As the beginning of a new chapter of your life starting a new graduate job can be extremely exciting and full of anticipation, but also super nerve-wracking! Your first role is setting up the foundation for your entire career - no pressure! Here are a few tips to help you nail that first year of your new graduate job and set yourself up for a rewarding career.

Build your personal brand and be yourself

Establish a great foundation for your career and personal brand by being your best self at work. This means being reliable, punctual, efficient, and hard-working. If you are having trouble with a project, make sure you take initiative and ask for help - as a graduate you're expected to have lots of questions! If you commit to a certain date, ensure you deliver by that time or communicate with your manager if you are worried about the deadlines.

Network as much as you can

In your first year as a graduate don't hold back when it comes to how involved you are. Attend all of the different types of events within your organisation whether it be a team lunch or all-hands conference. Be eager and enthusiastic about meeting different people in the organisation and learn more about how the company operates from different perspectives.

Say 'Yes' to any opportunity

Similar to the above - when you are early in your career, you never know where an opportunity can take you so say yes to every opportunity (and create your own)! Taking on additional work or helping another team on a project, you will meet more people, and you may even find a new passion or want to learn more about their area. Learn as much as you can, be positive and stay open-minded!

Be patient

As a new graduate, you are probably going to be full of energy and ready to go at full speed. But be patient too - starting a new role as a graduate is like being planted as a seed, it takes time to grow and flourish! During your experience, you will have your ups and downs. Use these moments to learn valuable lessons and accelerate your own self-awareness and growth.

Be curious and proactive

Some people want things to happen, some people wish things would happen and some people make things happen! Get involved in the business and find ways to be proactive. Utilize your strengths to drive impact, identify areas that you need to upskill, find where your involvement in certain projects will help you refine your abilities. Learning in a graduate role never ends, stay on top of what is happening around you by following trends that will help your business and reading books that interest you. Always maintain a passion for learning and growing.

Be flexible

As an entry-level employee, one of the most rewarding opportunities is to be really flexible with the type of work you do and the way you approach problems. Proving that you can be resourceful will be beneficial in the long-run as it will make your team and managers want to work with you. If you can persist and get through different kinds of challenges and projects in different teams, you'll set yourself up for success - now and way into the future!

How To Succeed in the First Year of Your New Grad Job