Tips to prepare for the university-work transition
Right from university, every graduate ought to draw and constantly review their personal development plan and familiarise themselves with the journey they want to pursue.
A graduate preparing to join the working environment can be likened to the transition of feeding a weaning baby on milk to solid foods. Many have confessed that what they study in school and university hardly reflect in the assignments given in many working spaces. This means one should go in with an open mind and must be willing to learn.
Robert Mwesige, a learning and development specialist working with a recruitment firm highlights tips that graduates should embrace in order to cope at the work place.
Emotional intelligence
This is soft skill that is desirable in all workplaces. Even when the interviewer is interacting with a potential candidate, they want to know how they deal with challenges at work.
“How do you react when you are irked or angry? Your reaction is very important and you need to work on your personality. Emotional intelligence is much more important than the academic qualifications,” says Mwesige. This challenges employees to have good people skills, communication and empathy.
Personal development plan
Right from university, every graduate ought to draw and constantly review their personal development plan and familiarise themselves with the journey they want to pursue. This he says defines career aspirations.
“When do you plan to start your master’s degree? Do you need to find a mentor or coach to help you discover yourself? If you don’t have such a plan, you are likely to suffer from career stagnation,” he says.
He says the biggest mistake is attempting to purse many things at the same time. Choose a career direction and focus on career goals.
Professionalise social media
Your social media pages should reflect your professional profile. Mwesige says employers take time to comb through social media pages in order to understand the kind of person they are adding to their group. He urges people to edit their account, use real names and qualifications.
Beware that recruiters check out online profiles. Digital foot print showcases who you are and says a lot of your personality. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are some of commonly reviewed apps while recruiting.
Keep learning
People relationships are the same whether at the workplace or university but they are seniors that need to be accorded respect. Henry Fold, an American industrialist asserts that anyone who stops learning is old. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.
The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. Learning is a lifelong journey and it’s something that will keep you closer to your career aspirations.
