5 Easy Tips To Enter The Workforce Boldly After College

Ok, so let’s say you’ve worked your butt off in high school and college to get good grades, make the honor roll, and maybe even become Valedictorian. Or maybe not. Either way, you want to jump-start out of college and enter the workforce with confidence.

And while you want to be confident, that’s often hard to do without any sort of real understanding of how the corporate world operates. Colleges try to prepare us but it’s impossible to prepare for something fully without having experienced it.

That’s why you need these five easy tips to get you in the workplace boldly with confidence and set up your career for success.

Even if you did internships in college or took outside jobs in the field you were studying, there is still a lot to learn. Take it from me. I did multiple internships, jobs, and volunteer work before graduating from college and still felt so behind when I got my first cubicle job.

Why is that? It’s because we’re no longer hanging out with people our age. You suddenly go from the majority in college to the minority in the workplace. You felt so experienced as a senior in college, knowing the ropes, but now you’re the newbie and you have a learning curve to figure out.

But that’s why these tips landed in your lap at the perfect time. Because, even though it may seem scary and intimidating to be a newbie in a new work environment, you don’t have to go in completely blind. Help is here.

Let’s get started…

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1. Learn Professionalism

In order to be confident and enter the workforce boldly after college, you have to be professional. Even if you go into nursing and get to wear scrubs, you are required to learn the etiquette of the workplace.

What may have passed in college will no longer pass as you enter the workforce. Plus, from now on you are either growing or destroying your reputation, so make the right choices in your 20s to be respected at your job and begin a successful career.

Related Post: How To Land Your First Entry-Level Job Out Of College

Let’s go over the most important things to know when it comes to the workplace. And while some may seem obvious, it’s about learning to apply them to your life now so that the wrong habits don’t mistakenly pop out at the wrong time.

First, begin practicing time management. Being on time is one of the best things you can do to set yourself apart from the pack. Arrive early, clock in on time, and stay till you should.

Being at meetings on time and leaving your lunch break on time will say a lot about your character. Do whatever you need to do to be a person that is always on time and respects other people’s time. That could be a timer, calendar reminders, or simply come later as a habit.

Second, wear the correct attire. Be modest, always follow the dress code, and if something is borderline, then don’t even attempt it.

Read your employee handbook through several times before your first day on the job to be sure you know what is expected with the dress code. Are they business casual, business professional, or require a specific uniform? What accessories do they allow? Are tattoos ok?

And going off that, keep your appearance pleasant. That means doing your hair, wearing makeup, ironing your clothes, and looking polished. There’s a reason they say dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

The best thing you can do is read the handbook, dress the best you can your first week, notice what others are wearing and doing, and then follow. Being confident in the company’s policy’s before your first day will help you enter the workplace with confidence.

Lastly, you can be professional through the way you communicate. This isn’t just what you say but body language as well.

When talking, be prepared. Know some background on the company. Ask your boss a lot of questions to get to know them. Be pleasant and kind. Don’t swear. Use good grammar. Don’t talk negatively about anything, not even your past job situation if it applies.

The more positive you talk, the more likable you are. And while that seems obvious, not a lot of people notice how negative they are in conversation.

Also, avoid what you say on social media if you know a co-worker or boss could find it. And, if you have access to the internet, be courteous and only do work on it. Do not go online shopping when you know you’re not supposed to. Keeping phone usage to a minimum is huge these days as well.

2. Fit Into The Company’s Culture

What sets a good employee apart from a great one? I often think it has to do with how well the employee can fit into a company’s culture.

If you can thrive in the culture a company has established then you should stay with that company as long as you can. For some people, finding a company with a culture they can feel themselves in can be very difficult.

While some companies are known to have very fun atmospheres, with lots of work functions and outings or fun chairs in the office, others can be very conservative and strict where it is more work, and less play.

Often you won’t even know exactly what the company’s culture is till you start on the job. It is definitely something you should ask about in the interview process or from someone that already works there so you can get to know the culture before taking the job.

Knowing the company’s culture beforehand will allow you to enter the workplace with confidence because you will be able to apply your strengths to the company’s strengths and thrive, cutting the learning curve in half.

A company’s culture begins with how they run the company and how they execute its strategy. It is how they define their leadership performance and overall company goals. The company’s mission statement and visions will also drive the culture. Examine where they find their motivation and why they run things the way they do.

Some things you should ask yourself: How do I feel about the way I’m expected to do things here? What do they expect out of my performance? How can I find purpose in the work I am doing at this company? What does my experience as an employee look like here?

However, company culture, in my opinion, is not all about what they offer to you, in terms of payroll, benefits, onsite perks, and career development. It is more in terms of your working environment. That is how management is run, how you are expected to do your work, how co-workers interact, how information and opportunities are shared, and the status quo.

