DAY 1: THE WORKING WORLD

There is a lot of advice out there on how to get a job, write the perfect CV, interview well, make your cover letter shine, but I rarely see anything articulating what to expect once you actually get one! 

So, I’ve decided to write this piece, deriving on my own personal experiences with a list of tips, tricks and lessons that I certainly learnt the hard way. This is by no means a one hat-fits-all but can hopefully provide you with some confidence and a basic toolkit, even when things go wrong, during your first day, month or year on the job. 

1. Set your targets high but don’t expect too much of yourself

When you arrive in the working world, it’s like walking into a classroom of people who have been studying a subject for a number of years and you haven’t even opened the textbook. There is no textbook. The only way to learn is to do. So, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, you won’t always get it right and you WILL make mistakes. Just remember those mistakes aren’t life and death (most of the time) and your managers will be sympathetic to your learning process (unless they’re sociopaths) - they were in your position once. A good manager will accept your mistakes as their own and guide you to a solution. 

2.     Be your own cheerleader

As a British woman, fine-tuned to be self-deprecating for fear of coming across as self-absorbed, it is hard to blow your own trumpet. But in the working world you MUST. The man that sits next to you does, in fact he is probably less qualified for his managerial role than you would be, but you’re sitting here, doing admin, with a title prefaced by ‘junior’.

Be confident in your ability and when it comes to that 6-month review, with a promotion on the line, don’t you dare write anything self-deprecating. Be your own cheerleader and pick up the pom poms for other women too!

3.     Never send an email when you’re angry

This was one I certainly learnt the hard way. Fundamentally sending a frustrated email (even without meaning to), no matter who you are sending too, is unprofessional. No one likes a troll, don’t be a keyboard warrior. It will make your in-person experiences complicated.

If you’re angry or frustrated step away from your desk, take a walk, eat some chocolate and come back to it. Have a proper think about how you want to address the situation. Often you can express your thoughts through a well worded email without being rude or curt therefore maintaining your status as the fabulously cool, calm and collected woman you are.

(And if you do so desperately feel the need to call someone out on their s*** behaviour, just pick up the phone so there isn’t any email evidence…) 

4.     Don’t be afraid to speak out

If you feel that someone is treating you unfairly at work, sadly it’s not like school where you can cry to Mum, Dad or your favourite teacher and they’ll sort it all out, you have to fight your own battles.

For a period of time I was being treated unfairly in the workplace. For the first time in my life I experienced sexism that I thought had died out with the generation of 1910. I frequently found myself in tears of frustration and was afraid to speak out. I ended up leaving that job entirely based on that experience.

However, when I did leave, I finally plucked up the courage to voice my reasons and was met with a sympathetic and apologetic tone. I realised that perhaps if I had been honest about how I felt from the start I would have avoided months of misery. So please, if you ever do experience something you believe to be unfair, speak out. You don’t have to do it aggressively or passionately, just be honest about how you feel and don’t worry about coming across as difficult. If you are met with hostility, then you know that this isn’t the right working culture for you and it’s not worth your time - so you can get yo ass on Linkedin and mic drop the hell outta there!

5.     Take a break

In your first few months to a year into your first job, it can be tempting to get caught up in the whirlwind of it all without really taking a break. I know people who have lived in fear of leaving work on time, taking their holiday or even their lunch hours!

You must take a break. In fact, if you don’t take all of your holiday days (often only 20 in a year out of 260!), you are a fool. Your body and mind need time to reset otherwise you’ll experience the dreaded burnout. Most importantly, those holiday days are PAID – you’re being PAID to relax! Who passes that up?!

Lunch hours and working late are slightly more complicated as there will inevitably be times when you have to work through lunch and stay in the office until 11pm finalising a presentation due at 9am the following day - however this shouldn’t become a regular habit. A good employer will encourage you to go home on time, take an hour for yourself at lunch, take regular walks, and take time to chat and bond with your colleagues.

If you do find long hours with little breaks becomes the norm for you, please feel empowered to recognise that your workload is too much and don’t be afraid to ask for support. Chances are there’s someone else looking for more work and you can lump all of your excess files on their desk!

6.     If you don’t ask you don’t get

If you feel you are ready for more responsibility and you want it, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Most likely your manager’s diary is hectic and if anything, they will be grateful to have you take that extra bit of responsibility off their hands.

Some managers can be reluctant to delegate, this species is often more commonly referred to as the ‘micro-managers’. Dealing with a micro-manager can be very hard and frustrating, from my experience you need to be as honest with them as possible, gain their trust, learn their way of working and the delegation will come. Keep asking, never give up and you will be recognised for your perseverance.

I have certainly only scratched the surface when it comes to the experiences and advice around starting out in the working world for the first time. But I hope that this piece can help provide you with some solace if you are facing some of the challenges and questions that I did. I certainly wish that I had some of the knowledge I do now when starting out. By starting this dialogue, I hope I can make your first working experience a more positive one and empower you to embrace your role as a young intelligent woman in the working world! There will never be enough of you!