Nine months ago I made the transition from student to full-time employee. This experience is different for everybody so I will only tell you a bit about my situation and hopefully provide some useful tips that you will find helpful.

Let’s start with some background. Near the end of my university degree I was somewhat desperate to finally graduate and join the work force. Yes, despite the Gen-Y stereotype, I did have grand dreams of becoming a contributing member of society, earning a reasonable salary, supporting a mortgage and finally moving out.

Well it’s been an interesting 9 months since I’ve said goodbye to pulling all-nighters on a new video game or cramming for an exam and said hello to being a cliché nine-to-five suit attracting the ‘ladies’ with my career and financial security. Ok so the last part hasn’t really worked out for me…

Anyway I’d like to think I’m doing ok and below I’ve listed some information that I have found useful and will hopefully be helpful to you if you are making the same transition soon. Please note that quotes have been provided for your pleasure.

1. In the words of Dr. Seuss – “Learn as if you were to live forever.” You should be open to learn new things, show humility to new ideas and make that extra effort to know just a little bit more. I’m not just talking about reading textbooks but also about learning the culture of your company and how to act in certain situations. I believe having the right skills is only part of the job and that being emotionally intelligent and fitting in to your workplace is equally important.
2. Don’t be afraid to fail. It is very common in today’s society to view failure as a negative thing. If you didn’t pass an exam or didn’t get that job your first thought was probably that you weren’t good enough. This feeling can be quite overwhelming but once you’ve moved past it you should look at it as an opportunity to be able to reflect on your failure and find new avenues by which you can improve yourself.
   It may be a bit belated but it’s only since I’ve started working in the corporate world that I’ve learnt that failure is a part of life. Though at first it was difficult, I now do (or at least try to) embrace my failures and learn from my mistakes; making me better and more prepared for similar situations in the future. As Confucius says “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
3. Success is more attitude than aptitude. – Johann Wolfgang.  It is in our nature for humans to be empathetic. Your mood is contagious and it will most likely affect those around you. People would rather be around someone that is happy and enthusiastic than someone who is sad and apathetic. So smile more! Don’t be afraid to celebrate wins as it helps bring that extra bit of positive energy into the workplace to make you and everyone else feel better.

Well that’s about it, those are the principles that are helping me navigate my way through life at the moment. So whether you are student, or a part-time or full-time employee, I hope this post has helped you out in one way or another. Interested in a career at Telstra? Check out our Graduate Program for 2013.

Do you have any advice or stories from you early work life?