5 Things I Learned From My First Month of Work

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Today marks one month at my first real-world job experience! I am actually off today for the beginning of my winter break and I am so excited to be home with my family for the holidays. But, that won't stop me from sharing some of my best tips that I learned over the course of the month. Many of these tips might not be new or innovative, but they are seriously the most important things and what I think about every day when I am getting my work done. 

O N E

Complete assignments before you are asked to do them! I have noticed that a lot of times in meetings there are smaller, random tasks that get thrown around and someone needs to do them. I have figured out at this point which of these tasks my supervisor would probably delegate to me later on in the day, and be sure to complete them before she even asks me about it! That way, our entire team is one step ahead of the game in the afternoon.

T W O

Volunteer to help with assignments that might not be your own deliverables. As part of a team, you will often be asked for help by your coworkers on projects both big and small. The gesture of volunteering your help can go a long way if someone is overwhelmed or trying to juggle multiple projects at once. Especially during the holiday season, everyone could use a helping hand to pitch in and as a new hire, this really shows your dedication and team spirit.

T H R E E

There is no task beneath you. If your boss asks you to print out 100 copies of a meeting agenda or any other small task, put as much effort into completing that task as you would any other assignment. Even though a task might be seen as super "important," you very well may be contributing to the smooth sailing of your team or company for the day, which can mean the world.

F O U R

Absorb all the information that you can. Since my current role is in communications, part of my job includes reading through media reports, press releases, and other publications on a daily basis. I have learned so much about my company and industry at large just from reading and learning this information. I now feel much more confident in speaking about what my company does and provided backstories when I am asked by family and friends about my job. This is all thanks to my willingness to absorb and learn as much information as I can, both from my daily tasks as well as from doing research in my downtime. 

F I V E

Introduce yourself to other people in the office! I cannot stress this one enough, because becoming friendly with your coworkers has a drastic impact on what your daily life is like at work. I was hesitant at first to meet people, but now I am finally starting to get to know more people in the office and can say hi and engage in conversation when I see them around. It is definitely scary to put yourself out there again, particularly if you aren't joining a company with a whole class of new grads, but it will make all the difference in your work experience!