5 Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Full-Time Job

 

1. Work might follow you home … Many first-time members of the workforce make the naïve assumption that work will end when you leave the office. This is how it was at my internships: I never had to worry about what happened once I walked out the door. But when you're a full-time, salaried staff member, your responsibilities can and will extend outside the confines of your desk. With today's cloud and mobile tech, people don't follow the "9 to 5" mentality anymore. While you shouldn't be expected to respond to your boss's emails at midnight, there are going to be times when an after-hours emergency pops up, and you may need to be the one who deals with it. 

2. but don't let work become your life. Just because you can work from anywhere at any time absolutely does not mean you should. Yes, you will have to stay late or come in early sometimes. Yes, you may have to miss out on some social events because you have a big project to do. But you're an entry-level employee. You're not running the company, and the company certainly isn't paying you enough to spend every waking moment doing work. Set a time each night when you'll stop checking your emails. And please don't spend your whole weekend working in an effort to make Monday morning easier. Mondays will never be easy, and if you don't have that work to do, something else will come up, anyway.

3. Communicate (but don't gossip). Entry-level jobs are notorious for being a bit thankless, but if there's a serious problem with the way your boss is running things, you need to speak up. Ask for a private meeting with him or her, or if you're too afraid to approach your boss directly, bring it up to the next person in command. If you don't say something, how do you expect the situation to change? What won't help anything is gossiping with your fellow low-level colleagues about how you're planning to apply to other jobs just to get out. You never know who's listening, or who will bring that second-hand news back to the boss.

4. Always give 100 percent, even if there's no reward. You're not always going to get credit for the work you do. That's just the way of the world. As frustrating as it is to receive little to no recognition for the hours you spent slaving over a project, don't use that as an excuse to slack off and fade into the background. Believe it or not, your bosses and colleagues will notice, and when it comes time for evaluations, promotions or even future job recommendations, you can forget about a kind word from any of them.

4. Have an exit strategy. Unless you hit the corporate jackpot and find a job where you can swiftly move up the ranks, it's more than likely that your first job is just going to be a stepping stone to bigger, better things. There's nothing wrong with that, and most companies have come to expect high turnover rates in their lower-level positions. Keep an eye on companies you might want to work for in the future, and network with other people in your industry — both great ways to begin planning your exit, even if you're happy where you are for the moment.

SOURCE:businessnewsdaily.com