Fresh graduates and their struggles are mostly dismissed as anxiety associated with joblessness and not considered as hardships that come ‘with’ the job itself. Students eager to end college and enter the professional world are often not fully prepared of the challenges that await them.
Their ‘sweet bubble’ starts to burst when reality hits hard and they are burdened with deadlines, lack of appreciation, work-life imbalance and additional personal and professional issues. The bumpy transition from a safe college environment to a challenging workplace often leaves a new professional not only confused but also dissatisfied, which directly affects productivity of the team they are part of and consequently the company on a bigger level.
Entry level jobs are often the most difficult. The difficulty is not only associated with understanding the work and the office culture, but also perhaps because new professionals fail to find a purpose, or they feel the job they are doing is not what they feel passionate about. However, keeping the long-term goals in focus, can help navigate the individuals through the challenges they face.
To manage the transition to a new job, college graduates can work on developing specific soft skills, finding right mentors and staying consistent in the work they are doing. It is equally important for colleges to provide adequate counselling to help them prepare for corporate level challenges. In addition employees at workplace can learn to empathize and address the challenges faced by recent graduates and extend their support to overcome them.
