Three days ago I was having this talk with a friend who had just landed his first career job after a long time. Since his graduation in December, 2014, he had not landed a job that was in line with his undergraduate course.
Up, down, up, down the hustle went on and on. Then one day in February he applies for an interview.
He gets shortlisted, goes for the interview and then, he waits for the call. Normally he does not wait for these calls since they never come but this one came. On a Friday afternoon someone calls and it’s the human resource. He is hired.
According to him the party ends there, when you get the call.
However, he is not the only person I have heard complaining about their first jobs. Here are some of the reasons graduates find it hard adapting their first career jobs;
Work environment
Outside class room you have never been in a tensed environment, your first job brings with it a whole new environment; with class representatives replaced with supervisors and manager. Then there is the management and not administration. Everything is done differently; these sudden changes at times make it hard for you to adapt.
No movements
Unless you are in an industry that requires you to out to the field and look for information or operate outside the office; most jobs will require that you stay in one place from Monday to Friday. This is what you thought you were running away from but apparently it’s also what you bargained for when you applied for the job. You have to learn the routine, there is no way out if you want to survive.
Time
No schedules and timetables will be released by the management but time remains the key factor here. If the working hours are from eight to five then you will have to arrive earlier and leave later than the stipulated time. This means you will not have much time left for your own and your friends.
Deadlines
At the work place you work with deadlines, strict. Once in a while the deadlines will be adjusted depending on the weight of the project but to harden you up, do not expect your deadlines to be adjusted on your first day. This means you will be under constant pressure to deliver, failure to which you are likely to lose your job.
Details
At the work place, people pay attention to details. You will never find people who ignore details and the details are likely to change from time to time. New employees assume that you can just cook figures and do away with it. No. You have to pay close attention to the last detail to avoid court cases.
Repetition of tasks
You are employed to do a certain job, which is what you will do from the day you were employed to the day something else will happen, which is not soon. New employees should brace themselves for continuous and repetitive tasks that may include staying on your desk keying in figures from morning to evening with meetings and more meetings in between.
Bullying
Every workplace has that person, yes, that guy who will find a way of making new employees bullied. They may not necessarily want to harass you but harden you. They always end up being the best people in that organization.
As you step out to the market, into that first job, be ready to feel the pinch. Struggle is real out there. Do not despair, that role model, the managing director you see out there started out just like you. You will have to sacrifice; the option of quitting will always be the easiest way out. But who wants to be out when you can make it?