I recently attended a NAWBO event with a girl for whom I am doing some writing work. The daughter of the owner of the company, she dresses well, speaks professionally, has a degree, but is still apprehensive about entering the workforce because this is her first job fresh out of college.
These of you that are just stepping out of the college setting, even if you have a few children, a husband, and quite a few years under your belt already, know the feeling. You walk into work on that first day and feel as green as the grass, and you stumble over everything because it is all new.
Oftentimes we are nervous because we feel that others will be looking down at us either due to our age or because we are new to the field and don’t know how things work out there in the real world as well as some of the seniors do.
If you are starting a new job after graduating from college, take heart: We have all been there at one time or the other. Everyone was new to the office at one point in his or her career and we’ve all just managed fine.
You can do a few things to make that very scary transition a bit easier if you are feeling nervous about the new position.
First, find someone in your office that you can shadow. Ask if they will be your mentor. Go to them when you have questions. It’s always easier to start a new job when you know that you have someone who can help you out in a bind.
Observe. Sounds obvious, but oftentimes, when we are new to a position, we do things the way that we learned rather than the way we see others doing them. Don’t get me wrong: Others don’t always do a great job, and sometimes people begin to take shortcuts when in a field, which you definitely don’t want to follow. But if you find someone who does a really outstanding job, learn from that person.
Get involved with the other coworkers as much as you can, whether this means attending a social event on the weekend at someone’s house or going to seminars and workshops. A lot of the time feeling comfortable in the position means feeling as though you ‘fit in’ with the rest of the workers.
Avoid the gossips and those that are unhappy in their jobs. Some people become toxic after several years in a position that they don’t enjoy. You don’t want to get too close to these people, as they have the tendency to pull you down to their level. Negativity breeds negativity, so find the most positive of the group rather than the most negative.