All Grown Up: How-To-Guide on Becoming a Working Girl

by Asma Hassan

A professor once told me that the only difference between being a student/intern and a professional was that you get paid for your homework… And not until I got there did I believe her!

After graduation, life is definitely different. Both lives, as a student and professional, have their pros and cons. The perks that come after graduation as a professional, however, are definitely worth the endless hours of studying and stress that come with college.

Here is some basic advice to follow on your road to becoming a professional:

1. Work is work. You can’t skip a day just because you feel like it or because you have something more interesting or important to do. Your employer expects you to be present every day (for the most part).
2. Being professional takes patience and experience. Internships help in molding a young professional, but it takes asking a lot of questions and a lot of practice to write that perfect report or email.
3. Every job is different. We don’t learn to adapt to different industries and positions in school. A lot of true learning occurs after graduation, when you will have to learn your industry’s jargon, culture and practices through experience.
4. Even though you have more time to yourself (not studying, working on projects), working a full time job requires stricter time management both at work with your tasks and projects and after work with your personal time
5. Openness, honesty and networking are the keys to success at work. They prove your reliability as well as improve your skills as a team player. Don’t be shy to ask questions. Ask as many as you can until you understand what you need to. Don’t be ashamed to admit you don’t know something or how to do something (after you research it completely, of course!).
6. Constantly update your resume or CV according to each experience you gain at work. It helps to get specific examples of projects you’ve worked on for your portfolio.

Besides these tips, be sure to be upfront with your employer in regards to what they expect from you, as well as what you expect from them. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Salary (hourly? Weekly? Base salary? Overtime?).
2. Benefits options – if your employer does offer health insurance benefits, research your out of pocket costs, deductibles and what is covered (and not covered!).
3. Time-off – obtain a list of all national holidays, paid time-off and sick days you are eligible for each quarter or year.
4. Open disclosure – each company and employer’s culture is different, but it’s always safe to be upfront about any possible personal issue that may come up (you’re pregnant, you’re moving, you’re interested in growing to a higher position within the company). This is at your own discretion, but it really does create a healthy relationship between you and your employer if you are honest. If you help them, chances are they will help you too.
5. Reimbursements – research whether your company can help you with additional schooling, tuition repayment, car notes, gas allowance, cellular services and anything else that may be related to your job.

The best part of being a professional, of course, is the paycheck that comes along with it. Here are some tips that have helped me out:

1. Save! Whether it’s for something specific or just in general, be sure to save as much as you can. A day will come when you will be glad you did!
2. Prioritize your budget – this will prevent excessive spending for unnecessary things.
3. Start paying off your loans as much as possible. You will actually end up paying more in accumulated interest for your tuition or car loans at the end of it all.
4. Keep track of your expenses – this will help you monitor your spending and savings.
5. We are young and working hard – be sure to spend some of your hard-earned money on yourself as well!

There’s nothing as rewarding as walking down the stage with your diploma in hand. It’s even more rewarding to sign that contract at your first job and start your first career. Even more rewarding is the compensation and recognition you will get for working hard, both monetarily and professionally.