From College To Industry

[rahul_parab2006]

Graduating from college is a significant rite of passage. For most graduates, it signifies an important transition into the real world of being totally independent and earning a livelihood full-time.

Consider the following three key career skills that will be vital as you transition to the workplace:

Career skill # 1 -- Develop effective communication skills (interpersonal & written)

What do you think is the most important factor for success and achievement in today's workplace?
What's the foundation for supportive, cooperative work and personal relationships?

Interestingly, the answer to both questions is the same,
the ability to communicate skillfully and confidently with people.
Therefore, excellent interpersonal communication skills are the most powerful career and personal skills you can possess.

This means, how you communicate with others and through others to get business results. As a young professional, you need to focus on both verbal as well as written communication skills (e-mail and regular correspondence).

Career Skill # 2 -- Administrative: Manage your job

It's a fact of business life. Every day employees are judged by their ability to manage projects, priorities and deadlines. An organisation's success (and your own career success) depends, to a great degree, upon your skill in getting things done -- on time and with the desired result.

Find out as soon as possible what your company and manager expect from you. This will include using your people (interpersonal communication) and technical skills (the knowledge, skills and abilities that make you a sought-after professional).

Once you determine what's expected of you, decide how you will accomplish it. Design a professional development plan so that your action items lead to achieving your goals. Stay on top of even the most demanding schedule of competing priorities and multiple projects. To help with this, build a deadline ie a "safety net" to make sure no critical deadlines slip by.


Career Skill # 3 -- Build and leverage your relationships

Take charge of your career by becoming a partner with your manager. That means that you will be working to gain your manager's respect and trust in your competence. Enlist your manager's full support for your projects.

Strive for appropriate working relationships. Workplace conflict can have constructive or destructive consequences on an individual's performance, the team's performance, and the organisation as a whole.

This conflict is often the result of clashes in vision, priorities, values and personal loyalties. Anticipate and sidestep the pitfalls that could impede your progress. Once you are on solid ground with your team and manager, look around and see which bridges you need to build so that you are connected with the right people in the organisation (those who can make things happen for you).