You sat through and, of course, smashed the recruitment process, yet you’re plagued by the suddenness of the appointment, more so in an environment where it isn’t the norm to land a job immediately after graduation, occasioned by the barrage of graduates churned out each year from tertiary institutions in an economy that is merely developing.
There is, surely, the sudden fear of being an impostor; with nagging questions like “can I really fit?” Did I get in by simply a stroke of luck, a fluke? This feeling is certainly not uncommon.
First off, to get yourself mentally prepared to take up your new position, bear in mind
You’re invaluable
This, most likely, explains why you were picked in the first place; there has to have been something spotted in your portfolio. You’ve got the potential, not necessarily the expertise, that a corporate firm believes could grant them added advantage. You’ll certainly need this reassurance, probably repeating it to yourself daily, to maintain a worthy sense of self-esteem required for the discharge of your stipulated duties.
You do not know it all: Yes, your line of duty is closely tied to your discipline of study in school. Yes, your CV attests to your having a significant amount of knowledge and experience. But accept that you could be in an entirely new environment with an unfamiliar modus-operandi, hence, no, you do not know it all.
This notion is important to put you in the best mental state to accept numerous corrections, hon your craft and ultimately be better at your job. Don’t settle for being that “small fish in a big pond,” in the words of Jonathan Javier.
Now, let’s delve into the tips that could guide you through your process during the first few months of your appointment.
Get yourself acquainted with other members of your assigned unit
Although you may not want to get all too familiar at the get-go (everyone has that challenge), however, according to Germain Louie, Director of Business Development at Consero Global, “one of the common mistakes people make is building relationships only when they are in the time of need.”
To avoid the awkwardness that comes with having to establish a relationship at a dire moment (because you will eventually get to that point), why not start with little drops of genuine conversations now and then?
Your unit members are prone to introduce you to a whole lot of specifics about this new organisation—what works and what doesn’t—to make your settling in process a whole lot easier. Not to mention that, at moments of great challenge, their psychosocial support could be handy. But for the time being, it’s important to avoid being over the board and keep your conversations within just friendly but official limits.
Be on Time
While battling to wake up early in the day, a useful quote often comes to mind: “Wake up early and tackle the day before it tackles you. Be on offence, not on defence." - Evan Carmichael.
This quote should be your breastplate encryption too as an entry-level corporate worker. Though you may not have a task to finish up on time at the moment, entering a new and different world that could affect your psychological balance, demands that you do not risk being on the defence. It’s a way to put your mind in a predisposed state to unforeseen hazards as research done by the University of Colorado Boulder postulates that those who wake up an hour earlier had a lower risk of being depressed. Hence, you may want to set those late-night movies aside for the weekend and focus on the success goal.
Get there earlier than everyone else, clear your desk, rest a bit and watch out for the stones. In time, when the workloads start flowing in, you’ll find that being on time saves you a lot.Become Irreplaceable
Jenifer Ayotte, a Senior Director at North American Business Development highlights that while her company hires reps with an idea to teach and invest in them, they still expect employees to bring added value to the table. You were hired to be useful and productive, and necessarily, beyond your job description. Beam your searchlights deeper into what you think you already know for loopholes; smoothen all the cracks in your knowledge about that job by taking weekend classes and exploiting all the resources at your disposal from the internet. Additionally, leave no time to being second-guessed, and discover other areas you can equally contribute meaningfully to within your assigned unit.
In the end, you’ll not just be adding value to that corporate firm and earning your keep; you’ll be expanding your horizon for brighter prospects.
