Your first job will be your most memorable and potentially least favorable, especially if you are working on identifying an authentic career path.
An authentic career path to me is one that doesn’t feel planned or forced but true to who you are and who you’re becoming.
After graduating college, 2 months post, I started my first full-time job without truly knowing what to expect. Learn how I overcame the fear of failure here. It’s natural to have huge expectations when you are starting a new part of your life, in this case, that was my career. I had huge expectations of my performance and ideas of what my day to day operations could look like. This leads me to 5 lessons you will learn on the job to prevent you from starting a new job with unrealistic expectations.
1. Value your input
Starting out in your career at a young age can be rewarding but at times you can feel intimidated by those in higher positions or those with more experience. However, the brilliant concept of an intergenerational workplace allows for cross-functional knowledge. You learn from higher-ups and they learn from you.
2. Relax but practice
Some people are natural writers, natural speakers or even natural at organizing. I love speaking to people and sharing insights but presenting does NOT come natural to me. At times I put aside my speaking points or prep an hour or two before I speak to a group. Practicing not being too hard on yourself while creating space for you to showcase your talents goes a long.
3. Learning trumps complacency
Often complacency kicks in once you are content with your current position or you are comfortable with the work you are leading. The issue with complacency at such an early stage in your career is that you limit yourself from future opportunities. Challenge yourself to continue learning and broaden your knowledge.
4. Advocate for yourself
It took me a little over a year to truly advocate for my needs and wants in the workplace. Whether you have these conversations on team calls or 1:1s with your manager, it is so important to speak up and make decisions that can have an impact on how people view you in the workplace.
And lastly,
5. Give and receive feedback
This is definitely a two-way form of communication and the best way to develop healthy working relationships. I learned about my time management issues when a team-member gave me feedback about a project I managed at the time. Receiving feedback allowed me to understand my work style, how I prioritize work and how I could improve my time management.
Photo: Charlee Moss
Completely agree with your quote, and these are really good points. I’ll say Chanel was my big girl job. I didn’t have any expectations because it was a new position, and didn’t know what to expect. I’ll say in the end it worked out well, I learned a lot and I was able to be myself as I time went by.
Thanks for sharing T, I too learned to just be myself as time went by!!
Excellent points Chels. Let’s not forget the importance of remaining humble and teachable for when we are, we gain/Learn much more & work effectively. Never to have pre conceived notions for we can sometimes experience the unexpected which can at times be unpleasant. And always always take notes & ask questions. GB🙏🏾
Thanks Licy!! All great points, humility is the secret to progression.