6 Mistakes Fresh Graduates Make at Their First Job

Fresh Grad MistakesGraduating from college and getting your first job is a big milestone. However, this milestone comes with new challenges. Being in the workforce is different from being in school, so it’s no wonder that most new graduates often make mistakes. Here are some of them:

 

Assuming that you won’t need to do grunt work because of your degree – There are times when fresh graduates assume that they will be held in higher regard because of their degree. Degree or no degree, however, everyone starts at the bottom. Doing the grunt work will help you learn the ins and outs of the business.

Not being thorough with their work – Probably one of the biggest differences between college and work is that in class you are often asked to argue with one point of view, while in business you are expected to take care of every situation possible and present the best possible course of action.

Forgetting that they’re now professionals – Today, social media is so tied to our lives that oftentimes we forget what should and shouldn’t be shared on our social media accounts. When you join the workforce, there should be things that you need to keep to yourself.

Holding off doing things until the last minute – Back in school, you always held off starting tasks until the deadline was near, which was fine because the only person who was affected was you. However, when you join a company, everyone in your team suffers when you put things off.

Only spending time with people your age – It’s natural for you to be more comfortable and enjoy the company of people your age. Still, spending time with your older colleagues also has benefits. They not only can teach you, but can also help you progress in your career faster.

Not saying thanks to those who have helped you – You can’t do everything yourself; there will always come a time when you will need to ask for help from someone. Appreciating the effort and time they took is a small act of gratitude but can definitely go a long way.

Your first job is a big step in your career, and how well you do in your first job can have a big impact in how quickly you progress in your career. Avoiding these mistakes can help you to avoid hurting your professional reputation and derailing your long-term career goals.

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Alan Carniol

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 80,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.