EVERY year, graduates join the workforce to pursue their careers in different fields, however, at times it might feel hard to grasp the daily operations in the workplace.
Nola Payne, from The Independent Institute of Education said it was common for those starting – to feel trapped, anxious and sometimes terrified because of what they may have encountered at work.
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“We know that many millennials starting out in their first jobs often feel a sense of disillusionment, particularly where their expectations of what the working world and their job would be like doesn’t match reality,” said Payne.
Payne said young graduates who were already feeling stuck at work – potentially because they thought they made a wrong career choice – would have to determine the following:
Did you make the wrong career choice?
If you find there is a massive gap between your imagined career and the actual one, you need to determine whether the gap between the two is likely to close in future, or whether the thought of continuing in this field whatsoever is too much to bear. “Should the latter be the case, wide-skilling or re-skilling should be considered,” said Payne.
Did you make the right career choice, but you are already feeling stuck?
If your job is not motivating you, it is possible to re-energise and self-motivate to move on professionally on the same career path. “It’s important to remember that people spend most of their waking hours at work. Hence it is important to feel a sense of fulfilment, but that arises from your internal conversation about your work. The central point is to think about the role that your job plays in your life,” said Payne.
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Do you enjoy your work, but not the people around you (and vice versa)?
The reality is that you will – no matter where you are or what you do, encounter people you do not naturally get along. “Realising this early on, and working as much on your emotional intelligence as you did on getting your qualification, can dramatically improve your prospects and job satisfaction,” said Payne.
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