Talent Acquisition manager advises young graduates on how to be successful in the workplace
So, you've just signed your job offer as a January 2017 graduate – Congratulations! But, what do you do now? What can you expect? How do you prepare?
These questions can all be very overwhelming, many of which are addressed in this article to prepare you for the ensuing challenges and expectations that you will face as you enter the corporate world.
1. Time management
As you leave your care-free student days behind and start your first job you need to take responsibility for how you manage your time. Arriving on time is essential in a corporate environment. Consider the advice below:
- Plan a new routine that fits in with your job requirements.
- Consider how long it takes you to get to the office, how traffic affects your route and if there are any transport alternatives available that will reduce your travel time; and
- You may also want to consider relocating closer to work if your budget allows this
2. The Corporate world
Adjusting to corporate culture is most likely the biggest challenge that you may encounter when entering the workplace for the first time. This is quite life-changing as you realize that you have commitments to honour and that you will be held accountable for your actions. The reality is that you have to start at the bottom, prove yourself, and focus on learning as much as you can. There are a number of factors to think about in this regard:
- Firstly, research the dress code at your new company. Make sure that you dress appropriately for the role in which you find yourself and the industry in which you work. Make an effort to look neat and portray a professional image that inspires confidence.
- Always be professional: be on time, treat your co-workers with respect, focus on your job and make sure that you deliver what you need to when you need to.
- Beware of office politics and avoid office gossip. Don't allow yourself to be dragged into negative conversations about people at work. Not only are you demeaning others, you are also disrespecting yourself by engaging in that kind of behaviour. If you find yourself in such a situation excuse yourself and rather spend that time on something constructive and uplifting. Do not allow office politics to distract you from developing your career.
- Another factor to consider is that of information overload. In your first few months, you will be bombarded with information, and you will also be expected to learn many new things which will range from the technical aspects of the job to company policies and procedures. Whilst this may seem overwhelming at first you can turn it into the ideal learning opportunity and broaden your knowledge base at the same time.
- Lastly, be humble and willing to learn. Don't assume that you know everything just because you have a degree! Tap into the lessons learnt by those who have more experience. Be humble, ask questions and listen with understanding when you engage with your colleagues.
3. Understanding your earnings
It is imperative for graduates to understand their payslips. Some of the important terms you will need to understand are:
- Cost to the company (CTC): The total cost that the organisation is spending on an employee in one year
- Salary: The fixed financial remuneration paid by a company to an employee on an hourly, weekly or monthly rate in return for work performed
- Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF): A government fund used to give temporary financial relief to individuals when they become unemployed
- Pension/ provident fund: A fund or scheme which provides retirement income
- Benefits: depending on the company structure, this may form part of your CTC or maybe a separate benefit: Examples of these are, but are not limited to, medical aid, car allowance, etc.
- Statutory costs: there will be various deductions on your payslip which is deductible by law such as Income tax, Uif, etc
It is important to understand what you are earning in real terms so that you are assured of being remunerated at the right level and so that you can budget accordingly – the worker is worth his wage! Request a breakdown of a payslip from the company before you start and find out if there are any benefits or deductions that kick in later, for example after six months from the start date, you should request a breakdown of a payslip for that period as well.
4. Conditions of employment
Make sure that you pay attention to the following:
- Register with SARS to obtain an income tax reference number
- Familiarise yourself with the Basic Conditions of Employment and Labour Relations Acts; and
- Read and understand your employer's human resources policies, particularly those that directly affect you as an employee, for example, disciplinary procedures, code of conduct and so forth.
5. How to budget
It will be difficult to manage your finances responsibly if you don't have a budget. Use the salary breakdown and net earnings as mentioned earlier to draw up a budget. Make sure to deduct essential living expenses first, and to set money aside for unforeseen circumstances. You may find it useful to set short and long term goals to achieve your financial goals.
Always remember that "The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand" Vince Lombardi
In conclusion, your first few months as a working professional will be a huge learning curve and could leave you feeling overwhelmed. Pause, take a deep breath and focus on what you want to achieve in your career. You can do it!
