The First 90 Days: What to Do When You’re New 

You got a new job! Congratulations! What should you be doing to prepare for the first day?  

Well, first off be sure you know the details of the job. Do you need to bring anything for your first day? Who should you meet with first?  What should you wear? All of these details (and more) are important to know on your first day. Even more than that, you should also consider your first full 90 days and make a plan to be successful.  

Classroom to Career: Making The Transition

You’ve graduated! You made it, right!? No, actually you’re just getting started. The journey from the classroom to starting your career is one of the biggest grayest areas of life. There is no survival guide for life after college. At 22, less than three months after moving off of a college campus, I was moving into my own apartment and starting a full time job in a big, new city. Now, five years later, I am proud to say that I have learned many valuable lessons in the transition from college student to career woman. While I still don’t claim to know everything, my “survival guide” would definitely include these tips for the journey from the classroom to the career world.  

Create your life syllabus 

I always loved getting a syllabus during the first week of class. It helped me know what to expect in the upcoming semester and it kept me organized. Unfortunately, there is no syllabus for life after college. You have to create your own. Most of us are familiar with the traditional path. We go to elementary school, middle school, high school, and college without much thought…and then what? Should I go to graduate school? Apply for jobs? Start a business? The biggest light bulb that went off for me was the fact that I’m in the driver’s seat and had to make all the major decisions. Once you realize this, it's important to channel your thoughts into productive, actionable items. The better you become at finding potential opportunities and evaluating next steps, the more you will be able to fully maximize your life and make the moves that are best for you. 

College success does not translate into career success

After getting hired, I remember thinking that graduating with honors and accolades would give me a slight advantage in the workplace. That’s not the case. Your honors and accolades get you in the door. Think of your first year in the workplace as your freshman year of life. You will work with individuals of all backgrounds who were also great students in college or have other impressive accomplishments. Don’t expect to move up quickly or get tons of respect because of your performance in college. From day one, you will have to prove yourself all over again. Get ready to work and not rest on your academic reputation. 

Learn to request feedback   

Feedback. This is the thing everybody in the workplace wants, but no one seems to get enough of. Growing up, you may have gotten it from your parents and friends. In school, you got it through grades and during your professor’s office hours. In the workplace, if you do not seek and ask for feedback, you may not receive it. However, when you ask for it, be prepared for critical feedback and be open to make improvements. Receiving feedback and putting it to good use is the only way you will continue to improve. 

What’s a Careerealist? 

What’s a Careerealist? 

In simple terms, a careerealist gives real career advice. Things like the do’s and don’ts of corporate life, keys to adulting in the workplace, job transition tips and the list goes on. The on-the-job lessons I learned were invaluable and I wish I had a career website to reference before I stepped into full time career life.  

 

New Year, New You? Making Resolutions You Can Stick To 

With the start of a new year comes new goals, resolutions, and aspirations. What direction should I take my career? What relationships should I build? What is my purpose in life? All of these questions have crossed my mind at some point. At the end of the day, the central question is – what makes you feel fulfilled at the end of the day? And only you can answer that question.