New in the workforce? Be prepared.

I’ve been out of college and working full-time for less than a year. Thought it might be helpful to share a few things I wish someone had told me as I made my transition!

The contrast between a collegiate lifestyle and being a part of the workforce is as extreme as night and day. The years spent in college are significantly different than any other time in your life. From the time you’re in grade school, you have a structured day-to-day routine that gets very repetitive. Then college arrives and that routine goes flying out the window. You are in charge of yourself. You can sleep in everyday. You can take classes only three nights a week or choose not to go to class at all. Either way, there is less accountability. Then you graduate and must return to the day-to-day routine again.

While there is typically a negative connotation associated with this transition, there are many positives as well. Having no “homework” or finals is an incredible pro when making the leap into the workforce. Lack of a three month summer vacation is an obvious con. The most important thing when going through a life change is to adapt and make the necessary adjustments so that you can put yourself in a position to be successful.

While it can feel liberating to venture out into the world on your own, it also can be overwhelming. You must make decisions for yourself and are now responsible for bills and expenses that you probably never even considered before. The level of accountability increases dramatically. All of this requires the young professional to become proactive and anticipate upcoming deadlines and setbacks alike.

Your approach to everything from finances to managing relationships must evolve. Get used to being on a budget and cooking meals at home. In many cases you’ll need to start paying for things that you hadn’t before such as rent, insurance, student loans, credit cards, etc. Here is a great article from Yahoo Finance that provides Financial Advice for Fresh College Grads. It has tips that can help you make a financial plan to begin paying down debt and start saving for the future, things you probably weren’t too concerned about in your previous years.

Finances are just the tip of the iceberg though. You must manage your time better since the pressure to perform has more material implications. Priorities shift as you discover you have less social time to be with friends and family and attempt to find the proper work-life balance.

Stay positive and embrace the new adventure that you are about to experience. Prepare yourself the best you can while understanding that this transition will take time to fully grasp. Over time and once you grow accustomed to your new role you’ll notice that you become more efficient and productive. Life after college is vastly different but it is inevitable nonetheless.