To say my life has changed in the last couple of months would be an understatement. For anyone, change is not an easy thing to accept, especially when you are told you need to wake up before midday! So, as I make the transition from a university student to a full-time young professional, here are some tips on how I coped with this adjustment.
Routine is your new best friend
Due to being in lockdown for the past five months, or what feels like five years, the concept of a routine has been blown out the water. I had no bedtime and I could wake up whenever I wanted without any guilty feelings.
However, I must admit I have really enjoyed getting back into a routine, I feel a sense of purpose again. You soon learn when entering the world of work that punctuality is an important part of success. Having your day planned out with a list to tick off is always a great guide and keeps you on that path of a focused day.
Distractions, distractions, and more distractions
I’m ashamed to admit my phone has been my best friend throughout lockdown as, let’s be honest, what else is there to do? Therefore, weaning myself off my social media addiction (?) was, I am not proud to admit, a struggle and a challenge.
Simple strategies worked such as putting my phone in another room while I worked, muting my notifications, and simply immersing myself in work so my phone was not even on my mind.
As mentioned earlier, routine has become a crucial part of adapting to working life. However, differentiating between work and home is hard when in my case you are your working from your bedroom.
I find simple activities such as ensuring I take a walk after work, meet up with friends and just simply move away from my work environment for the evening helps a lot. Overall, being aware of the work and home differentiation, ensures you keep a good mental state and has most definitely kept me sane (well, almost).
Achievement
With the current job market at an all-time low due to COVID, sometimes I really must take a minute to pat myself on the back. Some of my friends have turned to masters degrees, some are still searching for work and struggling, and some are lucky enough to have found a job.
As if getting a job isn’t hard enough, why not throw a pandemic and a collapsed economy in there too! It’s not exactly a recipe for success. I am grateful to have found a job I enjoy and can see myself thriving in.
What I would say to graduates is cut yourself some slack, four years of hard work is not something taken lightly, and it’s a huge accomplishment to come out the other side. I must say the transition has not been an easy ride, but it has been a rewarding one. My key advice for any other graduates would be patience. I look forward to my future at éclat and to the next chapter in my life.