‘Independence’, ‘self-reliance’, and ‘freedom’. These words must be screaming in your mind right now ever since you landed your first job.
Firsts are always special. You are a mixed ball of energy, anxious, and ready to take on the world right now. And before you jump right into it, hold on for a minute and remember to follow these tips so that you don’t jump out of your first job (unless you’re promoted as the CEO) within a year.
What to do as a fresher at a new job?
1. Use your Skills at the right time
You might feel that you worked so hard in college, spent endless time learning new skills to put up on your resume, so, why not put them to use now! Remember that you need to show your skills in the work that you create and not in the coffee breaks. Your colleagues might think you’re too boastful or label you as a weak got to get their things done but don’t be disheartened, a strong will and a strong set of skills will outshine you from the rest.
2. Set your boundaries
You acquired skills by getting into volunteering, committees, clubs, and part-time jobs because you wanted to ace at your first job. But guess what they don’t teach you about your really important work life. It’s maintaining an equal balance between your work and personal life. It might feel guilty to say no to working extra time. But, it’s your initial impression during the first few months that defines your personality. Of course, you need to work harder if a really important task is up close but remember to plan so you don’t have to overwork on your day off.
New people at work, new friends add a lot of thrill. It might be overwhelming sometimes when you have a lot of things on your plate- meetings, presentations, quarrels back home and just a poke at the time is when everything you kept inside suddenly pours out. It’s because you both work in the same space so you feel they might understand you better. But you never know what can be used against you at any point in time. A simple rule is to discuss work things only with people at work and share personal things with only your close ones.
4. Dont’ overburden yourself
There’s a fine line between helping and making a fool of yourself. You might feel inquisitive to help someone, but it might take a toll on you in the long run. Not all people will use you to get their work done but some will use you to get ahead even at the cost of pushing you down. Focus on completing your work first and then helping the others out. Saying no every time someone asks you for help isn’t the solution to this but showing them how to do it instead of completing their work is the key.
5. Expose Yourself to New Knowledge
Talking to people who know more than you will surely drop your self-esteem (hopefully not enough to faint) and you might feel like a fresher you’re not good at your job. Wrong! Some people will always be better than you and some will be not. Your self-esteem will always be boosted if you’re with people who know less than you, but your exposure to new things and opportunities will be barred too. If you’re with people who are more skilled than you, then your graph at work will always shoot up as you’ll learn a lot of things from their experience.
6. You can’t pour from an empty cup
That rush of energy is always running in your body to work more, to surf the freedom and challenges that come with adulthood. You want to take up as many tasks as you can to impress your boss for that big promotion. But there will be a point where everything will be exhausting. Think of it as running 50km an hour for the whole day. Eventually, your body will be tired after running for too long and so will your mind. Instead, learn to be consistent with little things daily and take breaks to put your mind at rest.
7. Upgrade yourself, but be yourself
We all change with time. That’s all a part of growth. Trying out new things is a part of exploring and finding yourself as a fresher. But doing things that you don’t like just to impress or fit in is leaving your individuality. Never take decisions that seem exciting to you at first but afterwards you are forced to do it. To soothe your colleagues is fine but not at the cost of doing things that involve going against your will.
8. Go all in or out
Everyone is co-dependent in the world for some reason. Think of it as a game of Jenga, where one mistake brings the whole thing down. Take responsibility of whatever you do. Give it a try and you might actually enjoy something being a fresher that was not even your last scenario. And if you really don’t, then pursue your passion and give a spot to the one who actually enjoys doing what you hate doing but couldn’t get an opportunity to do so.
