5 Ways to Rock Your First Entry-Level Job after Graduation

When you were a college student, you felt like you were going through the most challenging period of your life. You thought: “I’m going to study hard, I’m going to graduate as soon as possible, and my life will be easier after that.”
All students idealize life after graduation. But when the competitive job market reality hits you, it makes you realize: this right now is the most challenging period of your life. You’re done with your education, but employers are not interested in your grades. They want you to prove yourself as a valuable worker, who they don’t want to replace when the first opportunity arises.
Even when you figure out how to find your first job and you land yourself an entry-level position, the challenges are far from over. You have to rock that job if you aim for career progress.

1. Create a Strategy for Your First Three Months on the Job

Let’s start with the first day on your job. You’ll meet everyone in the office, so you have to think of the perfect way to introduce yourself. You’ve heard of the so-called elevator pitch, right? It’s a good way to make a quick, interesting, and relevant personal introduction.

Start with a standard intro, mentioning your name or handing a business card. Talk briefly about your skills and education, but don’t overwhelm people with too much information.
Mention how you like the company’s vibe and the office environment. Ask what everyone does during lunchtime. Don’t be afraid to ask if you can join them for coffee or lunch. You’re still an outsider, but you have to infiltrate yourself among coworkers for them to start liking you.
Ask the person you’re talking to if they have any tips for you as a beginner.

Your first day on the job will soon be over. Then what? The first 90 days are crucial for the employer to evaluate their new hire. They see this period as an extension of the interview process. You’re constantly being watched, but don’t get overwhelmed by that fact. Have a strategy: dress well, think of conversation starters, be nice to everyone, and do your job in the best way possible.

2. Show that You Can Write

You thought that your days of writing one essay after another are behind? You didn’t like academic writing at college, so you relied on a writing service when you got stuck with assignments. Your teachers kept convincing you: these projects are important, and you’ll benefit from good writing skills when you get a job. They were right. You’ll still need to rely on EduBirdie.com since your employer will ask for reports, blog posts, suggestions in writing, and official emails. If you show that you know how to write, this skill will be seen as an extra qualification. A valuable one!
Your experience with academic assignments is still fresh. Don’t allow the skills to fade away.

Practice writing! Choose topics that you like, and the ideas will flow without any effort.
Start your own blog! Choose a niche related to the job you have. It’s a great way to showcase your expertise and make your employer see that you have more value as a worker than they anticipated.
Take an online writing course! You’ll polish out your skills and you’ll get inspired to use them more.
Whenever your employer asks if someone can help with reports, Instagram captions, blog posts, or anything else that requires writing, you can volunteer.

3. Start Networking

You were always aware of the importance of networking. You used a few techniques to get this job. But now that you have it, why should you bother with more networking?
This is just an entry-level position, which you don’t intend to keep forever. Some employees get stuck with their first jobs for years, and they miss out on better opportunities. You don’t want to be one of them.

Your new job offers excellent networking opportunities. Add everyone on LinkedIn, and stay in touch. Get into LinkedIn groups, join discussions, and keep your eye on new positions in your industry. Career progress starts by building a network of valuable contacts.

4. Keep Learning

You might have graduated, but the process of learning never stops. Your new job, even though it’s just an entry-level position, will face you with the need to expand your knowledge in different categories. You may explore niches you haven’t tackled at college.

Let’s say you were never interested in data science and you didn’t take such courses throughout your education. But at your new job, you see that analytics play a huge part of the company’s work. You can take an online course in data science. Yes; it will be challenging. You can check this British service to get assistance with the coursework if you’re too busy to handle the workload. But try to learn as much as possible; new skills will help you get a promotion. Coursera, edX, and other platforms give you access to free learning material. It would be a shame not to benefit from such opportunities.

5. Keep Working on Your Resume

Take all opportunities to join projects that you can include in your resume. Take online courses, too. If you pay for certificates and earn them, you’ll have tons of new additions for your job application documents. They will replace the need for more experience, so you can start applying for new positions sooner than expected.

The important thing is to have a vision for your future. Your entry-level job is not a long-term position; it’s just a stepping stone that leads you to a more productive career.

About the author

Michael Turner has been focused on career progress since high school. He always had a vision of what he wanted to become, and he took every step forward with an intention. Michael’s blog posts help graduates to make a great entry into the new stage of their lives.

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