February 1, 2018

NEWS & VIEWS

 

 

 

Top 5 Things I’ve Learnt in My First Job Post-Uni

Fresh off the conveyor belt of university, packaged up with a degree and thrust into the world, I am a graduate and final product of the education system. Luckily, I now have a place in Account Management on the creative shelf of Truth. Having spent the past 3 years agonising over the Works of Shakespeare for my English degree, beginning my role at Truth has been a welcome change. Whilst university was an invaluable experience, the realm of academia differs somewhat from the world of work. So here are the top 5 things I have learnt in my first job after graduating...

#1 The hard-work doesn’t stop once you’ve got a degree.

Despite social media’s portrayal of university as a never-ending party, this isn’t a true representation of uni life in its entirety. However, shots of a laptop screens, piles of lecture notes or worn-out library books aren’t very ‘Instagram’. If I had posted those photos, they would be captioned ‘Does the work ever stop?!’. But the hard-work didn’t stop once I left. On starting at Truth, the first thing I noticed was how dedicated and hardworking everyone is. Seeing this in the workplace reminded me that once you achieve the goal that education has geared you towards (getting a job), life is full of goals and at Truth, there are multiple in one day!

 

#2 Be proactive, ask how you can help.

Seventeen years in education instilled the knowledge of what was expected of me. However, going into my first job, I had little idea of what to expect. A few months in and I have learnt that it helps to be proactive in order to learn how to do your job and hopefully, get better at it. Your work colleagues know what they are doing so take the opportunity to learn from them by asking what you can help with.

 

#3 Use the skills you learnt at uni.

I dreaded teamwork activities at university due to the inevitability of being in a team where I’d end up doing all of the work. Whilst this seemed greatly unfair and annoying at the time, it prepared me for teamwork in a professional environment where (finally) everyone does their best, resulting in success. Furthermore, writing concisely and proofreading were two tasks that did seemed rather tedious after the 10,000 words I had to produce in my final semester. Teamwork, concise writing and proofreading - all skills I got plenty of practice at during uni, all skills that I now use daily in my job.

 

#4 Get to know your work colleagues.

Make use of their experience in the industry, watch how they work, ask questions. It will only help you to learn faster and do a better job. It’s also good to get to know them on a more personal level - the more you know your colleagues, the more you feel like you belong in the business. Plus, you’ll have more people to discuss Strictly or the GBBO with - essential morning chat topics before you all get to work!

 

#5 Pace yourself.

At school and university, you’re always trying to get better, completing assessment after assessment. We are also told that once you finish your education, you need to get your work life on track. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to progress as fast as possible. However, you can’t possibly learn everything at once - it takes time to gain knowledge and experience. Everyone has been in your position at some point - there is little to be gained by rushing.

 

Previous Post:
Skin care mums