Is it hard? Is it different? What is expected of me? How do I adapt? What are the rules? How should I communicate?
This is only a minimum part of the 1000 doubts or questions students have when they want to make a meaningful change in their lives, switching to a work environment.
It happens that students start to be bored of their usual routine activities: going to school, playing sports, studying, going out, and so on. They’re keen to “stir the pot”. They’re eager to become economically independent and find a way to earn and make experiences on their own.
Also graduated students, who desire to begin working, struggle to fit into completely different conditions, cultures and ways of communicating with one another.
How do they cope with this?
Currently, wondering which differences exist between the study world and the working world can be hard and is something common among students. A professional setting is different in several aspects.
- Target. On one hand, school awards you education and knowledge and it is focused on developing learning methods. It clears the way for work requests. On the other hand, a professional setting requires more practical competences and workers need to apply what they learnt during their school path. The goal is to achieve specific aims and utilize skills such as problem solving.
- Communication. In educational settings, dialogues are more open-minded with the attention on creating debating, stimulating critical thinking and sharing opinions. In professional settings, communication is usually more direct and goal-oriented, involving researches, presentations, and formal meetings.
- Structure. Schools can be less rigid. For instance, time tables are not as hard as they are at work. In professional environments, workers follow more rules concerning projects, meetings and relationships with each other.
- Type of Judgement. In academics, students are more self-oriented. Because of grades, there’s little teamwork and each student relies on itself and on its performance. At work, people work together for the same aim and evaluation is often based on team performance, meeting targets, and contributing to organizational success.
Transitioning from academic to professional setting tends to be challenging, but understanding these distinctions may ease it.
My experiences
As a 17-year old girl, I don’t have a curriculum full of work experiences, but I could talk about my participation in the work of animator. I’ve been volunteering as an animator for 2 years during summer camps at a sports center in a city near mine.
My task was checking on children and animating them. At first, I was a bit scared of not being attentive and observant enough. After a few days, I already started feeling comfortable in that environment around children. Thanks to this job, I learned so many skills: I had to be formal with my co-worker and with the summer camp head; I had to be careful with children and always control them; I had to be responsible regarding time. I mustn’t be late.
I remember that once an animator older than me had lost one of his children and he was so anxious and terrified. Fortunately, one of my friends and I found him. Can you imagine what would have happened if he had lost him???
The stories I heard
I’d also like to bring the example of my father. He began to work very early: as soon as he had finished high school, he started working in my grandfather’s firm at the age of 19 years old. He had to adapt really quickly to the new situations and conditions since he had come right away from school. He’s been great, because he managed to evolve his skills and apply them in a more practical way.
As a matter of fact, many graduates find themselves lost at this point, but I’ll give you some tips that will help you to be more prepared and calm.
Tips
- Be open to feedback! There will be mistakes, but be open to suggestions and be free to feedback. View this experience as an opportunity to gain new skills for your career growth.
- The expectation might feel overwhelming, but remember no one expects perfection on day one. Try, make efforts, make mistakes, mature… These are the only ways to become proficient in what you work.
- Build interactions in the job world: ask information, find connections, reach out workers thanks to networking sites such as Linkedin.
- Be patient and resilient. At the beginning, you’ll have starter roles and you might feel a bit useless. It’s just a first step for your improvement and progression. Remember that results take time and gaining familiarity with jobs is the best system to become successful.
- Cultivate skills in your free time: communication, responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, cultural knowledge, critical thinking…Participate in activities where you can use and apply your interests and competences.
- Stay curious and be ready to grasp wisdom and awareness!!!
Conclusion
The answer to the main question of this article is Yes. Yes, entering a professional environment from an academic background will be hard. My example can prove thison one side, and my tips can help to ease the transition on the other. I just want students, just like me, to remember that experiencing jobs and activities is such a great opportunity. Explore the world, set, and acquire valuable goals that will be useful for your career path.
In conclusion, challenges, uncertainties, and pressure will be commonplace.
However, preparation, adaptability, and willingness to learn will be the keys to live your work experience in the most efficient way possible.
Job experiences might be also inspiring for indecisive young students. Establishing networks and opportunities could be the tool for future orientation. They have the power to make you understand your real vocation and where you’d like to work in the future.
Lastly, I want to remind you to be always open minded and take the journey as a chance to mature!