Classroom to Corporate: An overwhelming journey
The difference between college life and corporate life can be quite staggering for some students. The transition between two contrasting worlds has its own challenges. While in college you mostly juggle between classes and academics, things in the corporate world work in a totally different equation. In college, things are mostly defined but unrealistic, you are mainly concerned about your good scores which comprise gaining theoretical knowledge whereas in corporate life you are all on your own. You get the power and flexibility to explore things for yourself but as rightly said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The eagerness to kickstart corporate life while still in college fades away in a blink of an eye. Adjusting to corporate life is itself a process and all you need to begin is the right kind of mindset.
Three years ago when I stepped into the corporate world I was blinded by the glamour of this industry. Little did I know that all this is going to fade away once you are introduced to the real world! So here is a list to crack this corporate code.
What to do:
1. Be a good listener — While you are always taught to communicate your thoughts clearly, I would insist that you don’t miss the art of listening. Your first step to thriving in the corporate culture is to listen to your seniors. You will have to understand every thick and thin of the company or the project and listening skills will ease your task to do so.
2. Time Management — Managing time is one of the key skills in everything you do in your life but its importance is more understood when you face real-world situations. It is not just about supervising your own time but also respecting the time of your peers. No matter how good or bad you are doing but if you fail to manage your time all your efforts are in vain.
3. Work-Life Balance — Walking into corporate life can be really promising and hence we forget to draw boundaries. We often realise the importance of work-life balance late in our careers but the sooner you understand, the better your life is. Overloading yourself with work may not show repercussions at the beginning of your career but can hinder your physical and mental health in the long run.
What not to do:
1. Stay out of the blame game — Mistakes are a part of every process and as a beginner, you tend to make a handful of them. Learn to take ownership of your tasks and the mistakes that happened in the meanwhile. Don’t look for options whom you can blame for your mistakes.
2. Never take criticism negatively — You can never escape criticism and I believe you never should. Criticism is part of the ladder of learning. It is completely on you how you are going to take it. Do not be discouraged by the criticism. Pick things that motivate you and learn to take criticism constructively always. Moreover, you should be thankful to people who provide you with the constructive criticism because that speeds up your process of learning.
3. Don’t give up — No matter how hard the problem is, never keep giving up as an option. Be willing to learn from your failures. As rightly said, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” So it is important that you are adamant enough to find the solution to the problem. Always find ways to restart and definitely don’t settle for less.
This list can never be exhaustive because each one of us has a unique experience. The journey is distinctive and it is all worthwhile because of the people around us. You may encounter a difficult team member at some point in time whereas you may find a friend for life in some other team member. It is all part of the journey. Last but not least I want to say that there is no rule book for an ideal employee just that you fall, you fail, you get up and you succeed.
