Some Tips for Fresh Graduates Entering the Corporate World

Getting a job in these recessionary times is difficult. More so, getting the dream job of yours in a coveted company is even more difficult. Hence, you need to not only hold the job once you get it but also ensure that your performance exceeds expectations of your manager and the organization.

First, fresh graduates entering the corporate world have to understand that the college days are over and hence, they must behave and act in ways that resemble mature professionals rather than wet behind the years nerds.

For instance, in the corporate world, there is zero tolerance towards any violation of the company’s policies unlike in college where students are usually let off with a warning except in cases of serious misdemeanor. However, once you are in a job, you must be cognizant of the fact that any deviations from the company’s policies are viewed very strictly and might even lead to termination of your services. This includes adherence to the code of conduct, ethics policies, and anti harassment policies.

Next, fresh graduates have to understand that productivity and excellence are much valued in the corporate world as well as teamwork and being a team player. Therefore, unlike in college where individual brilliance is valued and grades accorded to individual excellence, the corporate world favors team brilliance and group performance. Therefore, it is as important to share and work in a team as it is important to perform at an individual level.

Third, the corporate world in recent years has become more of a lateral entry-hiring place where fresh graduates are taken only in big companies that have the need for hiring thousands of employees.

In most other companies, they are hiring only those with at least a couple of years experience and hence, graduates must do everything possible to bag the first job that would serve as an entry point into the corporate world.

Even the big companies have been deferring the on boarding process of fresh graduates because of the ongoing recession and this has led to many graduates having to wait for the elusive joining letter. In these cases, it would be better if these graduates spend the time acquiring new skills and attributes that would give them an edge over others once they join the job.

Fourth, fresh graduates have to remember that navigating the relationship with one’s manager is very different from navigating the relationship with one’s professors in college. Therefore, professionalism and a positive attitude that outgrows the collegiate habits are needed for success in the corporate world.

Apart from this, hanging around in groups from the same college, cracking jokes that are out of place at the workplace, and generally behaving as though the workplace is an extension of college are traits that are not appreciated in the corporate world.

The fifth aspect has to do with taking care of things like paying taxes, maintaining financial propriety, and ensuring proper management of one’s finances. For instance, it is common for many fresh graduates to not file the income tax returns even after a couple of years into the first job or the career. This is not only a violation of the rules but also something, which goes against the grain of many standards of ethics and professionalism.

Apart from this, there is a need to be overboard in claiming benefits and allowances from the company and fresh graduates have to remember that many companies are especially monitoring them because they know that for one, these is the segment that is unaware of the rules and second, this is the segment that has the tendency to overstate the claims and allowances more than the other segments mainly because of lack of experience but also because of the temptation to augment one’s salary and benefits.