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| At the EU Central Bank |
Over the past few months, I have studied abroad,
traveled throughout Western Europe and ... started a new job! Whoo hoo! All
very exciting, but of course, not without lessons to be learned and shared. So, get ready; here we go!
Let's start with a glimpse into the newest phase of the grad school experience: the post-grad career path.
You may - as I did - assume that once you complete your MBA and devote the status quo 10-12 weeks to job hunting, you'll fall into your ideal job, the one that will allow you to:
Silly rabbit!
I'll tell you, I expected the journey that began with grad school to immediately and seamlessly continue into a career path that was everything I was looking for with no adjustment period, learning curve or corporate culture shock. Naive, huh?
- Put that brand spankin' new MBA to use
- Finally get your foot in the door of that glamorous/prestigious/cutting-edge/cutthroat company you've had your eye on for as long as you can remember
- Make $120,000+ a year
- Make the world a better place
- Have a work/life balance and energy to enjoy it
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| What I Expected... |
I'll tell you, I expected the journey that began with grad school to immediately and seamlessly continue into a career path that was everything I was looking for with no adjustment period, learning curve or corporate culture shock. Naive, huh?
One of the hardest realities to wrap my head around was this: If you are completely changing fields (or even companies), you will not feel comfortable or competent for at least three months. Three MONTHS?! Talk about a hard pill to swallow! But, it's true.
After that little nugget has soaked in, I found a few of the coping strategies that have helped me maintain my composure and helped me keep on keepin' on. Maybe they will serve you the same.
Breathe. Take a walk. Take a break. Make a friend. Call a friend. Do whatever it takes to recharge your batteries and revive your confidence in yourself. (I have even set alerts on my phone to remind me every few hours to take a deep breath. Seriously.)
Enduring the temporary discomfort at this stage requires a serious adjustment period. Blend in having to learn a new industry, a new product line, a new company, a new boss, a new team, a new area of town, new time/project management skills … It will blow your mind! Clean up, aisle 2!
But I have also learned, that even though it will take time to soar to the the rockstar status we may have achieved in a previous life (as a student, a CEO, a stay-at-home parent, etc.), we are equipped with the skills and the strength to succeed. Just be patient, believe in yourself, breathe, and reboot. You got this!
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| The First Three Months |
After that little nugget has soaked in, I found a few of the coping strategies that have helped me maintain my composure and helped me keep on keepin' on. Maybe they will serve you the same.
Breathe. Take a walk. Take a break. Make a friend. Call a friend. Do whatever it takes to recharge your batteries and revive your confidence in yourself. (I have even set alerts on my phone to remind me every few hours to take a deep breath. Seriously.)
Enduring the temporary discomfort at this stage requires a serious adjustment period. Blend in having to learn a new industry, a new product line, a new company, a new boss, a new team, a new area of town, new time/project management skills … It will blow your mind! Clean up, aisle 2!
But I have also learned, that even though it will take time to soar to the the rockstar status we may have achieved in a previous life (as a student, a CEO, a stay-at-home parent, etc.), we are equipped with the skills and the strength to succeed. Just be patient, believe in yourself, breathe, and reboot. You got this!
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