College Dreams And The First Job

To be successful, the first thing to do is, fall in love with your work.

Sister Mary Lauretta

College is the ideal hub of dreams and aspirations! A place where thousands of students, with great ambitions in their eyes, strive to find ways to sky rocket their career. And one thing that everyone has in mind is that once they’ve nailed a handsome job, they’ve achieved it all.

The big four, as it is said, is the ultimate goal.

But little does everyone realise that “appearances are deceptive”, i.e. things are not exactly how they appear to be. A person imagines his first job to be a cakewalk with lots of opportunities to learn and prove oneself and most importantly, being independent to take one’s own decisions but once a person reaches his early twenties, embarking on the initial stages of his career, he starts witnessing the true picture which unfortunately is very distinct from what he had created in his mind. Life in college then seems to him like a bunch of people plodding their way to achieve success without knowing its merits and demerits.

It is only after some years that a person realises what it exactly means to work and earn a living.

A comfortable 9-5 job with a pleasant atmosphere, reasonable work load and hanging out with colleagues are just a few things that one imagines about his job after college, but when reality strikes, it’s hard to accept things. It is a harsh reality check moving from a college classroom to the company’s boardroom.

The Transition

The corporate culture is extremely different from the casual atmosphere in a college campus. Corporate culture includes the company’s official policies and what day to day interactions are like for an employee. One has to give some time to observe his co-workers and stand back and listen rather than inserting oneself into the conversation. From college, where no one really cares about your grades, to an office where there are performance reviews and inspections, it seems to be a tough transition. Also, the penalties for poor performance can be a little extreme than a reprimanding from parents.

When it comes to co-workers, everyone wants to have good relations with people and probably some assistance from them at one time or another, but with some people, as soon as they begin a job, they are in constant competition with their co-workers. This leads to the feeling of hostility and anguish, which could eventually grow down the road. The job responsibilities may also not be the same as were mentioned in the initial interview. The job description may have not even scratched the surface of what one is actually expected to do. Beginner level jobs demand a lot of hard work and time dedication which is the reason why most people find them grinding.

Studying in college and listening to success stories of people is an interesting thing but there are only a few who know about the struggle behind that position. Though not everyone has the same experience, there are many who fortunately land into a place which exactly fits their description of a dream job. Some people are lucky enough to have a friendly surrounding in office with the right boss, which is the most essential requirement for a satisfying job. These people succeed in finding like minded people at work. The boss at work might not always suit your description of a perfect employer. Employee- employer clashes are a common thing in office culture but at times it can take an ugly shape. When in college, people are more fascinated by the pay packages and perks offered by the companies, but when they step into the real world, these things take the back seat and job satisfaction and growth take the lead on the priority list. As it is said, ‘the privilege to work is a gift, the power to work is a blessing, the love of work is success.’

Aspiring high is important as intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings, but just dreaming without being prepared to face the consequences is of no good.

One must be aware of the pros and cons of every decision he takes. Struggle is an essential ingredient of success as without it, one can never know the worth of what he has achieved. On the journey from college to work, one must learn to adapt to the changing environment as it helps in adjusting to the office atmosphere. Having pleasant relations with the boss and colleagues is a prerequisite for a satisfying job and one must learn to create his own way among the crowd.

A person should learn to successfully communicate within a specific corporate structure as it is important for the growth of an individual in a company. One can also learn from real life experiences of successful people which paved their way through all odds to establish a name for themselves. We must dream big as it is said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” but at the same time we should be ready to face the music as a reward of following our dreams.