How to handle your first job
You have just graduated or are about to graduate; adult life is about to begin. Exactly what kind of work you will do, you don't know yet. But one thing is certain: you want to do it well. Talent manager Floris Foekens guides recent graduates in their first "real" job. With his insights and tips you know what challenges you will encounter and how to deal with them.
Not directly from 0 to 100
According to Floris there is an important difference between student life and working life. When you have exam week, you spend your evenings - sometimes even nights - studying to pass everything and hand in assignments on time. Then you fall into a hole called vacation: doing absolutely nothing for a while. And in September it starts all over again.'
'When you work, this changes. Your work rhythm is more stable. And you don't have to go from 0 to 100 in your first few weeks. Many young professionals think they have to add value right away, deliver something concrete. But your manager and colleagues don't expect that of you at all yet. That will come. After six months or so, you pick up tasks independently and really actively contribute something.'
When asked if he has any tips, Floris says, "It's okay if you don't know things. You have to take in a lot of information in the beginning especially. A lot of listening and watching. Ask a lot of questions.'
Learning how to work
Once you are working, you find out that a study is very different from a job. Floris explains: 'With a study you learn a trade, but you don't learn to work yet.' As an example, he gives an IT study: 'In that you don't have subjects like stakeholder management.' When IT graduates in their first job have to explain to others what choices they make and why, they often have trouble doing so. They don't know that this is also part of their job and are not prepared for it.'
So within a job, your field of work is broader. What other aspects are involved? 'Think about dealing with colleagues: when can you e-mail and when is it better to call? How do you set up a neat e-mail? But also: how do you deal with resistance or lack of understanding? And how do you discuss difficult subjects? We answer these kinds of questions in our traineeships. Throughout the year we offer peer supervision and training. That way we teach you how to deal with certain cases on the shop floor. So we teach you how to work.
A new balance
Did you have a wild social life during your studies? With spontaneous nights out on Tuesdays and trips to faraway destinations with your fraternity or sorority? Then your first job might just be a little wake-up call. Because you’ll have to be there at 9 in the morning, on the dot, every single day. At least when you’re not off work, that is. Tim says: ‘Nevertheless, I see that many young professionals actually see this as something positive.’
They find out that once you shut down your laptop at 17:30, you still have the entire evening to enjoy! A big difference from their student days when they had to pull all-nighters for their exams and work their side jobs on the weekend. Student life basically meant working during evenings and weekends, whereas working life gives you more stability and balance. With a full-time job, work and private life are more separated.
Don't wait, take the initiative yourself
When asked what you especially shouldn't do as a starter on the job market, Floris says, "I find it difficult to talk about what you shouldn't do, because there are many things you should do. The only thing I would advise against is isolating yourself from colleagues and adopting an attitude of "yeah, I know it all". During your studies you were given everything: subjects, assignments, guidance. In working life, that is no longer the case. So be curious and open, don't wait for work to come to you.'
'The same goes for training. As a student, you're used to receiving an email with the subjects for the next block. Within a company this is slightly different. Here you have to get the knowledge from others. You have to arrange to receive a certain training and you have to ask for feedback. And of course we, talent managers, can help you with this. You can ask us anything and we share our tips. But you have to do it yourself.'
In your first job, a lot comes at you: new systems and colleagues, jargon. According to Floris ,many young professionals tend not to continue asking questions. 'It doesn't come naturally,' he says, 'so always keep asking questions! Even if you feel uncomfortable and think others think it's stupid. I've never come across a manager who thought someone was asking too many questions. On the contrary, they like it when you do. By doing so, you show that you are eager to learn. So, with any abbreviation you don't understand: ask what it means. Because there are many new terms within the bank, but you're not going to find a glossary.'
Find out what you like
When you follow a traineeship through us at one of our clients, you get €2,000 to spend on your personal development. Floris tips: "Think about what you like to do and how it helps you in your job. For example, I coach a young professional who wants to step outside his comfort zone more often and learn to react ad hoc. He spent his budget on a course in improvisation. Totally out-of-the-box, but it helps him. And so something works differently for everyone.'
'What strikes me is that people still find it quite difficult to think about what they want. It's not that your employer says you have to spend the development budget. It is meant to boost your development. Give yourself time to think about it. Thinking about what you really like should not feel like a chore. Concludes Floris.
