I’ve never been skilled at multitasking, so I deal with it by setting a schedule that lets me devote different periods of the day to different aspects of my life. If you crave exercise to calm your nerves, make time for it-even if it means you’re not the first one in the office.
So, the things you needed to succeed while you were in college will likely be the same things you need in a job setting.įor example, if you know you need a full eight hours of sleep to function properly at 7 AM, then figure out how to get it-even if it means calling it an early night when your friends are still out. And yes, while your lifestyle-everything from your schedule to your social life to your living situation- will be very different from the past four years, you are still the same person. Many of my friends from college struggled with the transition because they thought being in the “real world” meant being a whole new person than they were in undergrad. You’ve heard this advice in college, but here it is again: Know what you, personally, need to succeed. If you’re feeling the same way, here are a few things I found immensely helpful in balancing my first few post-grad months. Sure, I did a lot in undergrad, too, but there’s something about adding a full-time job into the mix that requires a different approach to scheduling, planning, and organization. A typical week for me consists of working at my 9-to-5 job, volunteering at two nonprofits, happy hours and hikes with friends, networking at professional events, getting in some “me” time, and even doing some contract work.Īnd I love this pace, but when I first made the transition from college to working world, I found that balancing a new job, a personal life, and a new city-and staying happy doing it-was a pretty big challenge. Like many other young professionals, I have a jam-packed schedule.