First Job Chronicles: Coping with Post-Grad Stress
8:30 AM
- The Need to Impress - Even a task as simple as making an excel spreadsheet become's daunting. You're constantly wondering if you're doing everything right or if your boss is impressed. Sometimes doing what you've always done just doesn’t seem like enough. Sometimes you feel dumb for asking questions and even start questioning yourself. Advice? Just be confident in your abilities. Whether you're just starting out or you've been at your job for a few months, rest assured that you were hired for a reason. Plus, asking the right questions (not repetitive ones that have already been answered) shows that you care about your job - that's a good thing!
- Bills Get Worse - I've never been in a situation where my family covered my finances. In the six years that I've had a cell phone, my mom has paid my phone bill twice. (Once when I had a Pay-As-You-Go phone and when I got a new phone, you had to pay one month upfront.) My mom has paid my rent once and even then I paid her back. So, hearing that bills get worse from a girl like me is not a joke. Car insurance, life insurance, 401(k) deductions, dental & vision insurance - they hit you like an anvil in a Warner Bros. cartoon. Let the stress flood in. Advice? Get your finances in order! Create your own budget and get money smart. Being financially literate will help you tremendously in the long run.
- Is this Really What I Want to Do? There have been a lot of twists and turns in my current position and sometimes being thrown into such crazy situations will stress you out. Internships will teach you a lot and I'm extremely thankful for all of those opportunities but nothing will give you the experience that you get from being on the job. A majority of my friends are in graduate school, earning Master's degrees and doing co-ops. I'm so grateful that I have a job that originally allowed me to grow as a professional, but I would be lying if I said that I don't miss being in the classroom. Most recent graduates who starting working right out of college are wondering the same thing. Advice? Do your research. Since I’m also in this predicament, I can tell you that I've been doing exactly that. Not only looking into other job opportunities but at graduate programs as well. I'm definitely not saying that I wanna leave my job, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping your options open.
Are you currently stressed out in your current first job? What's stressing you and how do you cope? Let's help each other out!
0 comments