It’s almost March and to thousands of college seniors that means only 2 and a half months until the end of their college careers. Whether they are nervous because they haven’t found a post-graduation job or are ready to start their new career, none of them can completely know what comes next. Budgeting, denial, bills, going to bed before 10pm, not being able to eat whatever you (without consequences), and what your career will be like.
Below is a listing of what you need to do to ensure survival in your first career after college.
1. Get Outside Your Comfort Zone
What I mean by this is do things you don’t want to do. This will teach you that going the extra mile does pay off. The people who are unwilling to go outside their comfort zone are the ones who aren’t going to last very long or move up in their career. If you are shy, then go introduce yourself to everyone in the office. If you finish your work don’t be content, try to learn something new to help your company.
2. Set Weekly Goals
This might be the single most important trait to master. If you aren’t working towards a goal then what is pushing you to complete your tasks? Goals should be attainable but should also require you to do #3 on this list. Make sure you are evaluating your goals each week to apply to the situation you are in.
3. Maximize Your Time
Get the most out of your time at work and home. At work, if you develop the habit of wasting time it will likely follow you for your whole career. If you learn how to maximize your time, it will reward you and the company you work for. When you go home after you should be applying the same concept. This doesn’t mean to be always working but rather making sure there is no wasted time. If you want to relax after work great, but make sure you are actually relaxing. Don’t think about work or what you need to get done because that means you aren’t really relaxing, and you aren’t really working.
4. Learn At Work And Study After Work
The first part of this is simple, if you are at work strive to learn everything you can from others around you. The lessons you learn from coworkers, if they are good ones, are 100x more valuable than something a textbook will teach you. The temptation will always be there after work to come home and check out for the day. It’s truly amazing the first time you experience this after college. You come home, and there is no late night shift at your job or homework to be done, you actually have free time. I quickly felt out of place with nothing to do, so why not fill your time with something useful. Read something (something my generation doesn’t seem to do), whether you are reading an inspiring sports story or a blog about something in your field. Studying after work keeps you hungry for the next day.
-Sam
