Preparing College Students for the Workforce

As students prepare to leave the doors of their college and enter the halls of the professional workforce, they likely will have had many experiences that will lend well to this next journey. However, there are a few things that can aid them as they make this next transition. While they may have held internships or had experience in employment, entering the workforce full time can feel intimidating and daunting. Consider imparting this advice to help them as they prepare to make these next steps.

Opportunities

Not everyone will fully know what field they want to enter, and it can be intimidating to be surrounded by others who sound like their entire lives are figured out. One underutilized and helpful resource can be the career center. These individuals are trained to help students understand their options and how to achieve them. For your students who are still doing some exploring, consider referring them to experience and campus resources that provide them the opportunity to explore those interests, goals and future aspirations.

Professional Etiquette

Professional etiquette can feel like a requirement for many jobs, but for many who have never had experience within a professional realm, this can be terrifying. Beyond the interview, it is important to consider your behavior in the workplace. Whether you are answering emails, participating in collegial conversation or even your timeliness, it is useful to understand the expectations of a workplace. By understanding the culture, students can find themselves feeling less nervous and understanding how to navigate in the space. Consider asking your students what their questions are about operating in the office space, and assure them that it is always better to air on the side of caution while feeling out an environment. Encourage your students to ask a colleague or research the company to get a better sense of the corporate culture.

Correspondences

In our digital age, we can get very used to immediate responses. However, in the workplace, it is important to understand that not everything will require an immediate reply and some forms of communication are more formal than others. Behaviors like writing an email using slang to a client and busting into your colleague’s office after just hitting send to get their reply can be disruptive, impolite and break etiquette. Airing on the side of formality to begin a conversation leaves space for informality if the other party leads with that which can be helpful advice for your students.

Meetings

Meetings can be a wonderful opportunity to showcase projects and talents, however, these can also offer an opportunity for blunders. Before sending your students out into the world, consider how you can provide them feedback on running meetings. It is important to be respectful of other people’s time, as staff members often have too much to do and too little time. Particularly when participating in a sales meeting, make sure to start meetings on time and not give time to distractions like personal questions, issues, or catch-up discussions. A useful tactic is to create an agenda to stick to, as this will be sure to keep you on schedule.

Feedback and Mistakes

An often challenging component of transitioning to the workplace is soliciting and receiving feedback. This can be a difficult step, as employees may have to request feedback to improve, but feel sensitive if it is addressing an area of improvement. Consider how to reframe feedback as a lesson to be learned from and an opportunity to grow. It is natural to make mistakes, as we are all human. However, it can also be a difficult challenge. While much of any position can be learning on the job, it is important to remain resilient and evaluate ways to take the feedback you receive and grow from it. Challenge your students to take these opportunities are chances to grow and improve as a professional.

Transitioning from college to the workforce can feel like a monumental hurdle, however, many students have the ability to gather their experiences to properly prepare them. While they have these experiences, consider ways to help them make this transition by offering information, experiences and feedback early on.