything! Education only tends to educate you with knowledge of the subjects you are learning or degrees you are studying. Unfortunately, it does not outright teach you about issues that you may find happen in your day to day work life. Sometimes, you may have to negotiate a salary before you start a job. Having the right communication skills along
Being professional is part and parcel of any new job that you will have over the years.
