Life Before Noon: A Millennial’s Manual

As most of Life Before Noon has already done, I will follow suit and describe my first few days on the job. It began on Wednesday. Like Rachel I prepared the night before - deciding what to wear and making sure I packed all the documents I would need when I went to the Personnel Department first thing in the morning. Unlike what some of my fellow bloggers experienced I had the fortune of only having to walk to work. A five minute walk, short elevator ride and there I was.

Things took a slight turn after that.

Reaching the 18 floor only then did I realize that I needed to sign in with reception before going into the elevator. I soon understood that all the doors leading to the different departments of the organization have a security block that requires a chip in order for the door to open. Instead of bothering with proper protocol I went straight up and proceeded to knock on the doors until I was let in.

All was going smoothly until I was asked for my passport.

Oops. Setback number two.

Finally, I headed to my floor. I met with my boss and we began discussing the various projects I would work on, the organizational culture, etc. She then started explaining some politics and the organization’s hierarchy - in Bosnian. Needless to say I was lost, so she began again, this time in English.

The rest of the day passed without any major setbacks. I now know that when leaving or entering the office I have to check my security chip, I know that the bathroom door opens by pushing a button located in the office and I know that I love Post-it notes. I have them all over my computer with tid-bits reminding me of phone numbers and e-mails.

My case of the Wednesdays ended way before I took a bat to the fax machine and although I’ve only been at this for three days and I still have two days of training this week, I believe that I’m slowly beginning to get the hang of things. By asking questions, not being afraid to make a fool of myself (which I have), and paying attention to what I’ve been told, I’m managing to get by, even in Bosnian.

-Aida

You have officially moved into your new city post-graduation. Congratulations! You have a handle on the commute, the corporate culture and your daily tasks. You are on the path to success.

And then Friday night rolls around. Crap.

You have no social life.

Maintaining a work/life balance is important, especially when moving to a new city. Friends may be difficult to find, and finding good friends who share similar values and work ethic is even harder.

But finding those friends isn’t as hard as you think. It just takes stepping outside your comfort zone to make connections. Here are some guidelines I follow:

1. Talk to people. It’s that simple. Waiting for the subway, tell the girl standing next to you that you like her scarf. Talk about the weather to the guy in line next to you. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but it can be a good networking exercise as well. Disclaimer: don’t be a creeper, just be social.
2. Be open to different types of friends. That’s what moving to a different city is about. Talk to a variety of people. Just because you had a certain “type” of friend at home or in school doesn’t mean you can’t make very different friendships in your new home.
3. Don’t sit at home. You work hard and want to relax. Go to a coffee shop and read. Sit in a park, go to the gym, take a walk. Put yourself in a social atmosphere and cancel that date with your TV and Ben & Jerry’s. Then follow #1.
4. Be friendly, but not too friendly with co-workers. Spending time outside the office with co-workers may increase camaraderie, but don’t let it interfere with your professional life in the office.
5. Don’t wait for the bar. Chances are you may make some friends at the bar. Just don’t wait to go out on Friday or Saturday night to make friends.
6. Maintain your friendships from home. Continue to maintain your friends from school and home. With ever-changing social media it is easy to stay connected despite distance.

Solid friendships may be hard to come by, but by putting yourself in different social situations it may become easier.

-Carla

As you can tell from the past couple of posts on LBN, some of us are starting our first post-grad jobs. And while Rachel’s last post gave us a play by play of those first crucial days and how to expect the often overlooked (i.e. bus schedules and the tasks your boss will throw at you to “get your feet wet”), I thought I would take a look at some tips to help you manage the more typical aspects of your first week on the job.

We all know the advice for prepping pre-first day — do your research, dress appropriately, etc. But what about the specifics? Filling out tax forms and the countless stacks of paper work HR hands you that first day can be daunting, and if you’re anything like me, a little over your head (I’m still not entirely sure what a 401K is). Hopefully some of this advice that I’ve received from employers, friends and the blogging community will help ease some of those first-week jitters.

1. Listen at orientation.It can be tempting to zone out when the rep from HR covers your IRA plan for the fourth time, but it’s probably not a good idea. The information they’re covering is seriously important and it’s nice to have a better understanding of all the unfamiliar terms and policies. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. I had my rep triple check the forms I gave her just to make sure I comprehended exactly what I was signing.

2. Take notes. Every meeting you have, every tour you get, every random piece of advice your coworkers give you — jot it down. You don’t know what is what, so write down anything you hear. It’s better to have too much info than not enough.

3. Start building relationships with your coworkers.First impressions count. Try and meet everyone you can but make a genuine effort to get to know them. No doubt you’ll be introduced to the ones you’ll interact with on a more consistent basis, but go out of your way to set up a coffee date with the ones you necessarily won’t.

4. Soak it all in. Your first week is for you to have a chance to observe your work environment and let it really sink in. It will be filled with a ton of education and discovery about your position and the company, and it can be overwhelming, so try to take it one thing at a time.

As a first timer entering your first legit 40 hours per week, you’ll realize that your college degree does little to help prepare your for that first week. Since when was the last time you consulted your PR Design Guide for tips on how to operate the fax machine? But that is one of the good things about the new kid — most companies will take the time to train you appropriately so you’re not expected to run down the specs on a process simplification project right away. They get that you’re the new kid and you’re allowed time to figure things out for yourself. Be proactive in making that first week count and you’ll be well on your way to having a successful first two weeks.

-Marilyn