Lessons Learnt From My First Corporate Job
No matter how much you dread the concept of a 9-to-5 job, the corporate world presents opportunities for you to hone your leadership skills unlike any other.
I did an internship over the winter and here are a few things I've learnt that have helped me grow as an individual:
To infinity and beyond!
At work, you're in charge of getting work done and delivering the commitments you make to your manager and/or clients, within the time frame you set. You'll rarely find a source of motivation in the corporate world like your best friend who pushed you to study the night before your mock exam.
Thus, to meet (and exceed) expectations, you have to take real ownership of your tasks by delivering beyond what's expected of you. It means being proactive and taking initiative, staying on top of your tasks and deadlines, following up with others to get their input, and implementing that feedback at every stage to really deliver added value. If you want to get noticed for your work, be prepared to do more than the bare minimum.
Make deadlines your new best friend
Sometimes, the bare minimum is all you can really deliver. As a part-time intern, I often juggled the pressures of academics with my work, and more often than not, there will be a tradeoff. No matter how proactive you are, sometimes you will have to settle for average work. In such instances, what you should focus on, without fail, is meeting the deadline itself. In fact, make it a habit.
By doing so, you may not be hailed as an exceptional employee, but over time, you will be regarded as a consistent and reliable performer - an invaluable quality that will set you apart from your peers.
Sharpen your business writing skills
Writing has always been my forte (Shout, anyone?). So, you can imagine why I was dumbfounded to discover that I was horrible at business writing. That's because such writing is usually targeted for business communities which include individuals who may or may not speak English fluently. Thus, to enhance ease of communication, business writing must be brief, direct, and have a clear objective - unlike creative writing where you have the freedom to be witty and wordy.
Whether it's a report, a blog or an email, effective business writing will help you present persuasive arguments or massive information in a concise format; this makes nonverbal communication much easier, efficient and hassle-free.
Record what you do
Make sure you document all the tasks or projects you complete. During my internship, I maintained a Trello (an app that can be downloaded from the App Store or Play Store) board, and it not only helped me keep track of my tasks, deadlines and upcoming projects, but also allowed everyone to see how much I'd accomplished, and the progress status of ongoing tasks. This was so immensely helpful that I've continued to do this post-internship, and my life has never been more organized.
Take it with a pinch of salt
You're not always going to like who you meet. Some people will be welcoming, whereas others will criticize you and/or your work every time. While some intend this as a learning experience for you, others will do it just because. Learn to filter out the white noise, and retain tangible feedback. At the end of the day, the corporate world is a network of people from different backgrounds, mindsets and personalities. Believe it or not, each individual, no matter how unlikable they are, adds something to the organizational culture, and whether or not that quality teaches you anything, is for you to judge. So don't be so quick to write off somebody who's been unkind to you. Who knows, you might just end up learning something valuable from the most unexpected individual.
Mithi Chowdhury is a dog-loving-movie-watching-mediocrity-fearing normal person. Either that or a penguin. Find out at mithichy612@gmail.com