Make the Transition from College to Career Fun

Summary: Entering into the adult world with your first real job can be a fun adventure, just like your first day of school was back in elementary, middle, high school, and college.

Remember the days when we looked forward to going to school so that we could buy new school supplies like crayons and notebooks. We would use excuses that we needed a new pencil holder, fancy notebooks with folders, and planners to keep us organized. Now that you are done with back to school shopping for yourself, you can still shop for some fun projects that will keep you organized and energized about being a part of the working world.

Files- You attend countless meetings each week and use handouts, scraps of paper, and whatever else to scribble notes and brilliant ideas down on. Buy some fun colorful files to help you organize weekly meeting notes.

Notebooks- In college you kept a binder or notebook section for each class as a way of organizing. Now that you have a job, you can do something similar by keeping a small notebook or one notebook with color Post-its to keep your projects organized. Use your notebooks to take notes, highlighting things that need more attention just like you did in college.

Water bottle- Keep a fun reusable water bottle with you when you attend meetings. You never know when you might get a dry throat plus staying hydrated keeps you healthy. Taking an occasional break to walk to the drinking fountain to refill your bottle never hurts either.

Pictures- Back in high school you had a locker that you could decorate with all your photos of family and friends so now that you have an office you can do the same in a slightly more professional manner. Don’t go pinning up hundreds of pictures but instead pick a few of your favorite photos or inspirational quotes to place on your desk.

Treat jar- Admit it, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day can get boring. Keep a jar of little treats to keep your mouth occupied. Plus, sharing your treats is a great way of meeting other employees. Networking over a piece of candy never hurts.

Photo: mycuservices.com