Tips for Transitioning from College to Full-Time Work

So, you're about to graduate from college and enter the full-time workforce. Maybe you've already got the job offer in your hands. This is the moment you've been waiting for.

There are countless articles and books on finding your first job, succeeding in the workplace, making a name for yourself, and moving up the company ladder. They'll tell you how to dress and make sure you know exactly how to impress your new boss.

But what not too many career-related resources will admit is that sometimes, work sucks. Adjusting from the college lifestyle to being a member of the workforce can be a stressful, frustrating and sometimes disappointing transition.

I was an independent, first-generation college student. My parents didn't have the money do to much more than give me the occasional care package, or the experience to guide me through things like applying for financial aid. As a result, I worked 3 part-time jobs to pay my way through school.

Each semester, I took 4 or 5 classes and worked somewhere between 30-40 hours a week. It's easy to understand why I thought great things were coming my way. Heck, after living with a schedule like that for years, the notion of just having one full-time job seemed like easy street.

But it wasn't.

The lifestyle of a college student, especially one who also works, is often hectic, chaotic, and non-stop. You're only half-joking when someone asks you if you're getting enough rest and you turn to them and say "Sleep? What's sleep?"

But college life also features variety and constant change. Each semester brings a new set of classes and new people into your life. One week you're writing papers, the next you're cramming for exams. Your jobs are usually the type of work you can leave behind when you go home at the end of your shift. Your work schedule itself may vary based on your classes and what else you've got on your plate. Each day is new and different.