Survival Tips for New Grads at Work

The shift from uni days (especially during a pandemic) to the world of work (especially during a pandemic) is a culture shock. You move into a diverse social environment where “making a mistake” is no longer quite the same experience as it was just a few months ago. You’re not only expected to learn how to perform the tasks required of a new job, but also figure out how to start a career, navigate business etiquette, and manage everything from personal finances to tax.

Learning the ropes of this new stage of your life can be difficult. Here are our top tips, gathered from many years as a London recruitment agency helping graduates secure and settle into their new working life:

1. Be patient
   
   You’re used to speeding through technology and an education system that pushes you up level after level. Things are different in the workplace—you can’t expect promotion after promotion. The wheels of working life turn more slowly. You won’t be CEO in 6 months!
   
   Give things time. Be realistic and patient.

2. Be grateful
   
   Showing gratitude to those who help you as you settle into a new role will ensure they feel goodwill towards you. Knowing their efforts mattered means they will be there to help you again if you need them. You also never really know who someone may be or may become. Management might have them marked out for fast-tracked promotion and you want them to remember good things about you when they’re your next boss!

3. You always have multiple choices
   
   During education and moving from one stage to the next, you tend to face “either/or” choices. In your career, the opportunities available to you are broader. Chances are that you will have multiple career paths (and certainly multiple jobs) in your lifetime.
   
   Navigating this future requires transferable skills, which serve you in a range of ways in a variety of settings. With enough transferable skills under your belt, you can seamlessly transition from one place and role to another.

4. Be careful
   
   The workplace is not your social space. Yes, you might make friends with colleagues, but you must always behave and speak carefully at work and about work.

5. Keep learning
   
   You may have just graduated, but education doesn’t stop here. Your career will stagnate quickly if you don’t take a lifelong approach to learning. Take as many opportunities for professional development as you can. This continuous learning will give you confidence and open doors in the future. Don’t just do the bare minimum that your employer requires; be proactive and attend conferences, webinars, and other opportunities on your own time as well.

6. Network
   
   Never underestimate the power of networking. Building connections with others, within your industry and across other sectors, will also open doors. Through networking, you’ll find mentors that will help you develop your career and support you when you need it.

Good luck in these early days of your career—we hope the above tips will help! Are you still looking for your first graduate job? The job market is really picking up again and we have more opportunities for graduates becoming available. Register as a candidate today.

Love Success is a leading London PA & office support recruitment agency.
Our expert recruiters can help you find permanent and temporary jobs in London.

View our latest job opportunities here

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