Transitioning from school to work environments can be one of the most difficult changes you’ll face as a young professional. Whether you’re pursuing a full-time virtual internship or have just entered the job market, it’s important to be prepared for this major life change.
Here are 5 helpful tips to facilitate the transition from school to work:
1. Update your professional profiles
Your professional materials, including your resume, cover letter, references and LinkedIn profile, are important tools as you begin transitioning from school to work. Update your online professional profiles with your most recent education and professional experience to start building up your portfolio to appeal to employers. Additionally, you need to ensure that your key skills are highlighted to make yourself stand out. This goes both for your CV and your LinkedIn profile. Keeping these profiles up to date will serve you well in your networking efforts, and of course, during your job hunt.
2. Reach out for advice
As a young professional, nothing is more valuable than your network. Reach out to your trusted advisors for advice and assistance as you make your transition from a school to a work environment. Whether you have an advisor at university or a professor who gives great advice, don’t hesitate to ask for help where and when you need it. People in your career field, from your university, or those around you in your internship are likely to have some great advice to ease you through school to work.
3. Get organized
Getting organized is one of the most difficult aspects of the transition from school to work. As a student, you probably had deadlines and study schedules set out for you. However, this is not the case in the professional world. Getting organized for your professional endeavours is essential. From keeping track of roles you’ve applied for to your weekly schedule, organization is key to success. If you’re disorganized, potential employers will notice, and won’t be as likely to want you on their team as you may not come across as professional or reliable.
4. Get enough sleep
When you’re frantically applying for every job or internship in your industry, things like sleep may fall by the wayside. However, if you’re not getting enough sleep, you won’t perform at your best when you’re in interviews or even in the office. Lack of sleep can also increase stress levels, something you definitely don’t need more of! Prioritizing your health can be as simple as getting enough sleep every night, and this will improve your overall transition period.
5. Create a budget for your school to work transition
Budgeting can be one of the most difficult skills to learn when you enter the professional world. However, for obvious reasons, it is also one of the most important. If you create a budget before you begin your transition period, you’ll avoid stress down the road. Additionally, if you’re hoping to use your transition period to do some travel or interning, a budget is a great way to determine what you’ll be able to do.
To make the transition between school and work a little easier, you might want to consider doing an internship, where you can get a taster of the working environment whilst immersing yourself in a new culture. An internship can bridge the gap between school and work to give you extra skills and experiences to take with you into the workplace.
