Student to Employee: Making the Transition

You have graduated, and you have a job! It's exciting, but it is also a bit frightening. The following tips will help you make an easier transition.

Be positive...about yourself and your abilities and about your employer. But do not be a know-it-all. There may actually be a few things you have not yet learned, and there are probably valid reasons for practices that appear, at first glance, archaic.

Be observant. You can learn a great deal about acceptable dress by watching what your co-workers wear. You can also learn whether the working environment is casual, with much informal visiting, or strictly professional. Consider how people communicate; is information given verbally, or are memos used? Also, what kinds of behavior are noticed, both favorably and unfavorably?

Establish a good relationship with your supervisor. If in doubt, ask what he or she prefers to be called. When you are not sure of policies or procedures, ask questions. Talk about his or her expectations of you, about your duties and responsibilities, about overall goals. Try to understand his or her viewpoints and concerns. Observe your boss's priorities; for example, is a neat desk important? Be loyal; if you cannot say something positive, say nothing at all.

Managers and supervisors say that they look first for competence in the people working under them. Congeniality and cooperativeness are next in importance. Supervisors want people who care about the needs of the organization and who have realistic expectations about their career progress; entry-level jobs usually have their dull moments and routine duties, and you must try to bear with them cheerfully. Self-starters who are responsible are a real asset to any organization, as are people with the ability to communicate. Keep these traits in mind, and work to improve in the areas where you may be weak.

You will inevitably make some mistakes, but do not let them throw you. Remember that your supervisor believes you can do the job; otherwise you would not have been hired. And he or she wants you to succeed; the hiring process is time-consuming and expensive.

Good luck!

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