Study the company you are working for, and position yourself for success

It has finally happened! You have landed a job after a long and sweaty search.

You are excited, (it is natural) at the prospect of being a complete adult, one who can finally start paying his bills. Many possibilities are embodied in this new development; getting your own apartment (if you are in a rush for independence), finally buying new clothes and not having to account to your parents for every single shilling that you intend to spend. Now that is living The Life!

Between being able to really get a hold on your life and engage the education that you painstakingly acquired over the past 18 years (8-4-4 and the two years of pre-primary), there could be unforeseen challenges that you need to navigate as you position yourself for this thing called adulthood. And just to be clear, from the experiences of numerous people who have been where you are now, the challenge of navigating a first ‘proper’ job is not insurmountable. And trust me, if you were good enough to secure that job in the first place, then beating the initial anxieties in that gigantic office with rotating chairs to get back to your true glorious self is morning cereal.

In this week’s issue, we break down some of the aspects that you have to deal with as you begin your new job and which, as a matter of necessity, have to be straightened up. Or issues that you have to work around or find that you have to work around to wiggle yourself and fit into this new role.

The preliminaries: what you might need to adjust

Assuming you were jobless for the past one year, there are high chances that you slept and woke up whenever you wanted. You could also plan an evening night out with the girls, or boys, at the snap of a finger – no need for laborious protocol about going to bed early or forcing your friends to postpone the outing to Saturday or Sunday when you will be available. And that leads to the first point. 

1. Your schedule can no longer be haphazard

The times when you could be up for anything with your friends within short notice are now over. Your life will revolve around your job on most weekdays, and if you are lucky, you are in the job that you like, so aside from scheduling, you are still just being the best version of yourself.

Starting your first serious job means that apart from school, you have never needed to make tight arrangements. Make an effort to study the company you are working for, note the working hours, especially reporting time, and position yourself in a manner that will ensure that you report to work in time and that your productivity is at its maximum. 

2. Get ready to grow up, both literally and figuratively

Getting your first job means starting a new phase of life where you live under new rules with new people and not having five straight hours to chat with your friends. A new job means changing circumstances. It will no longer be possible to catch up with everything that is happening in your friends’ lives. And that is okay. Remember that every cloud has a silver lining - the silver lining in this is that you are getting some professional experience, some money and another experience of life. 

3. Get ready to unlearn some of the stuff you learnt is school

One of my favourite authors, Chimamanda Adichie, says, “Your standardised ideologies will not always fit your life because life is messy.”

Well, the work place is not messy. It is just not white and black. There are chances that what you learnt in school will not adequately prepare you for the roles that you will be assigned at your place of work. Sometimes this variation is by a long shot, but most times, it is by a long shot.

One thing that you need to switch on therefore is your teachability button. You are going to learn new things and this can come with massive revelations. Brace yourself for this experience. And do not forget to switch on your critical faculties as well because even in that new job where you are a learner, your critical thought is essential to give soul to what you are trying to do.

4. You might lose some friends

We pray this does not happen, but when it does, know that it has to do with priorities and the amount of time that you have. You no longer have 24 hours and 365 days a year at your disposal to do whatever you want. A big part of that will be eaten up by work.

You will find that you get to the point where few friends who understand you stay, while others will no longer have the patience to work around your (lousy) schedule. Do not hold it against them.

So now we are done with the pre-preparation for your first job. You are now ready to hit the office and join the ranks of the working class world. But are you? 

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SMOOTH SAILING

You can navigate the challenges smoothly 

These tips will help you to find your way around this new environment: 

Do you remember the experience that you had when you joined that new school in Class Six? The classmate who spoke loudly and seemed to make everyone laugh (except you, of course) and that other one who knew the entire timetable off-head? And you could just not imagine being this ‘knowledgeable’ one day?

Yes, at your new place of work, you will find these characters as well, and some may leave you feeling as if you know nothing in this world. Don’t allow it to get to you, instead, focus on learning as much as you can. Here are some key tips that you can use to work around this new challenge of fitting in or understanding this new environment. 

1. Give yourself time

This is quite simple: you are in a new environment and it is okay to not know people and to not have a crowd of friends who know you by your nickname. It will take time before you come around to learning your new colleagues and being able to actually share a laugh.

An article in the Business Daily notes that most of your co-workers are likely to be very friendly and will introduce themselves on your first day of work. Reciprocate: learn their names and begin to form bonds from this point.

People easily warm up to you if you remember their name or things about them. It is also just courteous at a universal level to remember people who introduce themselves to you. But as already noted, give yourself time; you are not a tape-recorder! 

2.The new culture

Organisational culture is another of the first lessons that you are going to need to learn. This could be a challenge especially if you come from a background where you were used to wearing whatever made you comfortable, for instance. Suddenly being expected to look all official will be a challenge. An article in US News gives the following guideline to being able to quickly learn the organisational culture.

 I will begin with my favourite: Ask questions. Get a colleague that you feel comfortable with (your gut will tell you) and ask them about how you should conduct yourself in the office and if there are any dos and don’ts concerning the workplace that you need to know.

The second guide the article gives on how to learn the organisational culture is to take time to look around you. Now, this comes with a disclaimer: learn what is meaningful. If the organisation has a culture of employees saying hello to each other for 30 minutes every morning and you do not have time for that, you are under no obligation to conform to this. The article explains that culture is something that can be felt: learn the meaningful and the essential only.

3. Not everyone will like you. Period.

You will agonise over this for some time, but eventually, you will have to overcome it. The fact is that there are those colleagues who will simply not warm up to you for some reason.

Robert Half, a staffing and employment agency based in the US, in a 2014 article, advices that when it comes to difficult co-workers, always be polite but very firm. The article further notes that working with less-than-friendly colleagues will test your patience, but the worst mistake you can make is to retaliate with hostility.

Instead, ensure that you speak with an even, polite tone at all times to ensure that the situation does not escalate. 

4. Other resources you might need

Apart from a desk and a computer that you might need for your job, there are other things such as a clients’ directory or the staff canteen that may not come up during your orientation and so you might not really know that you need them until you need them!

Do not kill yourself trying to invent what is already there. The least you can do is find out if a directory of potential clients already exists (assuming you were not hired to create that directory in the first place). And if you are in a media organisation and you find that you have to look at past issues of the newspapers, for example, do not search far.

Just ask the colleague at the next desk where you can get copies because there isn’t a media organisation that does not have a library.

I also need to add that if your place of work is located up-town where restaurants charge an arm and a leg for a meal suitable for a bird, please venture downtown and look for eateries that you can afford to eat in.

You could also find out from your co-workers where they usually have lunch. A first salary is usually a far cry from a king’s ransom, so better still, you could consider carrying packed lunch from home. 

5. Keep an open mind

Now this is more of a footnote. Open your mind to the possibility that you might be wrong. And be willing to revise your beliefs about things and see them from an alternative perspective. Remember, one sign of intelligence is entertaining an idea without accepting it.

Steer away from the troublemakers 

Tested patience: The worst mistake you can make is to retaliate with hostility.

The best reaction: Remain polite to ensure that the situation does not escalate.