Enter the workplace boldly by understanding what the company culture is before your first day on the job. You may even be able to find some information about it online if it’s a big enough company.

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3. Have a Strong Work Ethic To Enter The Workforce

While this point isn’t something we necessarily need to analyze, it is a huge part of entering the workforce boldly. Without hard work, you will fall behind. And hard work isn’t something you can just pretend.

Your work ethic is probably one of the biggest parts of your reputation. It is important to be the one that works the hardest. And that’s not necessarily the longest or putting in the most hours. Here’s what work ethic really means.

It means that you care. You actually show up and do the work that you are assigned with care. And even if you don’t care about one project particularly, you still pretend as if you care. You have the right attitude and give 100% to everything.

It means you follow through. If you say you’re going to do something, then you do it. If you are told to do something, then you do it. And if you are unsure of something, you ask about it and then you do it.

It means that you are focused. You don’t mess around with silly conversations or bug your co-workers when you are bored. You stay focused on the tasks assigned and are diligent in getting them done in a timely manner.

It means you take initiative. If you see something that’s missing, you don’t leave it for the next person to deal with you. You take it on as your responsibility and get it done.

How’s your work ethic? If you’ve struggled with this in the past, it’s time to get practicing it now. Once you enter the workforce there is little grace when it comes to a lot of these principles. Be the one that has the strongest work ethic and there’s no doubt you’ll succeed.

4. Make The Right Relationships

Before we talk about the right relationships you should be making at work, it’s important to talk about the wrong ones as well. Before you enter the workforce after college, you need to know what relationships are worth pursuing and what you can avoid.

First, you’re going to be working with all sorts of people, and if you have these first three steps so far mastered, then you are already on the right track. Having the right attitude means you can identify those who don’t.

Don’t hang out with people that have the wrong attitude. Those who complain about work their whole lunch period, those who avoid extra assignments, those who seem to always pass off their own work to others – those are the ones to avoid.

Related Post: How To Achieve Your Goals After College

Self-centered people are also a huge no. Listen to how many times someone says the word “I” and you’ll know. If all they can seem to talk about is themselves then it is time to move on.

The best thing you can do as you enter the workplace is not just to avoid these relationships, but also start setting up the right relationships.

To make lasting relationships at work you’ll want to begin by building trust. Start respecting others and they’ll return the favor, it’s just human nature.

Make a habit of giving more than you take. Not only should this be a motto of your life, but when it’s your mindset in the workplace, is when you’ll notice strong relationships begin to form. So show other’s what you can offer or share with them, help them achieve their goals, know when you’re being too much, ask for feedback and apply it to your life, and only help when you actually can.

Don’t make up false things to be liked. Don’t pretend to be someone you are not. And don’t say yes just to be liked. Keep boundaries but do reach out to leadership and make real connections with them. Do ask them questions about important people are things in their lives. And do help whenever you can.

Your network could be your greatest asset when it comes to entering the workforce. Do everything you can to build it up as you build up your reputation in the process.

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5.  Take Care of Yourself

To be a good employee, you must take care of yourself first. If you come to work tired and pumped on caffeine, you won’t be sharp, full of energy, or very pleasant at times.

The best way to enter the workplace with confidence is to be confident in yourself. It’s not as hard as it seems either. While managing work-life balance can seem overwhelming to a lot of people, it all comes down to each decision they are making day in and day out.

Here are some healthy decisions you can make each day before you go to work: go to bed on time and get eight hours, exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, arrive to work early, check in with your boss, and make a to-do list, avoid morning meetings, take a mid-day break, work on big projects first, bath email time.

There you go, not too hard.

The best way to tell how work is treating you is to see how you feel when you finally come home from the end of the day. Do you crash and burn, with no energy to do anything else? Do you turn on the TV because your mind has to shut off?

While we all need a recovery period after work, it doesn’t have to be so large. Figure out what your needs are and how to take care of them and you will be on the way to being a confident employee.

If you are an introvert, figure out a way to weave in more quiet time to your job. If you are an extrovert, figure out ways you can engage in more conversation. The best thing you can do right out of college is to be self-aware.

Being self-aware of your needs, personality, and goals is the best way to become a confident and productive employee. Take time for self-reflection, be self-aware of your needs, and then take time to take care of yourself.

By knowing yourself and your needs, you can confidently enter the workplace after college graduation.

Enter The Workforce Boldly Today

And there you have it, five easy tips to enter the workforce boldly after college. Ask yourself if you are professional, fit into the company culture, have a strong work ethic, know how to form the right relationships, and if you are self-aware to determine your confidence level as you leave the nest of college and fly off to the world of your new career.

Which tip to enter the workforce boldly was your favorite? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

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Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma

Hey there, I'm Kelsey! I'm so glad you are here. I'm a 20-something helping you live your most fulfilling life. I hope you'll join me in this old-fashioned & simple lifestyle!

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