From College to the Office: What to keep in mind when transitioning

From College to the Office: What to keep in mind when transitioning

The grass is always greener on the other side. But the class of 2020 and everyone who is employed right now would agree that they would gladly go back to their days in college. Office life is hard. There is nobody to clean up the mess you made or to run to when you have got yourself in a fix. Transitioning from college to an office life can be tricky. Many masters fall to their knees because the professional life is actually much more overwhelming than it seems. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are shifting from your good old days into professional life.

1) No more spoon-feeding
It is not a lie when people tell you that you are off on your own once you get a job. You have got to feed yourself, pay the bills, get in the habit of making smart long term investments and learn to do things alone. The moment you enter a professional space, everyone just assumes that this is what you have done all your life. You might get some guidance as a fresher but no one will do your tasks for you. Whatever be the case you will have to eat everything on your platter. As a fresher, you might feel lost and scared to ask questions. The attitude of a working individual is not a sentimental one. Remember that everyone around you is there because they have to make ends meet and focus on what you can learn from the criticism thrown your way rather than being upset about it.

2) Collective consequences
Nothing you do in an office affects just you. In your academic life, your grades will affect only your life. If you get a good GPA(link to SM’s blog on GPA) in college, you will get into a good company too and vice versa. But in an office, a person is fired or gets a bad review when his actions have caused some loss to the firm. Remember that everything you do at an office has a larger consequence than your actions in college. Performing well is imperative to the success of the company. Indirectly, you could even say that everyone’s salary in the office depends on your performance at some level. You don’t want the company you are working in to go bankrupt, do you?

3) Accountability
Learn to be accountable. There is nowhere you can hide to pretend that you were not at the root of the problem. Procedures in an office are usually transparent. Every employee has a brief of what he/she is supposed to do. So, there is no way that you can play around by shifting blame. If you were responsible for a task and did not manage to finish it, you should have the courage to say that you are accountable for the delay. A company is like one single breathing organism. Do not lie about the progress or status of a task as other teams are waiting for you to finish and move the procedure forward.

4) The importance of being yourself
All being said, this does not mean that your professional life is a b/w movie. It needs some color. If you have hobbies or are talented in something try to bring it into your workplace. The Human Resource Head will always have something in store to ensure a happy working environment. So take care that you participate and mingle. Do not lose yourself for a job and take a chill pill. Deliver your tasks but also stay the way you are. This will also keep your mental health in check. Moreover, an employee who has good socializing skills and a better skill set has more chances of moving up the career ladder too.

We hope that these pointers will help make your transition from your college life to an office life much smoother. Everything has its upsides and downsides and you will surely get to learn a lot no matter where you are planted. Good luck!