As a graduate job seeker you can often become so focused on ensuring you get your first breakthrough that you fail to think about what happens when a position is actually secured.
A lot of students pass through education eager to grow up as quick as possible and establish themselves in their dream job. However, the transition into working life can be a lot tougher than you expect and can requires you to have to adapt and make plenty of changes in order to fulfil your potential in your new role and establish relationships with your colleagues.
Try and relax
Whilst starting in your new position is extremely exciting and a massive step forwards, it is important to try and take everything in your stride. Facing and overcoming challenges is a huge part of working life and you may be asked to do something in an area in which you have had very little experience.
It is not unnatural when faced with a challenge for your first instinct to be to panic and start worrying, however with a little experience you will find yourself able to problem-solve and understand your own capabilities.
Worries and frustrations may not always come from work, sometimes they can come from your personal life too. If you find yourself having to relocate for your new role, for example, you may find yourself renting with a variety of people from different ages.
It may not seem like a big issue, but living in a new city without your friends around you can leave you feeling alone and isolated, which can quite easily translate over into your working life and leave you unhappy.
Flexibility is vital
Working life can throw up all sorts of challenges that you may not be prepared for; your new office may have a completely different dynamic to what you had envisioned during the interview stage or you might have to start learning a new skill from scratch in order to complete a task.
With a little flexibility, you can start to use your knowledge across different areas and come up with a totally new set of skills to overcome the challenges you are facing.
If you’re a graduate looking to kick-start your career, have a chat with Discovery Graduates and see how they can help get you started
