Starting your first corporate job can be intimidating, especially when you don’t know what to expect. As someone who has done internships with both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies, there are a few things I learned along the way. On top of that, I’ve been working my full-time job for a year now, and there are habits I did right and habits I wish I did better. So, in this blog post, I’ll go into the details of the easy systems you can put in place to set yourself up for success in your first corporate job.
Create a Schedule
The hardest part about transitioning from college to corporate, whether you work in-person, hybrid, or remote, is adjusting to your new normal. In college, our schedules were incredibly flexible, but that is not the case anymore.
Set yourself up for success in your first corporate job by creating routines and schedules to base your day around. This means waking up around the same time each day, going to sleep around the same time each day, and trying to eat regular meals. These small changes will have a huge impact on your mood and energy levels.
I am grateful that I work remotely for the most part since I start at 7 am. As a result, I try to be asleep each night by 10 pm and awake by 6 am as the schedule for my first corporate job. Getting these crucial eight hours of sleep helps me be more productive and efficient throughout the working hours and beyond.
Keep Track of Your Work
When you are starting your first corporate job, it often takes some time to get up to speed. There is usually a decent learning curve that you need to climb before you can be self-sufficient in the work you do.
Keep track of all the training, courses, webinars, skills, and projects you are learning from and are a part of, respectively. This not only helps you look back on what you have learned throughout your time but also gives visual evidence of the contributions you have made to both your and the company’s development. This is huge when it comes to manager meetings or even future promotions.
Try to schedule 30 minutes in your calendar every Friday to write out, in detail, about the training or work you’ve been able to complete and the impact it has made. This is not just related to structured project work. Write down how you’ve been able to help colleagues, and your team, or make an impact in other ways.
{Related Post: Your Daily Routine After Work: 5-9 Routine for the Brown Girl}
Set Up Individual Meetings Each Week
Networking is an incredibly important part of your first corporate job. It is hard to see the impact now, but in the future, these contacts will be mutually beneficial to your career and there’s. It can be difficult to approach other colleagues but try to schedule at least one 1-on-1 meeting a week with someone new. Learn more about them and their past or current work, and also share a bit about yourself. Start with the team you are on, and set up meetings with those in closest hierarchy to you before moving up. Take notes about their academic history, professional background, and project work. This will help you see who to go to when you have questions.
Then you can expand to other teams you work with and even other parts of the business.
Attend as Many Events as Possible
This relates to the previous system, but in your first corporate job, there will likely be many opportunities to attend events either in person or virtually. These events are a great way to get exposure to other parts of the company as well as leadership. This helps you expand your network besides the people you directly work with.
Attend as many events as you can in your first year. People understand that you are new to the company and are excited to learn about your points of view. This will help set you up for success beyond your first corporate job. The easiest time to build your network is in your first year, so make it count. It’s similar to how you find your friends and “network” in the first year of college.
{Related Post: 5 Tips to Starting a New Job as a Young Professional}
Ask Questions
When you are just starting, people don’t expect you to know everything. While you may have attended a great university, those classes can only teach you the technical knowledge you need to know, not the company structure or culture.
In your first corporate job or any new job, there will be a learning curve to understanding acronyms, past project work, different applications, and so much more. Be curious and almost every question you have. Colleagues are willing to help you get the foundational understanding you need to succeed.
Watch Your Words
It is important to remember that you are not in college anymore. In a professional setting, it is important to be courteous and respectful to the people around you. Especially when starting your first corporate job, observe how people talk to one another and hold conversations. This will teach you a lot about the company culture.
There are always those one or two colleagues who will turn into our work besties, but it is still important to make sure you are not always complaining or blaming others. These small actions can end up being detrimental to you in the future. Just be mindful and aware of what you are saying.
{Related Post: How I Landed My First Corporate Job: 11 Essential Tips for a Successful First Job Interview}
Final Thoughts
I hope you found this blog post on how to set yourself up for success in your first corporate job to be helpful. If you did, please comment and interact with this post because it helps me out! Let me know any of your questions or thoughts below, and thank you so much for reading!
With love,
Aditi <3
Aditi Rani – Figuring Out Life in Your Twenties
*Disclaimer: This is not professional advice. Some links are affiliate. By clicking and/or purchasing, I may receive a commission. It does not alter the price or change your buyer experience.
