Let me start by saying, I’m not sure my younger self was as open to listening to advice as I am now, so these tips may seem obvious, but regardless, I am sharing in the hopes that even one person may find my learnings useful. 

1. Don’t put so much pressure on your first role post-[insert education level here]

I remember feeling overwhelmed and stressed as graduation loomed near, hearing and seeing my peers accept roles and talk about how they landed their dream job. And there I was jobless and nervous about what the future held. However, I also know that I self-inflicted some of this stress, I put so much weight on finding the perfect job that I lost sight of reality.

The reality is your first job out of college most likely will not be your dream job, it will most likely not be the same role or company you start and end your career (I promise you this is a good thing), but it will be a stepping block. An opportunity to determine where your interests truly lie, a chance to dive in headfirst to the real world and figure out what you truly need from your company and within your role to feel purposeful at work. Even if the outcome is “this [job, company, industry] is not for me,” you’re one step closer to finding your place.

Ps. My first two “jobs” post-college were two internships that gave me a glimpse into the world of marketing and without them I wouldn’t have found my passion for demand generation. Even if the path to get there was nothing I expected (Think lay offs, re-orgs, and a choice to move across the country)

2. Ask ALL of the questions

How can we be expected to know all of the answers, ever, honestly? But especially in our first role. Being curious and asking thoughtful questions helps show your teams and managers that you’re engaged, listen well, and leaves less room for error. Who cares if you think it may be a silly question, ask it anyway. Understanding the why, asking for clarity, or questioning the status quo could be the very conversation needed to spark the innovation of a specific process, trajectory of your team or even revolution your organization needs to achieve its goals. 

This will help you build your confidence and a curiousity muscle that will serve you throughout your career, while also helping to protect your time/resources/energy.

3. Don’t be afraid of big work

All companies have challenges, whether it’s messy data, broken processes, lack of resources, or any number of “growing pains,” responses to the market, etc. 

Don’t be afraid of the work, its supposed to be challenging. There will be setbacks, and it won’t be pretty, but you have the opportunity to enact real change and watch your work have a true impact on your organization. 

However, my piece of caution, be sure your team and/or the organization are committed to helping you achieve these lofty goals. Hard work, messiness and discomfort shouldn’t deter you, but lack of prioritization or emphasis on supporting your journey to get there can be demotivating, and cause burnout and unnecessary stress. 

If leaders want [x] change but deprioritize or defund a team or individual’s ability to do the work needed, no one wins. 

The grass is NOT always greener on the other side, but in these instances, it might be worth checking. 

4. A good manager can make all the difference

If you have the opportunity to interview with your potential manager beforehand, don’t be shy, ask questions to ensure it’s a mutual good fit. 

That being said, managers aren’t mind readers, you need to be open and honest about how you like to be managed. What do you need from your manager? What does your manager expect of you? Once you’ve set clear expectations, on both sides, assess once in the role if you feel supported, empowered, and set up for success/growth. If you answer no to any of these questions, where’s the disconnect, can you take responsibility for changing any of it? Or do you need to take action? 

For me, I look for managers who can mentor me, empower me, advocate for me and celebrate my growth. I haven’t always been lucky to find this, but I can assure you I won’t settle for less again.

5. If you don’t know your worth, go find out. 

If the role you’re in is a stepping stone to where you want to be or it’s your first role post-college, your ‘worth’ may not be as clear cut, because you do need to put in the time, effort, and prove yourself first (at least I believe this to be true.)

But this is advice I’ve gotten from friends in HR & recruitment. How will you know what you’re worth if you don’t ask around? Now it doesn’t mean you’re looking for a new job, or unhappy in your current role, but it does mean you should know what other organizations, within similar roles, industries, and environments are offering to their people. So take the call, reply to the LinkedIn message, and do your research. 

And then reflect, based on this learned knowledge, do you feel the value you bring to the table matches your current comp and benefits? If not, why do you feel that why? 

If the timing, reasoning, and concerns are reasonable it might be worth scheduling time with your manager, but BE PROFESSIONAL and have a backup plan if things don’t work out as you hoped. 

Bonus Tip: Set clear boundaries early on in your career. This will not only help ensure you protect yourself from burnout early on, but it will also set the foundation for your future. 

What would you add to the list above for new professionals!?

_{Originally posted on Madison Zahoruiko’s LinkedIn on June 22, 2022}